Water problems are typically studied at the level of the river catchment. About 70% of all water is used for agriculture, and agricultural products are traded internationally. A full understanding of water use is impossible without understanding the international market for food and related products, such as textiles. The water embedded in commodities is called virtual water. Based on a general...

Water is an essential input for agricultural production. Agriculture, in turn, is globalized through the trade of agricultural commodities. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model that emphasizes four tradeoffs involving water-use decision-making that are important yet not always considered in a consistent framework. One tradeoff focuses on competition for water among different economic s...

Hydrological response of a watershed is a comprehensive symbol of environmental conditions and characteristics of the basin. Vegetation is one of the main factors in water resources status, erosion, and sediment of a watershed. Rangelands of Golestan province, Iran due to the geographical location, climate, and destruction of these resources as well as drastic land use changes from forests, and...

Lack of sewage collection systems, percolation of surface waters, and seepage of wells have raised the groundwater table in Shiraz area in the south of Iran. The growing population generates environmental pollution resulting in the degradation of the quality of surface and groundwaters used for agriculture. Inorganic and organic pollutants have been traced in Shiraz water resources. Heavy metal...

Due to the frequent drought periods, water consumption increase, and competition of different water-using sectors, the Hirmand catchment is in a critical water status in the Sistan region. This threat has been intensified in recent years. To cope with this problem, we must pay more attention to different types of water use such as virtual water as a water saving method. The present study calcul...

Introduction The evolution of agricultural research and development policy in Zambia is emblematic of the quiet crisis in African agricultural research. Zambia, a medium-sized country that has avoided internal conflict, has, until recently, been spared from natural disasters. It has also enjoyed periods of relative economic well-being and institutional growth based on its copper industry. Zambi...

Modelling crop evapotranspiration (ET) response to different planting scenarios in an irrigation district plays a significant role in optimizing crop planting patterns, resolving agricultural water scarcity and facilitating the sustainable use of water resources. In this study, the SWAT model was improved by transforming the evapotranspiration module. Then, the improved model was applied in Qin...

Potential contamination (pollution) of surface waters with sediment, nutrients, and pesticides in agricultural runoff is an important water quality issue. Conservation tillage has been promoted and adopted by many row crop farmers because of its effectiveness in decreasing exposure to rainfall and reducing runoff and sediment loss. Vegetative filter strips (VFS), also known as buffer strips or ...