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Drivers of Irrigation Water Productivity and Basin Closure Process: Analysis of the Guadalquivir River Basin (Spain)

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Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for the analysis of the evolution of irrigation water productivity that enables the decomposition of its driving factors. The method is applied to the Guadalquivir river basin (southern Spain) in the period 1989-2012 where water policy has aimed to achieve greater irrigation efficiency (IE), defined as the ratio of water beneficially used divided by the total water applied, through the implementation of water conservation and saving technologies (WCSTs). The case study illustrates the basin closure process observed in recent decades and analyses its practical implications for irrigation water productivity and the role played by alternative responses, such as intensification and technical change. The analysis of these drivers of irrigation water productivity may help in the design of water policy in water-scarce areas elsewhere.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO AGL2014-53417-R). A previous shorter version of the paper was presented at the 10th World Congress of EWRA “Panta Rei” Athens, Greece, 5-9 July 2017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economic Analysis, University of Seville, 41018, Seville, Spain

    Alfonso Expósito

  2. Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Cordoba, 14014, Cordoba, Spain

    Julio Berbel

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  1. Alfonso Expósito
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  2. Julio Berbel
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Both authors have contributed equally to this research.

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Correspondence to Alfonso Expósito.

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Glossary

ARIS

Average relative irrigation supply

DI

Deficit irrigation

GRB

Guadalquivir river basin

GVA

Gross value added

IE

Irrigation efficiency

IWP

Irrigation water productivity

LP

Land productivity

WCSTs

Water conservation and saving technologies

WUI

Water-use intensity

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Expósito, A., Berbel, J. Drivers of Irrigation Water Productivity and Basin Closure Process: Analysis of the Guadalquivir River Basin (Spain). Water Resour Manage 33, 1439–1450 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-018-2170-7

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