Combining remotely sensed surface energy fluxes and GIS analysis of groundwater parameters for irrigation system assessment

Abstract

Despite being necessary for effective water management, the assessment of an irrigation system requires a large amount of input data for the estimation of related parameters and indicators, which are seldom measured in a regular and reliable manner. In this work, spatially distributed surface energy balance fluxes and geographical information systems analysis of multiple groundwater parameters were used to estimate water availability, supply, and demand, in order to calculate water-accounting indicators. This methodology was used to evaluate the performance of an irrigation system in the Pinios river basin (Greece) at two selected years of high and low water availability. Time series of archived satellite images and groundwater measurements have been used for past years to support comparative analyses, due to the limited availability of actual water measurements. The resulting maps from the proposed methodology show that the performance of the irrigation system varied across space and time due to differences in its characteristics and changes in its operation, driven by fluctuation of water availability and the response of stakeholders to water depletion. Irrigation districts with unsustainable water management were identified and, together with those with slow and/or limited groundwater recharge, were brought to the attention of water managers. The observed differences in the system operation between the wet and dry years were attributed not only to the hydrological conditions of each year, but also to the changing behaviour of farmers and the improvement actions of the water managers

Identifying potential effects of climate change on the development of water resources in Pinios River Basin, Central Greece

“…PRB has been found to be severely stressed in terms of its water resources, since the last few decades (Koutsoyiannis and Mimikou 1996;Loukas et al 2007). The major responsibility for water resource stress developed in PRB is the agricultural sector, as irrigation water consumption accounts approximately for 95% of the total water consumption (Koutsoyiannis and Mimikou 1996;Alexandridis et al 2014). Although there are studies which indicate that the annual water availability is higher than the corresponding water needs (Koutsoyiannis and Mimikou 1996), the high demand for irrigation water during the summer cultivation period leads to groundwater over-exploitation, as surface water availability during this period is low.…”

Impact of Climate Change on Irrigation Need and Groundwater Resources in Pinios Basin

“…Pinios Basin is characterized by highly diversified geological, hydrological and hydrogeological conditions. The climate is typical Mediterranean [2]. Mean annual precipitation is about 700 mm and mean annual temperature is 14.6 °C.…”

“…Due to lack of coordinated water resources management policies in the past, signs of overexploitation were documented and a notable negative water balance has been established in the last 3 decades [2]. In an attempt to restore documented quality and quantity issues, the Hellenic Special Secretariat for Water has approved an integrated management plan for the river basin [1].…”

Using SEBAL to Investigate How Variations in Climate Impact on Crop Evapotranspiration

“…SEBAL has been applied in several countries of the Mediterranean region. It has been applied in Egypt [20] and then in Turkey [13], in Greece [22,23], and also in Cyprus [19][20][21].…”