The environmental effects of irrigation relate to the changes in quantity and quality of
soil and
water as a result of
irrigation and the subsequent effects on natural and social conditions in
river basins and downstream of an
irrigation scheme. The effects stem from the altered
hydrological conditions caused by the installation and operation of the irrigation scheme.
An
irrigation scheme draws water from groundwater,
rivers,
lakes or
overland flow, and distributes it over a certain area.
Hydrological, or direct, effects of doing this[1] include reduction in downstream river flow, increased
evaporation in the irrigated area, increased level in the
water table as
groundwater recharge in the area is increased and flow increased in the irrigated area. Likewise, irrigation has immediate effects on the provision of moisture to the atmosphere, inducing atmospheric instabilities and increasing downwind rainfall,[2] or in other cases modifies the atmospheric circulation, delivering rain to different downwind areas.[3] Increases or decreases in irrigation are a key area of concern in
precipitationshed studies, that examine how significant modifications to the delivery of evaporation to the atmosphere can alter downwind rainfall.[4]
Indirect Effects
Indirect effects are those that have consequences that take longer to develop and may also be longer-lasting. The indirect effects of irrigation include the following:
Irrigated land area worldwide occupies about 16% of the total agricultural area and the crop yield of irrigated land is roughly 40% of the total yield.[5] In other words, irrigated land produces 2.5 times more product than non-irrigated land.
Adverse impacts
Reduced river flow
The reduced downstream river flow may cause:
reduced downstream flooding
disappearance of ecologically and economically important wetlands or flood forests[6]
reduced availability of industrial, municipal, household, and drinking water
reduced shipping routes. Water withdrawal poses a serious threat to the
Ganges. In India,
barrages control all of the tributaries to the Ganges and divert roughly 60 percent of river flow to irrigation[6]
reduced fishing opportunities. The
Indus River in
Pakistan faces scarcity due to the over-extraction of water for agriculture. The Indus is inhabited by 25 amphibian species and 147 fish species of which 22 are found nowhere else in the world. It harbors the endangered
Indus river dolphin, one of the world's rarest mammals. Fish populations, the main source of
protein and overall life support systems for many communities, are also being threatened[6]
reduced discharge into the sea, which may have various consequences like
coastal erosion (e.g. in
Ghana[7]) and saltwater intrusion in delta's and estuaries (e.g. in
Egypt, see
Aswan dam). Current water withdrawal from the river
Nile for irrigation is so high that, despite its size, in dry periods the river does not reach the sea.[6] The
Aral Sea has suffered an "environmental catastrophe" due to the interception of river water for irrigation purposes.
Increased groundwater recharge stems from the unavoidable
deep percolation losses occurring in the irrigation scheme. The lower the irrigation efficiency, the higher the losses. Although fairly high irrigation efficiencies of 70% or more (i.e. losses of 30% or less) can occur with sophisticated techniques like
sprinkler irrigation and
drip irrigation, or by well managed
surface irrigation, in practice the losses are commonly in the order of 40% to 60%. This may cause the following issues:
rising water tables
increased storage of groundwater that may be used for irrigation, municipal, household, and drinking water by pumping from
wells
waterlogging and drainage problems in villages, agricultural lands, and along roads - with mostly negative consequences. The increased level of the water table can lead to reduced agricultural production.
shallow water tables - a sign that the aquifer is unable to cope with the groundwater recharge stemming from the deep percolation losses
where water tables are shallow, the irrigation applications are reduced. As a result, the soil is no longer
leached and
soil salinity problems develop
stagnant water tables at the soil surface are known to increase the incidence of water-borne diseases like
malaria,
filariasis,
yellow fever,
dengue, and
schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) in many areas.[9] Health costs, appraisals of health impacts and mitigation measures are rarely part of irrigation projects, if at all.[10]
as drainage water moves through the soil profile it may dissolve nutrients (either fertilizer-based or naturally occurring) such as nitrates, leading to a buildup of those nutrients in the ground-water aquifer. High nitrate levels in drinking water can be harmful to humans, particularly infants under 6 months, where it is linked to "blue-baby syndrome" (see
Methemoglobinemia).
Reduced downstream river water quality
Owing to drainage of surface and groundwater in the project area, which waters may be salinized and polluted by
agricultural chemicals like
biocides and
fertilizers, the quality of the river water below the project area can deteriorate, which makes it less fit for industrial, municipal and household use. It may lead to reduced public health.
Polluted river water entering the sea may adversely affect the ecology along the seashore (see
Aswan dam).
The natural contribution of sediments can be eliminated by the detention of sediments behind the dams critical to surface water irrigation diversions. Sedimentation is an essential part of the ecosystem that requires the natural flux of the river flow. This natural cycle of sediment dispersion replenishes the nutrients in the soil, which will, in turn, determine the livelihood of the plants and animals that rely on the sediments carried downstream. The benefits of heavy deposits of sedimentation can be seen in large rivers like the Nile River. The sediment from the delta has built up to form a giant aquifer during flood season and retains water in the wetlands. The wetlands that are created and sustained due to built-up sediment at the basin of the river are a habitat for numerous species of birds.[11] However, heavy sedimentation can reduce downstream river water quality and can exacerbate floods upstream. This has been known to happen in the Sanmenxia reservoir in China. The Sanmenxia reservoir is part of a larger man-made project of hydroelectric dams called the Three Gorge Project [12] In 1998, uncertain calculations and heavy sediment greatly affected the reservoir’s ability to properly fulfill its flood-control function [13] This also reduces the downstream river water quality. Shifting more towards mass irrigation installments in order to meet more socioeconomic demands is going against the natural balance of nature, and use water pragmatically- use it where it is found[14]
Affected downstream water users
Downstream water users often have no legal water rights and may fall victim to the development of irrigation.
Pastoralists and
nomadic tribes may find their land and water resources blocked by new irrigation developments without having legal recourse.
Flood-recession cropping may be seriously affected by the upstream interception of river water for irrigation purposes.
After the closure of the
Kainji dam,
Nigeria, 50 to 70 per cent of the downstream area of flood-recession cropping was lost[16]
Lost land use opportunities
Irrigation projects may reduce the fishing opportunities of the original population and the grazing opportunities for cattle. The
livestock pressure on the remaining lands may increase considerably, because the ousted traditional pastoralist tribes will have to find their
subsistence and existence elsewhere,
overgrazing may increase, followed by serious
soil erosion and the loss of
natural resources.[17]
The
Manatali reservoir formed by the
Manantali dam in
Mali intersects the migration routes of nomadic pastoralists and destroyed 43000 ha of
savannah, probably leading to overgrazing and erosion elsewhere. Further, the reservoir destroyed 120 km2 of
forest. The depletion of groundwater aquifers, which is caused by the suppression of the seasonal flood cycle, is damaging the forests downstream of the dam.[18][19]
Groundwater mining with wells, land subsidence
When more groundwater is pumped from wells than replenished, storage of water in the
aquifer is being
mined and the use of that water is no longer sustainable. As levels fail, it becomes more difficult to extract water and pumps will struggle to maintain the design flow rate and may consume more energy per unit of water. Eventually, it may become so difficult to extract groundwater that farmers may be forced to abandon irrigated agriculture.
Some notable examples include:
The hundreds of tubewells installed in the state of
Uttar Pradesh, India, with World Bank funding have operating periods of 1.4 to 4.7 hours/day, whereas they were designed to operate 16 hours/day[20]
In
Baluchistan,
Pakistan, the development of tubewell irrigation projects was at the expense of the traditional
qanat or
karez users[15]
groundwater-related subsidence[21] of the land due to mining of groundwater occurred in the United States at a rate of 1m for every 13m that the water table was lowered[22]
Homes at Greens Bayou near
Houston,
Texas, where 5 to 7 feet of subsidence has occurred, was flooded during a storm in June 1989 as shown in the picture[23]
Simulation and prediction
The effects of irrigation on the water table, soil salinity and salinity of drainage and groundwater, and the effects of
mitigative measures can be simulated and predicted using agro-hydro-salinity models like
SaltMod and
SahysMod[24]
Case studies
In India 2.19 million ha of land has been reported to suffer from waterlogging in irrigation canal commands. Also, 3.47 million ha were reported to be seriously salt-affected,[25][26]
In the
Indus Plains in
Pakistan, more than 2 million hectares of land are waterlogged.[27] The soil of 13.6 million hectares within the Gross Command Area was surveyed, which revealed that 3.1 million hectares (23%) were saline. 23% of this was in
Sindh and 13% in the
Punjab.[27] More than 3 million ha of water-logged lands have been provided with tube-wells and drains at the cost of billions of rupees, but the reclamation objectives were only partially achieved.[28] The
Asian Development Bank (ADB) states that 38% of the irrigated area is now waterlogged and 14% of the surface is too saline for use[29]
In the
Nile delta of
Egypt, drainage is being installed in millions of hectares to combat the water-logging resulting from the introduction of massive perennial irrigation after completion of the High Dam at
Assuan[30]
In Mexico, 15% of the 3 million ha of irrigable land is salinized and 10% is waterlogged[31]
In
Peru some 0.3 million ha of the 1.05 million ha of irrigable land suffers from degradation (see
Irrigation in Peru).
Estimates indicate that roughly one-third of the irrigated land in the major irrigation countries is already badly affected by salinity or is expected to become so in the near future. Present estimates for Israel are 13% of the irrigated land, Australia 20%, China 15%,
Iraq 50%,
Egypt 30%. Irrigation-induced salinity occurs in large and small irrigation systems alike[32]
FAO has estimated that by 1990 about 52 million ha of irrigated land will need to have improved drainage systems installed, much of it
subsurface drainage to control salinity[33]
Reduced downstream drainage and groundwater quality
The downstream drainage water quality may deteriorate owing to
leaching of salts,
nutrients,
herbicides and
pesticides with high salinity and alkalinity. There is the threat of soils converting into saline or
alkali soils. This may negatively affect the health of the population at the tail-end of the river basin and downstream of the irrigation scheme, as well as the ecological balance. The
Aral Sea, for example, is seriously
polluted by drainage water.
The downstream quality of the groundwater may deteriorate in a similar way as the downstream drainage water and have similar consequences
Mitigation of adverse effects
Irrigation can have a variety of negative impacts on
ecology and
socioeconomy, which may be mitigated in a number of ways.
These include siting the irrigation project in a location that minimizes negative impacts.[34] The efficiency of existing projects can be improved and existing degraded
croplands can be improved rather than establishing a new irrigation project[34]
Developing small-scale, individually owned irrigation systems as an alternative to large-scale, publicly owned and managed schemes.[34] The use of
sprinkler irrigation and
micro-irrigation systems decreases the risk of
waterlogging and
erosion.[34]
Where practicable, using treated
wastewater makes more water available to other users[34]
Maintaining
flood flows downstream of the dams can ensure that an adequate area is flooded each year, supporting, amongst other objectives,
fishery activities.[34]
Delayed environmental impacts
It often takes time to accurately predict the impact that new irrigation schemes will have on the
ecology and
socioeconomy of a region. By the time these predictions are available, a considerable amount of time and resources may have already been expended in the implementation of that
project. When that is the case, the project managers will often only change the project if the impact would be considerably more than they had originally expected.[35]
Case study in Malawi
Frequently
irrigation schemes are seen as extremely necessary for
socioeconomic well-being especially in
developing countries.
One example of this can be demonstrated from a proposal for an
irrigation scheme in
Malawi. Here it was shown that the potential positive effects of the
irrigation project that was being proposed "outweighed the potential negative impacts". It was stated that the impacts would mostly "be localized, minimal, a short term occurring during the construction and operation phases of the Project". In order to help alleviate and prevent major environmental impacts, they would use techniques that minimize the potential negative impacts. As far as the region's socioeconomic well-being, there would be no "displacement and/or resettlement envisioned during the implementation of the project activities". The original primary purposes of the irrigation project were to reduce poverty, improve food security, create local employment, increase household income and enhance the sustainability of land use.[36]
Due to this careful planning, this project was successful both in improving the socioeconomic conditions in the region and ensuring that land and water are sustainable into the future.
^M. H. Lo and J. S. Famiglietti, Irrigation in California's Central Valley strengthens the southwestern U.S. water cycle, Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 40, Issue 2, pages 301–306, 28 January 20132
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^O. A. Tuinenburg et al., The fate of evaporated water from the Ganges basin, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres,
Volume 117, Issue D1, 16 January 2012
[2]
^P. W. Keys et al., Analyzing precipitation sheds to understand the vulnerability of rainfall dependent regions, Biogeosciences, 9, 733–746, 2012
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^Bruce Sundquist, 2007. Chapter 1- Irrigation overview. In: The earth's carrying capacity, Some related reviews, and analysis. On line:
"Chapter 1 -- Irrigation Overview". Archived from
the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
^<r/r Ellen Wohl, “The Nile: Lifeline in the Desert”, A World of Rivers p. 98f>
^</Allen Wohl, “The Chang Jiang: Bridling a Dragon”, A World of Rivers p 275, p.283. By calculating the amount of sediment that will be carried downstream to the Sanmenxia reservoir is difficult to estimate.
^<Ellen Wohl, “The Chang Jiang: Bridling a Dragon”, A World of Rivers p284
^</Donald Worster, “ Thinking Like a River,” in The Wealth of Nature: Environmental History and the Ecological Imagination (New York: Oxford University Press, (1993), p133ef>
^
abModern interferences in traditional water resources in Baluchistan. In: Annual Report 1982, pp. 23-34. ILRI, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Reprinted in Water International 9 (1984), pp. 106- 111. Elsevier Sequoia, Amsterdam. Also reprinted in Water Research Journal (1983) 139, pp. 53-60. Download from :
[3], under nr. 10, or directly as PDF :
[4]
^C.A. Drijver and M. Marchand, 1985. Taming the floods. Environmental aspects of the floodplain developments of Africa. Centre of Environmental Studies, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
^Ecosystems Ltd., 1983. Tana delta ecological impact study. Nairobi, Kenya.
^Peter Bosshard. A Case Study on the Manantali Dam Project (Mali, Mauritania, Senegal),
Erklärung von Bern/internationalrivers:
[5]
^Center for development studies (CDS), 1988. A study of water distribution and management in new design public tubewells in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow, UP, India
^ SaltMod: A tool for the interweaving of irrigation and drainage for salinity control. In: W.B. Snellen (ed.), Towards integration of irrigation, and drainage management. ILRI Special report, pp. 41-43. Free download from :
[6], under nr. 8: Salted application, or directly as PDF :
[7]
^N.K. Tyagi, 1996. Salinity management: the CSSRI experience and future research agenda. In: W.B. Snellen (Ed.), Towards integration of irrigation and drainage management. ILRI, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 1997, pp. 17-27.
^N.T. Singh, 2005. Irrigation and soil salinity in the Indian subcontinent: past and present. Lehigh University Press.
ISBN0-934223-78-5,
ISBN978-0-934223-78-2, 404 p.
^
abGreen Living Association Pakistan, Environmental Issues.
^A.K. Bhatti, 1987. A review of planning strategies of salinity control and reclamation projects in Pakistan. In: J. Vos (Ed.) Proceedings, Symposium 25th International Course on Land Drainage. ILRI publ. 42. International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement, Wageningen, The Netherlands
^Asian Development Bank (ADB), Water in the 21st Century: Imperatives for Wise Water Management, From Public Good to Priced Commodity.
^M.S. Abdel-Dayem, 1987. Development of land drainage in Egypt. In: J. Vos (Ed.) Proceedings, Symposium 25th International Course on Land Drainage. ILRI publ. 42. International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
^L. Pulido Madrigal, 1994. (in Spanish) Anexo Tecnico: Estudio general de salinidad analizada. CNA-IMTA, Cuernavaca, Mexico. The data can be seen online in the article: "Land drainage and soil salinity: some Mexican experiences". In: Annual Report 1995, International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI), Wageningen, The Netherlands, pp. 44-52,
[8]
^Claudio O. Stockle. Environmental impact of irrigation: a review. State of Washington Water Research Center, Washington State University. On line:
"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from
the original(PDF) on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2008-04-04.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
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^United Nations, 1977. Water for Agriculture. In: Water Development and Management, Proceedings of the United Nations Water Conference, Part 3. Mar del Plata, Argentina.
^Dougherty, T.C.
"FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 53"(PDF). Environmental Impact Assessment of Irrigation and Drainage Projects. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived from
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