In India, farmers loose precious cultivable land due to waterlogging and salinity. To overcome this problem, the groundwater table needs to be managed and kept at a safe depth below the ground surface. The practice of providing sub-surface drainage through pipes and drains pollutes water bodies into which the saline drainage water is discharged. It is, therefore, necessary to find alternative methods that are environment-friendly. Biodrainage through tree plantations can be an option to achieve this. This book describes the prevailing conditions and status of irrigation across the globe. It also presents the relevant aspects of groundwater salinity, plant physiology, and the uptake of water and minerals by crops and trees. Along with recent research studies in India, the book also incorporates a few case studies from different regions of the world. It will be useful for irrigation/drainage engineers, soil scientists, groundwater managers, agro-forestry and ecology planners, and researchers in the field of water and land management.

Groundwater is an indispensable resource in many parts of the world, where it supports domestic water supply, irrigated agriculture and industry. Its increased, and often intensive, use during the last half century has created problems and raised concerns regarding the potential depletion of local aquifers, water quality degradation and various geologic hazards such as land subsidence and sinkholes. This volume includes contributions by experts from several countries who describe different groundwater management practices in their part of the world and discuss measures and actions in response to the challenges associated with the sustainability of groundwater use and the protection of the groundwater environment, as well as the evolution of legal and institutional framework needed for their implementation. It discusses past and present practices and various aspects of the regulatory and legal framework of groundwater management in Japan, China, India, Iran, Australia, the United States, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland and the European Union, and reviews recent efforts to improve the management of transboundary aquifer resources.

Agricultural Water Management Is Not A Goal In Itself But Part Of A Process Of Resource Management That Provides A Key Input To Agricultural Production And Farmer Incomes. It Includes Irrigation And Drainage, Water Management In Rainfed Agriculture, Recycled Water Reuse, Water And Land Conservation, And Watershed Management. It Covers All Irrigated Agriculture, Whether Fed By Surface Water Or Groundwater, Including Both Public Schemes And Millions Of Private Individually Irrigated Farms, In A Wide Range Of Agro-Climatic Conditions, And In A Broad Set Of Production Systems And Water Management Contexts. This Book Highlights The Importance Of Agricultural Water Management And Describes The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Conventional And Innovative Systems For The Treatment And Disposal Of Agricultural Water. It Would Be A Useful Reference Tool For Policy Makers, Project Managers, Development Organisations, Researchers And Other Interest Groups Working For Effective Agricultural Water Management. Contents Chapter 1: Potentials Of Water In Agriculture; Chapter 2: On Farm Water Management; Chapter 3: Water Table Management; Chapter 4: Drainage Water Assessment; Chapter 5: Agricultural Water Reuse; Chapter 6: Capacity Assessment In Agricultural Water Management; Chapter 7: Drainage Water Management; Chapter 8: Economic Evaluation Of Agricultural Water Resources.

The sustainable development of the agriculture sector is the only option to meet the demands of increased and economically viable production in a changing climate. This means there is a need to introduce the latest technologies to enhance production, and also help policymakers make decisions for the future. Geospatial technologies & tools, such as remote sensing, geographical information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and mobile & web applications, provide unique capabilities to analyze multi-scale, multi-temporal datasets, and support decision-making in sustainable agriculture development and natural resources management. Further, the availability of reliable and timely geospatial information on natural resources and environmental conditions is essential for sustainable agricultural development and food security. Since remote sensing solutions are fast, non-destructive and have large spatial coverage, they can play a significant role in the identification, inventory, and mapping of land resources. Over the past four decades, remote sensing has proved to be a cost-effective and powerful tool to assess crop and soil properties in varying spatial and temporal scales using both visual and digital techniques. Satellite remote sensing coupled with GIS & mobile-app based positional information has emerged as an efficient tool for optimizing input resources, and minimizing cost of production and risk of biotic/ abiotic factors nature to promote sustainable agriculture. This book comprehensively documents the applications of space-based technologies for crop and soil assessments for the sustainable development of agriculture.

"In order to face the challenge of disappointing returns on public investment in irrigation and drainage new solutions have emerged. These solutions are based on widely available technology and new management and governance options. The main message of Re-engaging in Agricultural Water Management is that the irrigation and drainage sector should not continue to be dealt with as a standalone sector, but should be integrated into a broader perspective, one that embraces the objectives of productivity growth, poverty reduction, natural resources management and environmental protection."

In many countries irrigated agriculture consumes a large proportion of the available water resources, often over 70% of the total. There is considerable pressure to release water for other uses and, as a sector, irrigated agriculture will have to increase the efficiency and productivity of its water use. This is particularly true for manually operated irrigation systems managed by government agencies, which provide water for a large number of users on small landholdings and represent 60% of the total irrigated area worldwide. Drawing on the author's 30 years of experience in some 28 countries, this book offers knowledge of the management of irrigation and drainage systems, including traditional technical areas of systems operation and maintenance, and expanding managerial, institutional and organizational aspects. Chapters provide guidelines to improve management, operation and maintenance processes, which move management thinking out of traditional public-sector mindsets to a more customer-focused, performance-oriented service delivery. As a practical guide to improve efficiency and productivity in irrigated agriculture, this book will be essential reading for irrigation managers and technicians as well as students and policy makers in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.