Iran-Water Resources Research

Iran-Water Resources Research

Elaborating Global Views and Approaches in Adapting to Climate Change in the Agricultural Water

Document Type : Technical Note (5 pages)

Author
Associate Professor, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AERI), Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
Abstract
Strategies and approaches resulting from global climate change (CC) adaptation studies in the agricultural water sector are classified as follows: a) strategies that seek to utilize new technologies in water management, b) strategies that aim to change the management of agricultural systems, c) strategies that focus on improving decision-making tools, and
d) strategies in which institutional changes are considered. Based on these general approaches, the specialized approaches of global organizations and institutions (such as FAO, etc.) for adaptation in the water and soil sectors are: 1) approaches related to water management (applying new irrigation methods and technologies and maintaining soil moisture); 2) approaches related to soil and land management (enhancing reversibility and resilience, increasing soil organic matter, reducing tillage, and maintaining permanent soil cover through conservation agriculture, monitoring and evaluating land cover, adopting indigenous methods, and promoting the participation of local communities); 3) conservation of agricultural biodiversity in agricultural development (utilizing native plants and developing and adopting cultivars resistant to environmental stresses (salinity, drought, etc.)); 4) modifications in cropping patterns; 5) climate monitoring and forecasting; 6) placing special emphasis on creating incentives for the production of agricultural products by reducing tariffs and taxes; 7) providing subsidies to producers; 8) creating local water markets; 9) expanding agricultural insurance; and 10) establishing free economic zones. From the economic perspective of adaptation measures and actions, it has been concluded that management-based and software-driven measures have higher benefit-to-cost ratios and are more economical than agronomic measures, such as the development and introduction of climate change- and drought-tolerant crop varieties. Among the general global approaches to climate change adaptation in the agricultural water sector, Iran has placed significant emphasis on improving water use efficiency, mainly through the application of new irrigation technologies. Meanwhile, other global adaptation approaches—such as modifying agricultural system management, utilizing decision-making tools, implementing institutional changes, and enhancing organizational relationships and coordination—have received less attention or have been neglected altogether.
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Subjects


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  • Receive Date 22 December 2024
  • Revise Date 13 January 2025
  • Accept Date 15 January 2025