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Modernization of new irrigated lands in a scenario of increasing water scarcity: from large reservoirs to small ponds
- Source :
- Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica, Vol 42, Iss 1, Pp 233-259 (2016), Zaguán. Repositorio Digital de la Universidad de Zaragoza, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2016
- Publisher :
- Universidad de la Rioja, 2016.
-
Abstract
- Large rainfed, dryland areas were transformed into irrigated land in northeast Spain, where rivers from the Pyrenees Range ensure the availability of abundant water resources. The transformation of the Riegos del Alto Aragón area (RAA), mainly during the second half of the 20th century, was subject to major problems during the 1960s and 1970s, including monoculture of poorly productive winter cereals, water wastage, and soil degradation. Since the 1990s the RAA has been affected by modernization involving: (i) a change in the mode of irrigation, from gravity to sprinkler systems; (ii) the concentration of plots to enlarge the size of irrigated fields; and (iii) the introduction of more productive and highly water-consuming crops (corn, lucerne, vegetables). These changes coincided with enlargement of the irrigated area, increasing water demand at a time of increasing water scarcity because of restriction on the construction of new large reservoirs and declining water resources, because of climate and land use changes. Addressing this major problem has required new strategies, specifically the construction of small reservoirs and water ponds within the irrigated area. The ponds increase water reserves and facilitate sprinkling irrigation by adding pressure to the system. However, this has involved a huge rise in electricity consumption, which has increased the cost of production.
- Subjects :
- Irrigation
0208 environmental biotechnology
Geography, Planning and Development
reservoirs
02 engineering and technology
Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Modernization theory
Water scarcity
Soil retrogression and degradation
spain
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
irrigation modernization
water ponds
2. Zero hunger
Geography (General)
Land use
irrigated land
monegros
15. Life on land
6. Clean water
020801 environmental engineering
Water demand
Water resources
G1-922
Environmental science
Monoculture
Water resource management
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 16979540 and 02116820
- Volume :
- 42
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1e1ea69229af11f48a6e935fe9f1648a