Jw. Knox et al., Mapping the financial benefits of sprinkler irrigation and potential financial impact of restrictions on abstraction: A case-study in Anglian Region, J ENVIR MGM, 58(1), 2000, pp. 45-59
This paper describes the development of a Geographic Information Systems (G
IS)-based methodology to estimate and map the potential financial benefits
of irrigation and the potential financial impacts of restrictions on abstra
ction for sprinkler irrigation. The framework within which the Environment
Agency will use the methodology is presented.
All water abstractions in England and Wales are licensed and controlled by
the Environment Agency. The Water Resources Act (1991) allows the Environme
nt Agency to impose restrictions on abstraction for sprinkler irrigation in
order to avoid or reduce adverse environmental impact. Imposing total or p
artial restrictions on irrigation can have significant financial consequenc
es for farm production and farm incomes. The Environment Act (1995) placed
a duty on the Environment Agency to take account of the likely costs and be
nefits that may follow from its actions. However, the value of water for ir
rigation varies spatially. GIS techniques enable this variability to be ana
lysed.
The analysis is applied to the Environment Agency Anglian Region. The resul
ts confirm that the benefits of irrigation are significant, and that financ
ial impacts of restrictions on abstraction can be very high. Maps are prese
nted showing the potential benefits of irrigation (per area and per unit vo
lume of water) and the costs of restrictions at various times. Coping strat
egies, which farmers can adopt to mitigate the impacts, are discussed. Desp
ite a number of limitations, the methodology appears to work well, particul
arly in intensively irrigated areas. (C) 2000 Academic Press.