~ CHAPTER 3 ~
INVENTORY OF IRRIGATED LANDS
Edition 5 of July, 2007 (Updated June 2009) (
Updated October 2010)

~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~

(3-A) ~ Global Inventory ~ [A1]~General, [A2]~Irrigated Land Area per Capita, [A3]~Total Irrigated Land, [A4]~Inventory of Irrigated Land by Country, ~

(3-B) ~ Global Projections and Potential Irrigation Land ~ [B1]~Global, [B2]~Africa, [B3]~Asian Sub-Continent, [B4]~Southeast Asia, [B5]~US, [B6]~Mid-East, ~

(3-C) ~ Regional Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asia ~ [C1]~Middle-East, [C2]~Asian Sub-Continent, [C3]~East Asia, [C4]~Southeast Asia, [C5]~Central Asia, ~

(3-D) ~ Regional Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Africa and Australia ~ [D1]~Africa in General, [D2]~North Africa, [D3]~Central Africa, [D4]~Australia, ~

(3-E) ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North and South America ~ [E1]~US, [E2]~Western US, [E3]~US-Great Plains, [E4]~Eastern US, [E5]~Latin America, ~

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ir3

NOTE: The notation (su4) means that the adjacent data was used in the document analyzing the sustainability of the productivity of the world's systems for producing food, fiber and water.

SECTION (3-A) ~ Global Inventory ~ [A1]~General, [A2]~Irrigated Land Area per Capita, [A3]~Total Irrigated Land, [A4]~Global Inventory of Irrigated Land by Country, ~

Part [A1] ~ Global Inventory ~ General ~

Some 2.80 million more km2 of land were equipped for irrigation worldwide between 2004 and 2005, the last year of available global data. The advance is one of the slowest in the past decade due to declining investment in surface irrigation infrastructure, according to a Worldwatch Institute Vital Signs update. (09B1) Comments: It is also probably related to the extremely large external debt of most developing nations (over $3 trillion). The global inventory of irrigated land is about 275 million km2, suggesting a 1%/ year rate of increase in the global inventory of irrigated land - less than the rate of population growth.

During the last half of the twentieth century, world irrigated area nearly tripled, expanding from 940,000 km2 in 1950 to 2.76 million km2 in 2000. In the years since 2000 there has been little, if any, growth in world irrigated area (08E1). (in Food-Pop-Link.doc [food.html])

See a listing of large databases in Chapter 8 Section (8-E) for sources of tabulations of:
areas of countries
areas of permanent crops by country
areas of arable land by country
area of land with irrigation potential by country
areas of four categories of water-managed areas by country
areas equipped for irrigation that are actually irrigated by country
areas of irrigated lands containing various crops, by country
the proportion of grain production that comes from irrigated lands, by country
areas under surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and micro-irrigation, by country
area suffering from salt buildup as a result of irrigation, by country
areas of arable and permanent croplands in 1992 and 2002, by country
areas used as permanent pasture in 1992 and 2002, by country
areas of land that are classified as "drylands," by country
population densities, by country in 2000
urban population as a percent of total population in 1990 and 2000, by country
agricultural land area in 2002, by country
area of irrigated land as a percent of total land area in 2002, by country

Developed countries account for 25% of the world's irrigated area, 0.67 out of 2.71 million km2 (Table 4.9). Their growth of irrigated peaked at 3.0%/ year in the 1970s, dropping to 1.1% in the 1980s and to 0.3%/ year in 1990-99. This evolution pulled down the growth rate for global irrigation from 2.4%/ year in the 1970s to 1.3%/ year in the 1980s and 1990-1999 (03B1).

About 33% of harvested area in developing countries in 2030 is projected to be irrigated land (Table 4.8 of Ref. (03N1)), vs. 29% in 1997/99. Parts may be at risk from salinization, particularly in the more arid zones (01N2). In addition, 25% of harvested rain-fed land is estimated to have slopes of less than 5%, which are generally not prone to heavy water erosion. Their soil losses of around 10 tonnes/ ha/ year (NET?) should be reduced where it is economically feasible to do so, but such rates could be tolerated for several hundred years before they have an appreciable impact on crop production. (Comments: Such extrapolations are usually erroneous, and rely on extrapolating the small effects that are seen when root zones are within the soil's depth, failing to recognize that, when soil depths become less than root depths, erosion effects are far larger.) In all, around half of (developing world) croplands will not be markedly prone to soil erosion, although they may be subject to other forms of land degradation including salinization, nutrient mining, soil acidification and compaction (03N1). (Comments: Also urbanization.) (This is also in the soil erosion review.)

Cropland Inventories (Total and Irrigated) ((00W1) Table AF.2) (la)
(A breakdown by nation is shown in Table AF.2)
- - - - - - - - - |Croplands~ |Irrigated Land
- - - - - - - - - |(1000 km2) |Percent~ |(1000 km2)
Region- - - - - - | 1987| 1997|1987|1997|1987|1997
Asia(excl.Mideast)| - - | 4828|- - | 34 |- - |1642
Europe~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | - - | 3112|- - | ~8 |- - | 249
Mideast/N.Africa~ | ~950| 1023| 24 | 27 | 228| 276
Sub-Saharan Africa| 1595| 1714| ~4 | ~4 | ~64| ~69
Canada~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | ~460| ~457| ~2 | ~2 | ~92| ~ 9
US~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | 1878| 1790| 10 | 12 | 188| 215
Cent.Amer./Caribb.| ~395| ~434| 17 | 19 | ~67| ~83
South America ~ ~ | 1065| 1162| ~7 | ~9 | ~75| 105
Oceania **~ ~ ~ ~ | ~521| ~578| ~4 | ~5 | ~21| ~29
Totals~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |14891|15104| 15 | 18 |2234|2719
Developed ~ ~ ~ ~ | 4877| 4769| 13 | 14 | 634| 668
Developing~ ~ ~ ~ | 8130| 8540| 20 | 24 |1626|2050

** "Oceania" apparently includes Australia and New Zealand.

Comments: Presumably "irrigated land" does not included irrigated pastures. Columns 6 and 7 were obtained by multiplying other columns.

Nearly 50% of the world's grain is produced on irrigated land (State of the World 1998, p.169).

Most of the world's rice and much of its wheat are produced on irrigated land (Ref. 46 of (97B2)).

Between 1970-1982 global irrigated area grew 2.0%/ year (99P1).
Between 1982-1994 global irrigated area grew 1.3%/ year (99P1).
Global irrigated area growth slowed to 1%/ year after 1978 (96B1).
Global irrigated area is expanding at less than 1%/ year (96G1).

Global irrigated area growth rate: 2.3%/ year during 1972-1975; 1%/ year during 1982-1992. (Growth was negative in 1993 (Ref. 29 of (96G2)).)

Net irrigated area grew 2-4%/ year during the 1960s and 1970s. The net rate since 1979 has averaged 1%/ year (Net irrigated area = land area estimated to have actually been irrigated.) (89P1) (90P1).

UN/FAO estimates (Ref. 6 of (89P1)) give 160,000 km2 added to the global irrigation base during 1980-87 (23,000 km2/ year) (89P1).

Area under irrigation worldwide during 1950-1985 expanded 7 times faster than the expansion of arable land generally. By 1985, over 15% of the world's croplands were irrigated, and over 20% were harvested more than once/ year. In 1950, irrigated land was less than 5% of the area planted, and double-cropped areas were less than 10% of the area planted (85O1).

History of Global Irrigated Area (1000 km2): (la)
Year~ |Area | References
1800~ |~ 80 | (85B2) (88S1)
1880~ |~ 89 | (70W1), p.413
1880~ |~ 80 | (76E1)
1900~ | 400 | (70W1), p.413 (76E1) (85B2)
1900~ | 480 | (88S1)
1949~ | 920 | (88S1)
1950~ |1050 | (76E1)
1950~ | 940 | (85B2)
1959~ |1490 | (88S1)
1966~ |1530 | (00F1)
1967~ |1500 | (70W1), p.413 (10% of these in the US)
1967~ |1627 | (71R1)
1970~ |1900 | (76E1)
1980~ |2000 | (88S1)
1982~ |2610 | (85B2)
(1986)|3000 | (87W1)
(1991)|2350 | (92P1)
(1993)|2370 | (Ref.28 of (94P1)) (16% *) (1/3 *#)
(1998)|2710 | (00F1) (17% * (97W1),p.9)

* percent of total cropland
*# fraction of global harvest

Global Irrigated-Area data (FAO data) (la)

Year - - - - -| 1992| 1993| 1994| 1995
million km2~ ~| 2.45| 2.47| 2.49| 2.55
ha/1000 people| 44.8| 44.5| 44.1| - -
Reference ~ ~ |(97B1|(97B1|(97B1|(99P1

Irrigated Area by Region, 1995 (99P1) (la)
(UN FAO, 1996 Production Yearbook (Rome 1997)
(Areas (Column 2) are in millions of km2.)

- - - - - - - -| ~ ~ ~ |%. of|% of Cropland
- - - - - - - -| ~ ~ ~ |World|that is
Region- - - - -| Area~ |Total|irrigated
Asia- - - - - -| 1.754 | ~69 |37
N./ Cent. Amer.| 0.301 | ~12 |11
Europe ~ ~ ~ ~ | 0.251 | ~10 | 8
Africa ~ ~ ~ ~ | 0.123 | ~ 5 | 6
South America~ | 0.098 | ~ 4 | 8
Oceania~ ~ ~ ~ | 0.026 | ~ 1 | 5
World~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | 2.553 | 101 |17

Part [A2] ~ Irrigated Area per Capita ~

Globally, grain production per capita has been declining since 1984 (10P1).

Globally, irrigation (area?) per capita has been declining since 1978 (10P1).

Globally, arable land per capita has been declining since 1948 (10P1).

Globally, chemical fertilizer supplies essential for food production have been declining since 1989 (10P1).

Globally, loss of food to pests has not decreased below 52% since 1990 (10P1).

Irrigated area per 1000 people (Ref. 3 of (92P1))

Year | 1960| 1970| 1977| 1980| 1985| 1989
Area | .453| .454| .476| .473|.460| .450 km2

Per-capita irrigated land peaked in 1978, and fell 6% since then (Ref. 28 of (94P1)). Comments: Could this merely reflect price drops resulting from miracle strains of grain and growth in fertilizer use?

Global Irrigated Area (1000 km2) ((94B1), Ch. 8 of Ref. 2) (94P2) (la)

Year - - |1950| 1960| 1966| 1970| 1976| 1980|1986|1990|1991
Area - - | 950| 1500| 1540| 1700| 1960| 2100|2270|2400|2440
ha/Capita|.038|.0445|.0452|.0455|.0472|.0475|.046|.046|.046

Globally, the amount of irrigated land per capita has been declining for nearly 2 decades (99P1). Comments: S. Postel lists rising economic, social and environmental costs as the reason for this. She could also have mentioned that the bulk of population growth is occurring in the developing world where irrigation projects are often not affordable, and where unstable social, political and economic structures makes such capital investments risky.

Per-capita irrigated area was steady or increasing during most of modern times, but it peaked in 1978, and has declined more than 5% since then (Ref. 11 of (96P1)).

Global irrigated area per capita is plotted vs. time (1950-1995) in Ref. (97B2).

Per-capita irrigated land has declined 6% since 1978 (Ref. 57 of (94K1)). Greatly expanded irrigation is a difficult, and probably unsustainable solution to the need for expansion of agriculture output because of rapidly accelerating costs of irrigation (Refs. 57, 59 of (94K1)).

Part [A3] ~ Total Irrigated Land ~

There are about 2.5 million km2 of irrigated land worldwide (95F1).

Global Irrigated Area (millions of km2) (01T1):
Year|1960|1970|1980|1990|1997
Area|1.39|1.67|2.09|2.43|2.68
People/ irrigated km2 has been about 2200 during this entire period (01T1).

Table 4.9 ~ Irrigated (arable) land: past and projected (03B1)
Columns 2-6: Irrigated Land in use
Col. 7-8: Annual Growth
Col. 9-10: Land in use as % of Potential Col. 11-12: Balance

Year- - - - - - - |'79|'97|'15|'30|'61|'98|'97|'30|'97|'30
Range - - - - - - |/81|/99| - | - |-99|-30|/99|- -|/99| - -
- - - - - - - - - |millions of ha |%/ year| ~(%)~ |million ha
- - - - - - - - - |(2)|(3)|(5)|(6)|(7)|(8)|(9)|10)|11)|12)
Sub-Saharan Africa| ~4| ~5| ~6| ~7|2.0|0.9| 14| 19| 32| 30
Near East/N.Africa| 18| 26| 29| 33|2.3|0.6| 62| 75| 17| 11
Latin Amer./Carib.| 14| 18| 20| 22|1.9|0.5| 27| 32| 50| 46
South Asia~ ~ ~ ~ | 56| 81| 87| 95|2.2|0.5| 57| 67| 61| 47
- -excl. India~ ~ | 17| 23| 24| 25|1.9|0.2| 84| 89| ~4| ~3
East Asia ~ ~ ~ ~ | 59| 71| 78| 85|1.5|0.6| 64| 76| 41| 27
- -excl. China~ ~ | 14| 19| 22| 25|2.1|0.9| 40| 53| 29| 23
All above ~ ~ ~ ~ |151|202|221|242|1.9|0.6| 50| 60|200|161
- excl. China ~ ~ |106|150|165|182|2.1|0.6| 44| 54|188|157
- excl.China/India| 67| 93|102|112|2.0|0.6| 41| 50|132|114
Industrial~ ~ ~ ~ | 37| 42| - | - |1.3| - | - | - | - | -
Transition~ ~ ~ ~ | 22| 25| - | - |2.6| - | - | - | - | -
World ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |210|271| - | - |1.8| - | - | - | - | -

Source: Columns (1)- (3): FAOSTAT, November 2001.

Estimates of total irrigated lands in the world range from 1.5-2.55 million km2. The diversity is due to some irrigated areas not being in permanent use (88S1).

Growth in irrigated area ((85P1), p. 47) (la)

- - - - -|Irrigated|Growth Rate (%/decade)
- - - - -|Area(km2)|1950|1960|1970
Region- -| ~(1982) | -60| -70| -80
Africa ~ | ~120,000| 25 | 80 | 33
Asia ~ ~ |1,770,000| 52 | 32 | 34
Europe ~ | ~280,000| 50 | 67 | 40
N.America| ~340,000| 42 | 71 | 17
S.America| ~ 80,000| 67 | 20 | 33
Oceania~ | ~ 20,000| ~0 |100 | ~0
World~ ~ |2,610,000| 49 | 41 | 32
World~ ~ |2,710,000*| - | - -| -

* in 1998 (00F1)

Some 15% of the world's croplands are irrigated - 11% in the 1960s (85B2). Irrigated land - 14% of the world's croplands - produces 25%+ of the world's crops (70T1). Irrigated farming makes up 15% of the world's farmlands, but 40% of its output (87P2). A non-referenced UN statement claims that 18% of the world's cultivated land is irrigated, and produces half of the world's food (____). 14% of the world's agricultural land was irrigated in 1970 (78W1). 1/3 of the global harvest comes from the 16% of the world's croplands that are artificially watered (94P2). Comments: Much of the above paragraph is also found in Section (2-D).

Irrigated areas in 1900 (88S1) (in km2) (la)

Indian Subcontinent|154,900| Japan 27,200| Spain| 10,000
USSR (former)~ ~ ~ | 38,000| Egypt 20,000| Chile| ~3,000
US ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ | 36,100| Italy 13,000| Total|301,200

Gross Irrigated Areas of the Top 15 Countries as of 1986 (90P1) (la)
(Data of W. Robert Rangeley) 1995 data are from UN FAO, 1996 Production Yearbook (Rome, 1997) (These are areas equipped for irrigation whether or not they are in actual use.)
(Areas are in units of 1000 km2 and in percent of cropland area.)

Year - - - | 1986~ ~ |1995
Country- - |Area|Pct.|Area|Pct.
India~ ~ ~ | 550| 33 | 501| 29
China~ ~ ~ | 466| 48 | 498| 52
USSR ~ ~ ~ | 210| ~9 | - -|- -
Russia ~ ~ | - -| - -| ~54| ~4
Uzbekistan | - -| - -| ~40| 89
Romania~ ~ | ~30| 28 | ~31| 31
US ~ ~ ~ ~ | 190| 10 | 214| 11
Pakistan ~ | 160| 77 | 172| 80
Indonesia~ | ~73| 34 | ~46| 15
Iran ~ ~ ~ | ~58| 39 | ~73| 39
Iraq ~ ~ ~ | - -| - -| ~35| 61
Mexico ~ ~ | ~53| 21 | ~61| 22
Spain~ ~ ~ | ~33| 16 | ~35| 17
Turkey ~ ~ | ~33| 12 | ~42| 15
Egypt~ ~ ~ | ~32|100 | ~33|100
Bangladesh | - -| - -| ~32| 37
Brazil ~ ~ | - -| - -| ~32| ~5
Thailand ~ | ~32| 16 | ~50| 24
Afghanistan| - -| - -| ~28| 35
Italy~ ~ ~ | ~30| 25 | ~27| 25
Japan~ ~ ~ | ~30| 63 | ~27| 62
Other~ ~ ~ | 522| ~9 | 524| -
World~ ~ ~ |2502| 17 |2555| 17

Part [A4] ~ * Global Inventory of Irrigated Lands by Country (90W1) ~

Globally, 7 million km2 of arable land (22% of all potentially arable land) are in arid- or semi-arid climate zones (70T1). (See Table 1 of Ref. (70T1) giving the location of these lands categorized as Steppe climate, warm-temperate, semi-tropical and tropical). Table 2 of Ref. (70T1) tabulates potentially arable land in different continents having designated numbers of months of adequate moisture for crop production. Total area = 31.9 million km2. Table 3 of Ref. (70T1) gives estimated areas of irrigated land in various countries in continents and sub-continents. Total area = 91.66 million km2; total cultivated area = 12.3 million km2. Total irrigated area = 1.74 million km2 = 14% of cultivated area (70T1). Comments: Arid and semi-arid lands are normally considered incapable of serving as cropland without irrigation. Soil loss on semi-arid cropland is mainly via wind erosion.

Ref. (70P1) gives a Table of major reservoirs that serve arid land irrigation in the Middle East, south Asia, and North America (dams, rivers, locations, height, capacity, area irrigated, year completed).

Micro-irrigation (km2) (e.g. drip irrigation) and fraction of total irrigated under micro-irrigation in 1991 (92P1) (93P2) (la)

US ~ ~ ~ |6060| 3. % | Portugal | 236| 3.7%
Spain~ ~ |1600|48. % | Italy~ ~ | 217| 0.7%
Australia|1470| 7.8% | Brazil ~ | 202| 0.7%
Israel ~ |1043|48.7% | China~ ~ | 190|<0.1%
S. Africa|1023| 9.0% | India~ ~ | 170|<0.1%
Egypt~ ~ | 685| 2.6% | Jordan ~ | 120|21.1%
Mexico ~ | 606| 1.2% | Taiwan ~ | 100| 2.4%
France ~ | 510| 4.8% | Morocco~ | ~98| 0.8%
Thailand | 412| 1.0% | Chili~ ~ | ~88| 0.7%
Colombia | 295| 5.7% | Other~ ~ | 394| - -%
Cyprus ~ | 250|71.4% | World~ ~ |15766| 0.7%

Irrigated area in various regions of the globe are tabulated in Ref. (78W1). Also tabulated are irrigated area/cultivated area, persons/ irrigated area (1970 data). The world's irrigated area (3 million km2) involves a water use of 4000 km3/ year (87W1). About 50% of this water use is accounted for by increased evapo-transpiration from irrigated areas (87W1).

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SECTION (3-B) ~ Global Projections and Potential Irrigation Land ~ [B1]~
Global, [B2]~Africa, [B3]~Asian Sub-Continent, [B4]~Southeast Asia, [B5]~US, [B6]~Middle East, ~

Part [B1] ~ Potential Irrigated Land ~ Global ~

Irrigated area as a proportion of irrigation potential in 1999:  - World: 50%  / Sub-Saharan Africa: 13%  / South Asia: more than 85% (Reference lost - about 2000).

The projected expansion of irrigated land by 0.40 million km2 is an increase in net terms. It assumes that losses of existing irrigated land resulting from, e.g., water shortages or degradation because of salinization, will be compensated through rehabilitation or substitution by new areas for those lost (03B1).
Most expansion of irrigated land is achieved by converting land in use in rain-fed agriculture or land with rain-fed production potential but not yet in use, into irrigated land. Part of the irrigation, however, takes place on arid and hyper-arid land not suitable for rain-fed agriculture. It is estimated that of the 2.02 million km2 irrigated at present, 0.42 million km2 are on arid and hyper-arid land, and of the projected increase of 0.40 million km2, about 0.02 million km2 will be on such land. In some regions and countries, irrigated arid and hyper-arid land form an important part of total irrigated land at present in use: 18 out of 26 million ha in the Near East/ North Africa, and 17 out of 81 million ha in South Asia (
03B1). Comments: These figures apparently pertain to the expansions expected by 2030.

S. Postel (99P1) contends (p. 255) that, while official statistics still suggest that the world's irrigated area is still expanding, net growth actually might be closer to zero if the negative side of the ledger were counted properly.

The FAO estimates that global irrigated area could theoretically increase 50% (Ref. 32 of (96G1)).

Between 5 and 8% of present global irrigated area depends, to some degree, on over-pumped groundwater (Ref. 32 of (96G2)). (la) Comments: The percentage today is probably significantly higher.

One study projects a global irrigated-area growth rate of 0.3%/ year over the next 50 years (Ref. 42 of (96G2)).

Overhoe (1968) estimates that 11% (3.5 million km2) of the world's potentially arable land requires irrigation for even one crop/ year (70W1).

The world's maximum gross cropped area (cultivated area x no. of crops/ year is 64 million km2 (70W1).

Plans of individual countries indicate that irrigated land area will grow by 50-100% in the next quarter-century (70T1). Comments: Rate slowed after 1978 to 1.2%/ year, but recently has increased.

The burst in world irrigation projects during the third quarter of the 20th Century cannot be repeated during the last quarter. Thus, though world irrigated area expanded by nearly 3%/ year during 1950-1970, it will probably grow no more than 1%/ year in the remaining years of this century (76E1).

There are clear indications that the global rate of new irrigation developments will slow markedly over the coming decades. Most of the world's economically feasible opportunities for large-scale irrigation developments have already been exploited (76E1).

Losses of irrigated cropland has led David Seckler, Director General of the International Irrigation Management Institute to conclude that such losses may be exceeding the gains, leading to a shrinkage of global irrigated area (98H1).

Ref. (80S1) cites a Roger Revelle estimate that land available for crops through future irrigation is 11 million km2 (enough to feed more that 10 billion people at twice the FAO levels). Comments: This Revelle projection is about five times the current irrigated area. If water needs for irrigation also increase by a factor of five, irrigation-water needs would be about 24,000 km3/ year - a virtual impossibility given a current stable supply of 14,000 km3/ year and a global run-off of on the order of 40,000 km3/ year.

Potential Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Cropland (76R1) (Obsolete data - of historical value only.)
Col. 2 - Potential cropland requiring irrigation, with water available (1000 km2)
Col. 3 - Potential arable (not yet cropped) area in humid tropics
Col. 4 - Potential arable (not yet cropped) area not in humid tropics

- - - - - - |Col.|Col.|Col.
Region- - - | 2~ | 3~ | 4
Africa~ ~ ~ | 100|1050| 4900
Asia~ ~ ~ ~ | 150| 800| 4500
Australia/NZ| ~20| ~ 0| 1150
Europe~ ~ ~ | ~ 0| ~ 0| 1700
N. America~ | ~80| 100| 4400
S. America~ | 240|3000| 4500
USSR~ ~ ~ ~ | 230| ~ 0| 3250
Total ~ ~ ~ | 820|4950|23400

Arable land requiring irrigation, with water not available = 2 million km2 (76R1).

Part [B2] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Africa ~

About 2% of Africa's irrigable land is irrigated, of which Egypt and the Sudan account for more than half (PanAfrican News Agency (2/9/00)).

Two-thirds of African countries have realized less than 20% of their potential irrigation area (PanAfrican News Agency (2/9/00)). Comments: Large external debts preclude borrowing for irrigation projects.

Sub-Part [B2a] ~ Potential Irrigated Land ~ Africa ~ Ethiopia ~

Some 37,000 km2 of Ethiopia are potentially irrigable. Irrigating half of this would reduce the Nile's flow through Egypt by 9 km3/ year (16%) (96P1). Comments: Very little of the Nile's waters currently reach the sea.

Some 37,000 km2 of Ethiopia could potentially be irrigated, but only 5% of this area currently receives irrigation water (99P1).

Part [B3] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~

Sub-Part [B3a] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~ India ~

Estimate of India's long-term potential for irrigation: 757,000 km2 (575,000 km2 being serviced by surface water; 180,000 by ground water) (70T1).

India's Irrigation potential = 1.13 million km2 (89P1) (81G1).

Studies of potential dam sites and ground water in India indicate that more than 5000 km2 could be irrigated that are not now (70X1).

Sub-Part [B3b] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Pakistan ~

About 100,000 km2 could be irrigated in Pakistan if water were available (70T1).

Pakistan's available (potential) ground-water supply (with fully developed surface water) = 55 km3/ year (81G1).

Part [B4] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Southeast Asia ~

Sub-Part [B4a] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Southeast Asia ~ Indonesia ~

Potential irrigation development (including tidal areas and swamp land) (km2) (Ref. 47 of (81G1))
Region - -| Area
Java-Bali | 2040
Sumatra ~ |32620
Kalimantan|13270
Sulawesi~ | 4030
Total ~ ~ |51960

Indonesia's irrigated area is projected to grow by 10,000 km2 during 1990-2000 (81G1).

Sub-Part [B4b] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Philippines ~

The Philippine government plans to develop 14,000 km2 of irrigated land by 1987, and rehabilitate 2550 km2 more (81G1).

Part [B5] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ United States ~

The US depends on irrigation for 20% of its grain production; in parts of the grain-producing states of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas the water table has fallen more than 30 meters, and thousands of wells have gone dry. (Brown, Lester R. "Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization". New York: Norton & Co., 2008.)

Some 75 million acres (304,000 km2) of the US are potentially arable (Ref. 7 of (76P1)). (la)

Part [B6] ~ Potential Irrigated Lands ~ Middle East ~

Turkey's GAP project aims to irrigate an added 17,000 km2 (p. 151 of (99P1)). Comments: This project is creating huge water scarcity problems in Iraq and Syria.

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SECTION (3-C) ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asia ~ [C1]~Mid-East, [C2]~Asian Sub-Continent, [C3]~East Asia, [C4]~Southeast Asia, [C5]~Central Asia, ~

Part [C1] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Mid-East ~

In Afghanistan's Hindu Kush are 55,000 km2 of arable land, but only 29,000 km2 are irrigated in any one year (70P1). (Floods destroy canals and fill canals with debris (70P1).)

In Afghanistan's Hindu Kush (?) about 50,000 villages irrigated 40,000-60,000 km2 in 1962 (70P1).

Part [C2] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~

Irrigated land accounts for close to 60% of India's grain harvest (07B1).

Sub-Part [C2a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~ Bangladesh ~

Bangladesh irrigated area (1000 km2)
(81G1)

Year| 1973| 1978| 1980
Area| 9.36|11.63|14.82

(Designed capacity in 1978: 17,700 km2 (81G1).

Irrigated Area in Bangladesh (1000 km2) (Plotted on p. 207 of (99P1)) (la)

Year| 1975| 1980| 1985| 1990| 1995
Area| 13.5| 15.5| 20.5| 29.0| 32.0

Sub-Part [C2b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~ India ~

Of India's 1.33 million km2 of farmland, 530,700 km2 have viable irrigation facilities. An additional 100,000 km2 of Indian cropland are expected to be irrigated by 2009 (06M2).

Irrigated land accounts for 55% of India's grain harvest. (Lester Brown and Brian Halweil, "India Reaches 1 Billion on August 15, No Celebration Planned", World Watch, 8/13/99)

Some 210,000 km2 irrigated in India in 1950 (390,000 in 1980) (Ref. 28 of (85B1).) (Obsolete data - of historical interest only)

India doubled the amount of its land irrigated by surface water during 1950-1985, and increased the area irrigated by aquifers 113-fold. Today aquifers supply water to more than 50% of India's irrigated lands (00S1).

Tubwell-irrigated land in India: 1000 km2 in 1961, 113,000 km2 in 1985 (99P1).

Inability to time operations, low soil fertility, and hazardous moisture supplies result in as much as 40% of India's rain-fed land and 30% of India's irrigated land being left fallow each year (70T1).

A plot of irrigated area vs. time (1950-1975) for India is seen in Ref. (76M1). The plot also gives non-irrigated area, fertilizer consumption, and area planted to high-yield varieties.

In the 1880s, the Chenab Canal used the Indus River to irrigate 10,000 km2 of arid land in Punjab and Sind (now Pakistan). The Triple Canal Project (1905-1917) produced 22,000 km2 of irrigated land (Ref. 33 of (84R1)).

Irrigated area in India (km2) (Refs. 16, 23, 2, and 62 of (81G1)) (la)

Year| 1950/51| 1960/61| 1968/69| 1978/79
Area| 226,000| 278,900| 359,300| 510,000

Sub-Part [C2c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~ Pakistan ~

Some 130,000 km2 of Pakistan's 810,000 km2 are irrigated (70T1).

About 40,000 km2 of Pakistan's cropped land are dependent on rainfall (70T1). About 98,000 km2 of irrigated land are on the Indus River Plain, which receives 7.5-37.5 cm./ year of rainfall (70T1).

Between 80 and 90% of agricultural production comes from Pakistan's irrigated land. About 300,000 km2 of Pakistan's 800,000 km2 can be cultivated: 200,000 km2 are cultivated (Ref. 8 of (81G1)).

Sub-Part [C2d] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Asian Sub-Continent ~ Sri Lanka ~

About 1/3 of Sri Lanka's 17,000 km2 of cultivated land is irrigated (81G1).

Part [C3] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ East Asia ~

In China, 80% of the grain harvest depends on irrigation. The fossil aquifer of the North China Plain maintains half of China's wheat production and a third of China's corn. As a result of the depletion of water, Chinese annual grain production has been in decline since 1998. (Brown, Lester R. "Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization". New York: Norton & Co., 2008.)

Sub-Part [C3a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ East Asia ~ China ~

Irrigated land accounts for 80% of China's grain harvest (07B1).

About 70% of China's grain production comes from irrigated land (vs. 50% in India and 15% in the US) (Wang Ying, "Rice Cropped for Water", China Daily (1/9/02)).

About 200,000 km2 irrigated in China in 1950; 330,000 in 1977; 480,000 in 1980 (85B2).

Irrigated area in China increased from 160,000 to 400,000 km2 since 1950 ((78B1), p. 141).

Irrigated area in China peaked in 1978 and has shrunk 11% due largely to falling water tables and growing competition from non-farm uses for land (Ref. 50 of (88B1)).

Between 1950-1978, China's irrigated area grew from 120,000 to 450,000 km2 (nearly 12000 km2/ year). Since then, China's irrigated area expanded by 1900 km2/ year (94B2).

Half of China's irrigation water now comes from wells (50% from dams). Water tables are falling in much of China (94B2).

Greater reliance on market forces has resulted in abandonment of uneconomic irrigation systems in China. Irrigated area dropped 2% between 1978-1987 (88B2).

China depends on irrigated land to produce 70% of the grain for its 1.2 billion people (98B3).

About 80% of China's grain land is irrigated (Ref. 18 of (95R1)).

China's irrigated area was 0.3 km2/1000 people in 1950; 0.5 in 1977, and 0.4 in 1991 (Ref. 50 of (97B2)).

Rapid irrigation expansion in China increased average crops/ year from 1.3 in 1950 to 1.5 in 1980 through 1997 (Ref. 50 of (97B2)).

Economic reforms ended China's large investments in irrigation (95B3).

Nearly 80% of China's grain harvest is from irrigated land (95B3).

Sub-Part [C3b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ East Asia ~ South Korea ~

South Korea's irrigated area was 13,100 km2 in 1978 (12,690 in 1974) (81G1).

Sub-Part [C3c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ East Asia ~Taiwan ~

In Taiwan, the share of water supplied by groundwater was 21% in 1983, and over 40% in 1991 (00S1).

Part [C4] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Southeast Asia ~

Sub-Part [C4a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Southeast Asia ~ Indonesia ~

Indonesia's harvested rice area = 76,530 km2 (irrigated+ rain fed+ tidal/ swamp irrigation). Rice yield = 317.1 tonnes/ km2/ year = 24,266 tonnes/ year (1978) (Ref. 47 of (81G1)) (Data are broken down by provinces.)

Irrigated areas of Indonesia (km2) (81G1)

Java~ ~ |25810|Bali ~ ~ ~ ~ | 530|Sumatra ~ |10280
Sulawesi| 3150|Nusatenggara |1800|Kalimantan| 1950

Also, at least 10,000 km2 are under village control (50% in Java, 30% in Sumatra) (Ref. 47 of (81G1)).

Sub-Part [C4b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Southeast Asia ~ Philippines ~

Of the Philippines' 90,000 km2 of cultivated land, 12,000 are irrigated (81G1).

Sub-Part [C4c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Southeast Asia ~ Thailand ~

Thailand irrigated area (km2) (81G1)

Year| 1956 | 1966 | 1976 | 1978
Area|12,500|18,700|24,500|27,200

Some 13% of Thailand's 240,000 km2 of cultivated land are irrigated (88P2). (la)

Part [C5] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Central Asia ~

Sub-Part [C5a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Central Asia ~ Kazakhstan ~

Kazakhstan's Irrigated cropland =18,560 km2 (93M3). (la)

Sub-Part [C5b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Central Asia ~ Russia ~

Over 7000 km2 of Russia's irrigated land were lost during 1990-1993 (a 13% loss) (Ref. 30 of (96G2)).

About 180,000 km2 of Russia are irrigated (85B2). (la)

The Aral Sea project (in Russia) began in 1960. It doubled irrigated area in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins to 69,000 km2 (Half of that area was used to produce cotton.) (91B2).

Irrigated area in the Aral Sea Basin (in Russia) expanded by 50% in the past 3 decades to 75,000 km2 (92P1).

About 10,000 km2/ year are being converted to irrigation in Russia (88S1).

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SECTION (3-D) ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Africa and Australia ~ [D1]~Africa in General, [D2]~North Africa, [D3]~Central Africa, [D4]~Australia, ~

Part [D1] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Africa in General ~

Less than 120,000 km2 were irrigated in Africa in 1984 (Ref. 41 of (87L1)). (la)

About 10% of African irrigation is between the Sahara and Zambesi (87L1).

Because of the high cost of new irrigation capacity in parts of Africa ($1-2 million/ km2), not even double-cropping of high value crops can make such systems economical (90P1). Comments: The median income is less than $2/ person/ day, so people cannot afford to pay high prices for food.

Africa's irrigated area has expanded minimally since 1980, even though only 5% of Africa's cropland outside South Africa is irrigated (Ref. 7 of (90P1)). Comments: Egypt is probably being neglected in this statement.

Part [D2] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ [D2a]~Algeria, [D2b]~Egypt, [D2c]~Libya, [D2d]~Morocco, [D2e]~Tunisia, ~

Irrigated crops occupy 2000 km2 of the arid- and desert zones (70L1). Collectively these irrigated crops represent 10-15% of the value of agricultural production of the arid zones, and almost 100% of the total production of the desert regions. Irrigated agriculture is rather non-productive. Lack of drainage causes excessive salt deposits or hydro-morphology or both (70L1).

If the U.A.R. and Sudan are excluded as belonging to the Middle East, North Africa has 11,500 km2 of irrigated lands: Morocco (2650); Algeria (2340); Somalia (1650); Libya (1300); Tunisia (790); Senegal (760) (70T1) (1966 FAO data).

Sub-Part [D2a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ Algeria ~

About 2200 km2 are irrigated in Algeria, of which 600 are in arid- and desert zones (70L1). Irrigation water use: 0.45 km3/ year (70L1).

Sub-Part [D2b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ Egypt ~

Egypt's Aswan Dam made possible the cultivation of over 3644 km2 of former desert, but nearly 810 of these are once again barren (due to salinity?), and the rest are cultivated at a loss (77U1).

Over the past 22 years, Egypt has reclaimed 3644 km2 south of Egypt's Nile Delta, but 648 km2 have relapsed into barren wastes. The remainder can be operated only through massive subsidies (77A1). Comments: Aswan Dam was completed in 1971 ((74C1) in Soils Review).

Egypt's current plans for expanding its irrigation system (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 1/7/98):

  1. New Delta Project: A canal from Lake Nasser in southern Egypt to irrigate 500,000 acres (2020 km2);
  2. Salam Canal: A 144-mile canal to irrigate 400,000 acres (1620 km2) in the Sinai Peninsula;
  3. East Oweinat: A series of wells in southwestern Egypt to irrigate up to 190,000 acres (770 km2);
  4. Forty-Days Road: wells to irrigate 12,000 acres (49 km2) in south-central Egypt;
  5. Expansion of cultivated areas around 4 oases in west-central Egypt to irrigate 240,000 acres (972 km2).

Total additional irrigated area: 1,342,000 acres (5433 km2).
Comments: "Egypt is effectively telling its neighbors that there really isn't any way of accommodating their future water demands", John Waterbury, water expert at Princeton University.

Sub-Part [D2c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ Libya ~

In Libya, 300 km2 are irrigated (all in the arid- and desert zones). Some 0.225 km3/ year of irrigation water are used. It comes from artesian- or shallow ground water (70L1).

Sub-Part [D2d] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ Morocco ~

Over 1000 km2 are irrigated in Morocco, and possibly 3500 more could be irrigated. 0.750 km3/ year of irrigation water are used ~ pumped from dams or from rivers) (70L1).

Sub-Part [D2e] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North Africa ~ Tunisia ~

In Tunisia, 700 km2 are irrigated as croplands, 50% of which are located in arid and desert zones (70L1). About 25 million m3/ year of water are used (from artesian wells or shallow ground water) (70L1).

Part [D3] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Central Africa ~

Nigeria's Irrigated land area was 180 km2 in 1975, and 320 km2 in 1983 (Ref. 42 of (87L1)).

Part [D4] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Australia ~

Australia's Irrigated land increased by 27% during 1962-1966. About 2/3 of the 12,000 km2 are in the Murray River drainage (70T1).

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SECTION (3-E) - Irrigated Land Inventories ~ North and South America ~ [E1]~US, [E2]~Western US, [E3]~Great Plains, [E4]~Eastern US, [E5]~Latin America, ~

Part [E1] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ United States ~

Irrigated land accounts for 20% of the US grain harvest (07B1).

US irrigation in 1995 covered 244,000 km2 (01T1).
Flood irrigation was used on 54% of that land.
Sprinkler irrigation was used on 42% of that land.
Micro-irrigation was used on 4% of that land.

Irrigated area in the US has tripled since 1940, and now accounts for nearly 25% of the value of US crops (83B1).

Irrigated area in the US doubled between 1949-1973 to 210,000 km2 (88S1).

US irrigated land: 100,000 km2 in 1950, 210,000 km2 in 1995 (99P1). (la)

A map showing locations of irrigated lands in the US is in Ref. (83B1).

US irrigated area is plotted vs. time (1900-1985) on p. 26 of (88B1) (USDA data).

In 1890, 15,000 km2 of the western US were irrigated (Ref. 28 of (84R1)). Over the next 40 years, canal-irrigated lands in the western US grew to 60,000 km2. Another 17,000 km2 were irrigated from groundwater. Four decades later added another 100,000 km2 to the irrigated arid lands of 17 western states. In 1978, 177,000 km2 in the western US were irrigated (84R1).

The US, which has the third-largest irrigated area in the world, now uses groundwater for 43% of its irrigated farmland (00S1). Comments: Fraction of irrigated area using groundwater has been rising globally since around 1950.

US farmland under irrigation increased by 9.14 million acres (37,000 km2) (5%) between 1974-1978 (81U2).

A table is given of irrigated land areas in 17 western US states in 1956 and 1978 (32.3 million acres (131,000 km2) in 1956; 51.3 million acres (207,700 km2) in 1978) (82S1).

About 10% of US developed cropland (42 million acres = 170,000 km2) is irrigated (82S1). About 50 billion gal/ day (69 km3/ year) of ground water were used for irrigation (82S1).

A map showing locations of irrigated land in the US in 1977 is on p. 25 of Ref. (80U1).

A plot of US irrigated area vs. time (1940-1975) is also shown (80U1).

The West has 80% of all US irrigated cropland, and uses 92% of all irrigation water (82W1). Irrigated area in the 17 arid western states has doubled since 1944 (82W1). A table of irrigated land area by state during 1944-1978 is given in Ref. (81U1).

Some US Irrigated Cropland Inventories (81U1) (la)

Year - - -| 1944 | 1954 | 1964 | 1974 |1978
1000 Acres|20,539|29,552|37,057|41,243|50,838
1000 km2 ~|83.2~ |119.6 |150.0 |167.0 |205.8

Irrigated Land in the US (from a plot) (95B3) (1000 km2) (la)

Year |1954|1960|1965|1970|1975|1980|1985|1990|1994
Area | 120| 140| 150| 160| 180| 200| 190| 200| 210

Irrigated Land in the US (81B1)

Year - - -|1900 | 1930 | 1945 | 1955 | 1975 |1978
1000 Acres|7,170|14,600|20,700|30,000|45,300|51,300
1000 km2 ~| 29. | 59.~ | 83.8 | 121. | 183. |208.

Drip-irrigation area in the US = 0.4 km2 in 1960; 546 km2 in 1976 (77S1). By 1980, 3500 km2 are expected to be drip-irrigated (77S1).

US irrigated area has shrunk 11% since 1978 (Ref. 8 of (88B1)). Water tables are falling 6-48"/ year beneath 25% of irrigated US croplands (Ref. 8 of (88B1)).

US Irrigated area: 16,000 km2 in 1890; 240,000 in 1970. 200,000 of these were located in 17 western states (85E1).

Breakdown of 1982 US irrigated lands by state (87E1) (la)

State| ~ Acres | km2~ | Pct. of Croplands
AZ ~ |1,153,478| 4,670| 74
CA ~ |8,460,508|34,253| 75
CO ~ |3,200,942|12,959| 30
NV ~ | ~829,761| 3,359| 96
NM ~ | ~807,206| 3,268| 36
TX ~ |5,575,553|22,573| 14
UT ~ |1,082,328| 4,382| 56

Source: Agricultural Census (1981) and Ref. 24 of (87E1).

Part [E2] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US ~ Western ~ [E2a]~Arizona, [E2b]~California, [E2c]~Colorado River,

In the US southern Great Plains, irrigated area has dropped by 24% since 1980 as wells have gone dry (05B1). (SU4)

Sub-Part [E2a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Western US ~ Arizona ~

Some 2223 km2 of irrigated land are in Arizona's Santa Cruz-San Pedro area (81S3). (la)

Sub-Part [E2b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Western US ~ California ~

Of the San Joaquin Basin's 19,000 km2 of cultivated croplands in California, 97% is irrigated (81S1). (Average precipitation is 14" - 5" at the south end (81S1).)

Some 82% of California cultivated land is irrigated (71R1). California is in the top 4 of US producers of almost 70 crops (71R1).

California's irrigated area peaked in 1981 at 39,000 km2. Net irrigated area fell by more than 1210 km2 during the 1980s. Officials project a net decline of nearly 1620 km2 between 1990 and 2020, with most of the loss due to urbanization as the population expands from 30 to a projected 49 million (Ref. 13 of (96P1)).

California's Irrigated area fell by 250 km2 during 1990-1992 (a 1% loss) (Ref. 31 of (96G2)).

Sub-Part [E2c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Western US ~ Colorado River ~

The Colorado River (US) irrigates more than 3.7 million acres (over 15,000 km2) (USA Today, 11/29/99).

Part [E3] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US - Great Plains ~ [E3a]~Colorado, [E3b]~Kansas, [E3c]~Nebraska, [E3d]~Ogallala Aquifer, [E3e]~Oklahoma, [E3f]~Texas,

Sub-Part [E3a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Colorado ~

Colorado's Irrigated area is now shrinking (98B1).

Sub-Part [E3b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Kansas ~

Irrigated area in Kansas is now shrinking (98B1).

Sub-Part [E3c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Nebraska ~

Ref. (82S1) gives a plot of irrigated area in Nebraska (1925-1777) (28,700 km2 in 1977) (82S1).

The number of irrigation wells in the Sandhill counties jumped from 219 to 1794 between 1972-1981. About 10,000 wells now perforate the Sandhills. Nebraska's Sandhills cover 49,200 km2. Average Sandhill rainfall = 17-21"/ year (83A1).

Sub-Part [E3d] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Ogallala Aquifer (O. A.) ~

The Ogallala Aquifer supports irrigated agriculture on more than 44,500 km2 of arid land (81S1).

Another aquifer lies 1500 ft. below the Ogallala Aquifer (O.A.), but it is brackish (81S1).

A map of the O. A. is in the 1983 Yearbook of Agriculture, Jack Hayes, editor, USDA, p. 449.

Sub-Part [E3e] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Oklahoma ~

Oklahoma's Irrigated area is now shrinking (98B1). Comments: The O.A. is receding at its southern edges.

Sub-Part [E3f] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ US Great Plains ~ Texas ~

About 350,000 acres in Gaines Co. Texas are irrigated with groundwater (81S1); 400,000 acres (1620 km2) are dryland cropland (81S3). Cotton is 90% of the crop; rainfall is 16"/ year (81S3).

Irrigated area in NW Texas = 24,000 km2 in 1974 (16,000 in 1989) (92P1).

Irrigated Cropland Area in Texas (92P1) (la)

Year|1900| 1920| 1940| 1960 | 1980 | 1990
km2~| ~0 | 3000| 4000|27,000|35,000|26,000

Falling groundwater tables and rising energy costs during 1978-1984 caused irrigation to be halted on 367,000 acres (1486 km2) of the Texas High Plains (95G1).

Since 1982, irrigated area in Texas has shrunk 11% (95B2). The irrigated area in Texas has declined 30% in the past 15 years, due mainly to depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer (Ref. 17 of (95B3)).

Texas lost 11% of its irrigated area during 1982-1992 (98B1).

Part [E4] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Eastern US ~

In 1949, 114 km2 were irrigated in New Jersey - less than 3% of croplands in use (56T2). Proposals to irrigate the New Jersey Pine Barrens are discussed - too dry in certain seasons (56T2).

Part [E5] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Latin America ~ [E5a]~Argentina, [E5b]~Chile, [E5c]~Haiti, [E5d]~Mexico ~

Sub-Part [E5a] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Latin America ~ Argentina ~

Two dams built on the Negro River are expected to expand Argentina's irrigated area from 1200 to 6500 km2 in the Patagonia Desert (70C2).

Sub-Part [E5b] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Latin America ~ Chile ~

Cultivated land under irrigation in Chile's Atacama Desert = 134 km2 (70C2). A description of Chili's Atacama Desert is found in Ref. (70C2). (la)

Between Lat. 18o and 26o S on Chile's coastal plain (practically zero rainfall), 112 km2 are irrigated (70P1). Between Lat. 26o-33o S (coastal rainfall = 3-22 cm./ year) 1332 km2 were irrigated in 1967 (70P1).

Sub-Part [E5c] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Latin America ~ Haiti ~

Some 19% of Haiti's land can be irrigated from surface or ground water, but less than 50% of that is irrigated (11/4/99 Washington Post). Comments: Probably reflects a dire scarcity of financial capital due to high population growth rates.

Sub-Part [E5d] ~ Irrigated Land Inventories ~ Latin America ~ Mexico ~

Problems with salinity on at least 2000 km2 are causing irrigated lands to be withdrawn from cultivation. The problem is expected to increase (70X1). Mexico has 1.25 million km2 of semi-arid- and arid lands (70X1). A plot of irrigated area vs. time (1944-1966) is on p. 321 (22,000 km2 in 1965) (70X1). Table 1 gives types of crops irrigated and acreage/ crop-type. Table 2 gives production rate of various crops from irrigated land (area harvested, total production, and yield/ ha. for wheat, maize, cotton, sorghum) (70X1).

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