Water Availability: A factor of sustainability and adaptation of agriculture to climate change

Climate change is expected to negatively affect agriculture. The effects of climate change on agricultural production are widely studied and adaptation strategies have already been proposed and even applied and assessed in many cases. A key component on agriculture vulnerability to climate change is water availability. The aim of the present study is to enlist and review representative proposed water management schemes and adaptation strategies related to agricultural water proposed in literature. Changes in technologies used, infrastructure, irrigation and crop patterns have been considered as adaptation procedures in order to prevent or reduce climate change impacts to agriculture. The choice of the most preferable measures should not be limited to their performance against water shortage but also on the assessment of their economic and social impacts. The suitability of each adaptation method is also depended on the scale of intervation; farm, river basin or national level.