Variability of Water Use Efficiency Associated with Climate Change in the Extreme West of Bahia

Abstract

Water has become more important in agricultural implementations over the years, as has the need for water management. Thus, Water Use Efficiency (WUE) has been used as an alternative form of detecting the variability of water management based on the carbon–water cycle. The study aimed to map and quantify the spatio-temporal distribution of WUE based on its interactions with environmental changes. It focused on an agricultural area in the westernmost region of Bahia, Northeast Brazil (NEB). For WUE estimation, data from Collection 6 MODIS Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Evapotranspiration (ET) products with a spatial resolution of 0.05° × 0.05° were obtained from the Earth Explorer website. Subsequently, annual WUE anomalies were calculated based on the 2001–2019 period. The results obtained indicated that the highest values of GPP (580 gC/m2), ET (3000 mm), and WUE (3.5 gC/mm·m2) occurred in agricultural areas, associated with cultural treatments and insertion of irrigation, which helped in the higher WUE values and consequently increased agricultural productivity in the study region. In addition, there was a marked influence of the phases of the climate variability mode—El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—on the annual variability of the WUE, with a reduction of 96% during the La Niña of 2016 (an increase of 89% during El Niño of 2005). During El Niños, vegetation had greater efficiency resulting from the adaptation of vegetation in maintaining the carbon–water balance, using water more efficiently. However, unlike Las Niñas, with excessive precipitation there is an interference in the WUE, which interferes with the absorption of radiation and nutrients for the biophysical processes of vegetation and agriculture and, consequently, agricultural production. The use of WUE for agriculture is extremely important, especially for Brazil and countries with an economy based on primary production. This information on the way vegetation (native or agricultural) responds to interactions with the environment aids in decision-making about water management, possibly lowering losses or agricultural damage caused by a lack of water.