Articles | Volume 27, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2463-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2463-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
06 Jul 2023
Research article |
| 06 Jul 2023
| 06 Jul 2023
The precision of satellite-based net irrigation quantification in the Indus and Ganges basins
Department of Hydrology, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
Rasmus Fensholt
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
Simon Stisen
Department of Hydrology, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
Julian Koch
Department of Hydrology, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
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Short summary
This study investigates the precision of irrigation estimates from a global hotspot of unsustainable irrigation practice, the Indus and Ganges basins. We show that irrigation water use can be estimated with high precision by comparing satellite and rainfed hydrological model estimates of evapotranspiration. We believe that our work can support sustainable water resource management, as it addresses the uncertainty of a key component of the water balance that remains challenging to quantify.
This study investigates the precision of irrigation estimates from a global hotspot of...
