Integrated assessment of policy interventions for promoting sustainable irrigation in semi-arid environments: a hydro-economic modeling approach

This research paper presents a hydro-economic modeling framework that integrates farm-based economic models with semi-distributed hydrologic models to assess water policy interventions in Spain's Middle Guadiana basin. The study evaluates the impact of minimum environmental flows and reductions in legal irrigation water deliveries on agricultural profitability and ecological goals.

• The study's modeling of the Middle Guadiana basin suggests that existing excessive irrigation water use may prevent the achievement of the European Water Framework Directive's (WFD) goal to restore 'good ecological status' to water bodies by 2015, with conflicts between agricultural and environmental needs peaking during summer low-flow periods.
• Implementing minimum stream flows would likely cause a significant decrease in irrigation water used for rice, potentially threatening the economic viability and profitability of small upstream rice farms.
• While the proposed Guadiana River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) may improve economic water productivity and help balance competing demands, it may not be enough to guarantee the environmental flows required by the WFD.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2013). Integrated assessment of policy interventions for promoting sustainable irrigation in semi-arid environments: a hydro-economic modeling approach. https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-of-policy-interventions-for-promoting-sustainable-irrigation-in-semi-arid-environments-a-hydro-economic-modeling-approach/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Integrated assessment of policy interventions for promoting sustainable irrigation in semi-arid environments: a hydro-economic modeling approach. 2013. https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-of-policy-interventions-for-promoting-sustainable-irrigation-in-semi-arid-environments-a-hydro-economic-modeling-approach/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Integrated assessment of policy interventions for promoting sustainable irrigation in semi-arid environments: a hydro-economic modeling approach |date=11 June 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-of-policy-interventions-for-promoting-sustainable-irrigation-in-semi-arid-environments-a-hydro-economic-modeling-approach/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2013integrated, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Integrated assessment of policy interventions for promoting sustainable irrigation in semi-arid environments: a hydro-economic modeling approach}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/integrated-assessment-of-policy-interventions-for-promoting-sustainable-irrigation-in-semi-arid-environments-a-hydro-economic-modeling-approach/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }