Irrigation Water-Saving Technologies to Adapt to Global Changes in the Yellow River Basin, China: A Hetao Case Study

Water resources management in the Yellow River basin, China, is facing a paradigmatic change in consequence of an unbalanced supply and demand due to an increased demand for water from non-agricultural sectors and a reduced supply due to climate change that reduced precipitation and increased climatic demand. The problem is aggravated by low equity of spatial water allocation in the basin. A supply reduction in the upstream basin area aims to control the water scarcity conditions occurring in the middle and lower reaches of the basin. Forecasted scenarios on water resources allocation and use for agriculture in the upper reaches of the Yellow River basin point out for the need to reduce irrigation water withdrawal and increasing land and water productivity. This paper focus on the Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, in upper reaches of Yellow River, where sustainable water saving irrigation is being implemented in response to global changes occurring in the Yellow River basin. That implementation requires technological adaption referring to modernization of canal water conveyance and delivery, which refers to upgrading the hydraulic regulation and control structures, reducing operational runoff wastages, and improving system management. At field level, modern irrigation technologies adapted to local conditions are under implementation. The paper focus on an application to Dengkou area.