Agricultural green and blue water consumption and its influence on the global water system

Stefanie Rost; Dieter Gerten; Alberte Bondeau; Wolfgang Lucht; Janine Rohwer; Sibyll Schaphoff

doi:10.1029/2007wr006331

journal article Sep 01, 2008

Agricultural green and blue water consumption and its influence on the global water system

Stefanie Rost Dieter Gerten

Alberte Bondeau Wolfgang Lucht

Janine Rohwer Sibyll Schaphoff

Water Resources Research Vol. 44 No. 9 · American Geophysical Union (AGU)

View at Publisher Save 10.1029/2007wr006331

Abstract

This study quantifies, spatially explicitly and in a consistent modeling framework (Lund‐Potsdam‐Jena managed Land), the global consumption of both “blue” water (withdrawn for irrigation from rivers, lakes and aquifers) and “green” water (precipitation) by rainfed and irrigated agriculture and by nonagricultural terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, the individual effects of human‐induced land cover change and irrigation were quantified to assess the overall hydrological impact of global agriculture in the past century. The contributions to irrigation of nonrenewable (fossil groundwater) and nonlocal blue water (e.g., from diverted rivers) were derived from the difference between a simulation in which these resources were implicitly considered (IPOT) and a simulation in which they were neglected (ILIM). We found that global cropland consumed >7200 km3 year−1 of green water in 1971–2000, representing 92% (ILIM) and 85% (IPOT), respectively, of total crop water consumption. Even on irrigated cropland, 35% (ILIM) and 20% (IPOT) of water consumption consisted of green water. An additional 8155 km3 year−1 of green water was consumed on grazing land; a further ∼44,700 km3 year−1 sustained the ecosystems. Blue water consumption predominated only in intensively irrigated regions and was estimated at 636 km3 year−1 (ILIM) and 1364 km3 year−1 (IPOT) globally, suggesting that presently almost half of the irrigation water stemmed from nonrenewable and nonlocal sources. Land cover conversion reduced global evapotranspiration by 2.8% and increased discharge by 5.0% (1764 km3 year−1), whereas irrigation increased evapotranspiration by up to 1.9% and decreased discharge by 0.5% at least (IPOT, 1971–2000). The diverse water fluxes displayed considerable interannual and interdecadal variability due to climatic variations and the progressive increase of the global area under cultivation and irrigation.

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References

Details

Published: Sep 01, 2008
Vol/Issue: 44(9)
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Authors

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Stefanie Rost