Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
DOI | 10.1038/s41893-019-0305-3 |
Importance of snow and glacier meltwater for agriculture on the Indo-Gangetic Plain | |
Biemans, H.1,2; Siderius, C.1,3; Lutz, A. F.4,5; Nepal, S.2; Ahmad, B.6; Hassan, T.7; von Bloh, W.8; Wijngaard, R. R.4,5; Wester, P.2; Shrestha, A. B.2; Immerzeel, W. W.5 | |
2019-07-01 | |
发表期刊 | NATURE SUSTAINABILITY |
ISSN | 2398-9629 |
出版年 | 2019 |
卷号 | 2期号:7页码:594-601 |
文章类型 | Article |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | Netherlands; Nepal; England; Pakistan; Bangladesh; Germany |
英文摘要 | Densely populated floodplains downstream of Asia's mountain ranges depend heavily on mountain water resources, in particular for irrigation. An intensive and complex multi-cropping irrigated agricultural system has developed here to optimize the use of these mountain water resources in conjunction with monsoonal rainfall. Snow and glacier melt thereby modulate the seasonal pattern of river flows and, together with groundwater, provide water when rainfall is scarce. Climate change is expected to weaken this modulating effect, with potentially strong effects on food production in one of the world's breadbaskets. Here we quantify the space-, time-and crop-specific dependence of agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic Plains on mountain water resources, using a coupled state-of-the-art, high-resolution, cryosphere-hydrology-crop model. We show that dependence varies strongly in space and time and is highest in the Indus basin, where in the pre-monsoon season up to 60% of the total irrigation withdrawals originate from mountain snow and glacier melt, and that it contributes an additional 11% to total crop production. Although dependence in the floodplains of the Ganges is comparatively lower, meltwater is still essential during the dry season, in particular for crops such as sugar cane. The dependency on meltwater in the Brahmaputra is negligible. In total, 129 million farmers in the Indus and Ganges substantially depend on snow and glacier melt for their livelihoods. Snow and glacier melt provides enough water to grow food crops to sustain a balanced diet for 38 million people. These findings provide important information for agricultural and climate change adaptation policies in a climate change hot spot where shifts in water availability and demand are projected as a result of climate change and socio-economic growth. |
领域 | 资源环境 |
收录类别 | SSCI |
WOS记录号 | WOS:000474685000017 |
WOS关键词 | CLIMATE-CHANGE ; WATER AVAILABILITY ; SOUTH-ASIA ; FOOD ; IRRIGATION ; DISCHARGE ; PRECIPITATION ; VULNERABILITY ; CHALLENGE ; SECURITY |
WOS类目 | Green & Sustainable Science & Technology ; Environmental Sciences ; Environmental Studies |
WOS研究方向 | Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
引用统计 | |
文献类型 | 期刊论文 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/289844 |
专题 | 资源环境科学 |
作者单位 | 1.Wageningen Univ & Res, Wageningen, Netherlands; 2.Int Ctr Integrated Mt Dev, Kathmandu, Nepal; 3.London Sch Econ, London, England; 4.FutureWater, Wageningen, Netherlands; 5.Univ Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands; 6.Pakistan Agr Res Council, Islamabad, Pakistan; 7.Bangladesh Ctr Adv Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 8.Potsdam Inst Climate Impact Res, Potsdam, Germany |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | Biemans, H.,Siderius, C.,Lutz, A. F.,et al. Importance of snow and glacier meltwater for agriculture on the Indo-Gangetic Plain[J]. NATURE SUSTAINABILITY,2019,2(7):594-601. |
APA | Biemans, H..,Siderius, C..,Lutz, A. F..,Nepal, S..,Ahmad, B..,...&Immerzeel, W. W..(2019).Importance of snow and glacier meltwater for agriculture on the Indo-Gangetic Plain.NATURE SUSTAINABILITY,2(7),594-601. |
MLA | Biemans, H.,et al."Importance of snow and glacier meltwater for agriculture on the Indo-Gangetic Plain".NATURE SUSTAINABILITY 2.7(2019):594-601. |
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