Water rationalization in Brazilian irrigated agriculture

Abstract

Freshwater, an essential asset for the life of living beings and one of the main resources for the development of nations. About 70% of the freshwater on the planet is used by irrigated agriculture. In view of the increasing population density for food production, considering the limitations of agricultural processes, countless producers are looking for viable alternatives that provide them with greater production, irrigation being one of them. This bibliographic review aims to summarize information on the topic: Rationalization of Water Resources and Environmental Impacts in Irrigated Agriculture, based on searches in books, scientific articles, and publications by reputable organizations related to the topic. In these, aspects related to water scarcity, the challenges of irrigated agriculture, contamination of water resources, the reuse of water for irrigation, the quality of reused water, and adequacy of water for irrigation are dealt with. The need for conservation of water resources and awareness of the irrigator regarding the rational use of water and the environmental impacts inherent to the irrigation process is evident, therefore, the intention is to consolidate increasingly sustainable agriculture.