A Critical Review of Innovations and Perspectives for Providing Adequate Water for Sustainable Irrigation

Abstract

Global climatic change intensifies the water crisis, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In this regard, the provision of enough water for irrigation is a serious dilemma because the agricultural sector consumes the largest amount of water (70% withdrawal and 90% consumption). In this review, we have summarized recent innovations that have emerged as unconventional techniques to supply adequate water for irrigation purposes. We present the principles and basics of seven approaches: the Sahara Forest Project (SFP), water extraction from the air (WEA), aquifer recharge, the treatment of marginal water using a magnetic field, desalination and wastewater treatment (DWT), electro-agric technology (E-AT), and the Toshka Project. The SFP is currently being utilized in Aqaba, Jordan, and DWT is considered a common practice worldwide, whereas some of these innovations are still under investigation to ensure their feasibility for large-scale applications, such as E-AT. The Toshka Project is considered a wonderful idea that utilizes the water stored behind the High Dam in Lake Nasser, Egypt. Several approaches have been adopted to reduce the amount of water being used for irrigation, as the current amount of freshwater is insufficient for the requirements of increased agricultural consumption, particularly in hot, arid, and semi-arid regions.