The effect of changing the cultivation pattern and improving the efficiency of irrigation systems on reducing the withdrawal of groundwater resources under climate change scenarios (Case study: Kavar Plain)

The Severe shortage of surface and groundwater resources is the most important constraint on sustainable agricultural development in arid and semi-arid regions. Frequent droughts in recent decades have also led to a significant drop in groundwater levels due to uncontrolled abstraction. In the present study, different irrigation scenarios are provided to reduce the withdrawal of water from the aquifer of Kavar plain in Fars province. The results of various studies show that due to climate change, water resources are reduced and irrigation requirements of plants will be increased during the growing season (Goodarzi et al., 2015; Zeinoddini et al., 2019). In this study, to simulate future climate parameters, the outputs of AOGCMs models and emission scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 of the Fifth Climate Change Report were used (IPCC,2014). Then irrigation requirements of the study area were calculated by Cropwat software considering the cultivation pattern for the future period. Finally, by defining irrigation scenarios, the simultaneous effects of climate change and cultivation pattern change in the development of irrigation systems (surface and pressurized) on groundwater resources were evaluated.