WaPOR allows assessing the water consumption of crops
Timely information on water consumption represents a critical tool for improving water management in agriculture and irrigation. For example, it provides an objective and common information base for discussing consumption-related water quotas, or for monitoring the impact of irrigation on water resources. All data are made publicly accessible, thereby allowing for participatory planning.
Like in the example of Bekaa, Lebanon, the map (30 m ground resolution) shows the amount of water consumed through evapotranspiration, or the amount of water released back into the air through soil evaporation and plant transpiration, per day, in millimetres. Evapotranspiration is a key component of the water cycle in agriculture and is a combination of evaporation and plant transpiration. Further distinction between evaporation and transpiration, as allowed by WaPOR, provides key information for reducing non-beneficial water consumption.
Land cover classification is used to identify the spatial distribution of various crops. This map shows the land cover classification of the same area as the one represented in the evapotranspiration map on the left. This allows for the identification of the most common crops grown in any area. For more info on WaPOR land cover map of Bekaa, click here.
If information from both maps, land cover and evapotranspiration, are combined, it can help with setting policies to target specific problem areas, and providing farmers with recommendations on which agronomic practices best suit their cropping patterns.