Solgi et al. (2026) Climate change and irrigation water demand: a review of modelling approaches and biophysical considerations

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-27
• Authors: Shahin Solgi, Paul R. Petrie, Matthew J. Knowling, Ana Horta, Andrew Hall
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135946

Research Groups

• Loxton Regional Hub, One Basin Cooperative Research Centre, Loxton, SA 5333, Australia
• School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Science, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia
• Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia
• Crop Sciences, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
• College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
• School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia

Short Summary

This systematic literature review synthesises current methodologies for projecting long-term irrigation water demand (IWD) under future climate scenarios. It evaluates the inclusion of CO2 fertilisation and climate-induced phenological changes in IWD predictions.

Objective

• Investigate how recent studies have projected long-term IWD under future climate scenarios, with a particular focus on the inclusion of CO2 fertilisation and climate-induced phenological changes.
• Synthesise current methodologies for projecting IWD under future climate scenarios.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, regional, and local scales were studied across 65 countries.
• Temporal Scale: Studies projected IWD up to the year 2100.

Methodology and Data

• Models used:
  • Potential evapotranspiration (ET-P) methods
  • Irrigation scheduling (Sch) approach
  • Process-based simulation (PS)
• Data sources:
  • Peer-reviewed studies published between 2017 and 2024
  • Scopus database

Main Results

• 42% of studies projected an increase in IWD, 13% a decrease, and 28% reported mixed trends.
• Maize, rice, and wheat were the most frequently studied crops, with at least one of these in 56 of the 80 reviewed studies.
• The inclusion of CO2 fertilisation and phenological changes was limited, with only 14% of studies accounting for both.

Contributions

• This review highlights the importance of considering CO2 fertilisation and climate-induced phenological changes when projecting IWD under future climate scenarios.
• It provides a comprehensive overview of current methodologies used to project IWD under future climate scenarios.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Solgi2026Climate,
  author = {Solgi, Shahin and Petrie, Paul R. and Knowling, Matthew J. and Horta, Ana and Hall, Andrew},
  title = {Climate change and irrigation water demand: a review of modelling approaches and biophysical considerations},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135946},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135946}
}