Impact of Climate Change on Cropwater Requirement for Sunei Medium Irrigation Project, Odisha, India

Abstract

The natural process and man-made activities in the watershed have influenced the climate change and induce the hydrology of the watershed along the temporal scale. Increase in emission of greenhouse gas into atmosphere might induce in climate pattern in future. Many researchers have been incorporated climatologicall cycle and its variability into the water resources system modelling in the recent past. Change on climate could affect the metrological parameters and which directly lead to change in irrigation water requirement in agriculture. In this study, an effort has been made to assess the impact of climate change on crop water requirement in Sunei command area (Bhudhabalang Basin) of Mayurbhanj district Odisha, India. For this study, daily meteological data like maximum temperature , minimum temperature, wind speed, sunshine hours, humidity and precipitation data are used. Crops and cropping pattern data are used for the study area. Future climate data predicate for the period 2025, 2050 and 2080 considering both A2 and B2 scenario using GCM HadCM3. Crop evapotranspiration (ETo ) was calculated using mean monthly climate and rainfall data with help of CROPWAT 8.0. Then crop water requirement (CWR) was determined for each crop of the project area of the study area. Results confirm the clear impact of climate change on crop water requirement of Kharif and Rabi crops. It shows that both H3A2 and H3B2 scenarios crop water requirements increases where as for some Rabi season crops like Dalua rice, Groundnut, Mustard crop water requirements decreases in future for H3B2 scenario. The increase or decrease are consider compared to base period 2010. To meet the increase water demand and to increase yield for future, water resources can be increased by doing water conservation practices, small barrages and farm ponds near command area. Groundwater should be used as conjunctive use at peak requirement period.