Assessment of Water Footprint Sustainability for Major Crops in Banas River Basin

Abstract

Water security is essential for socio-economic development and environmental newlinesustainability. An improved understanding of the relationships between water demand newlineand supply is needed to mitigate the impacts of diminishing water resources. This study newlineprovides an assessment of water footprint and its sustainability in the Banas River Basin newline(BRB) during 2008-2020. The average annual water footprint of crop production varied newlinebetween 11365.8-23131.5 MCM/yr (Mean 19254.5 MCM/yr) during the study period. newlineWheat, Bajra, Maize and Rapeseed and Mustard makes up 67.4 % of the total average newlineannual water footprint of crop production. The blue water footprint of crop production newlinewas 3942.1 MCM/yr, with Wheat and Rapeseed and Mustard accounting for almost 87.0 newline% of the average annual blue water footprint. Blue, green and grey water footprints newlinecomprise 20.8, 69.7 and 9.5 % of the total water footprint of crop production in the newlinebasin, respectively. Average annual water footprint of basin from all sectors was newlineestimated to be 20238.3 MCM/yr.Contd..... newline