Crop-specific seasonal estimates of irrigation-water demand in South Asia
13 Sep 2016

In the Himalayan headwaters of the main rivers in South Asia, shifts in runoff are expected as a result of a climate change. Although our insight into these shifts and their impact on water availability has increased, a similar detailed understanding of the seasonal pattern in water demand is absent. This hampers a proper assessment of water stress and ways to cope and adapt. In this study, the seasonal pattern of irrigation-water demand resulting from the typical practice of multiple cropping in South Asia was accounted for by introducing double cropping with monsoon-dependent planting dates in a hydrology and vegetation model.