Hydrological Modeling of the Effect of the Transition From Flood to Drip Irrigation on Groundwater Recharge Using Multi?Objective Calibration

The replacement of flood-irrigation systems by drip-irrigation technology has been widely promoted with the aim a more sustainable use freshwater resources in irrigated agriculture. However, evidence for an irrigation efficiency paradox emphasizes need to improve our understanding impacts transformations on water resources. Here, we developed distributed hydrological modeling approach investigate spatiotemporal effect flood and drip groundwater recharge. recognizes differences balance resulting from localized application surface drip-irrigated fields extensive irrigation. was applied semi-arid Mediterranean region Valencia (Spain) calibrated using multi-objective framework. Multiple process scales were addressed within framework considering annual evaporative index, monthly level dynamics, daily soil moisture dynamics. Daily simulations 1994 2015 suggested that, hydroclimatic conditions, (a) recharge is strongly related rainfall, which had four times higher impact than type practice, (b) flood-irrigated tends exceed 10% at time scales, (c) however, response particular precipitation event smaller irrigation, (d) 8–18 rainfall events could generate half respectively. Our results highlight importance dynamics under different practices supporting infrastructure policies.