IRRIGATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: REFLECTIONS ON SCIENCE, POLICY AND SOCIETY

ABSTRACT Irrigated agriculture will come under increased global pressures in the twenty-first century to be more efficient, productive, profitable and sustainable. This paper considers the implications of these pressures. It concludes that we will need the best of science to develop the scientific underpinnings for innovative approaches in irrigated agriculture; effective policies and institutions to control use, manage storage, balance water needs, and create incentives for adoption of innovations; and a broader set of actors working together as part of the solution set. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.