**6. Irrigation challenge: welcome to the Anthropocene**

The need for capturing, storing, cleaning, and redirecting freshwater resources in efforts to increase water availability even with irregular river flows and unpredictable rainfall has been one of the main challenges of humanity [55]. Resulting impacts on water productivity and security schemes (which requires waterworks from storage and distribution such as dams, pipelines, canals, and water transfers) [56] means that the water cycle has been increasingly controlled by human activities and this was the hallmark of the new geological epoch called the "Anthropocene" [57]. This term is currently used (and discussed) to encompass different geological, ecological, sociological, and behavioral dynamics in recent earth history. The origins of the concept, its terminology, and its socio-political implications have also been widely discussed across the scientific community [58]. In fact, for some authors, the commitment to define a new geological period responds to the *hydrocentric* approach that emerged over the past two decades [59, 60], which focused on managing water resources as a natural water environment duly protected. Some evidences suggest, however, that what are needed are rather *hydrosupportive* approaches in which water management is performed to achieve social goals, which may include, among other factors, the ability to sustain environmental functions [61]. The

**5**

**Author details**

University of Alicante, Spain

*Introductory Chapter: Addressing Past Claims and Oncoming Challenges for Irrigation Systems*

concept, popularized by the Dutch atmospheric chemist and Nobel Prize-winning Paul Crutzen, is defined to describe a new geologic era caused by the drastic effect of human action on the earth. Taking into account the transdisciplinary nature of the concept, the analysis of human-water interactions requires the collaboration between natural sciences and the humanities, which must simultaneously explore the geophysical, social, and economic forces that shape an increasingly human

According to the report "*Adapt Now: A global call for leadership on climate resilience*" published on 2019 by the Global Commission on Adaptation, adapting the planet's water resources and systems to the Anthropocene and the new climate reality is a formidable task. Furthermore, it is the main opportunity to improve ecosystems management, grow eco-friendly economies, boost agricultural efficiencies, and planning for natural risks (floods and droughts) from nature-based solutions [63]. In fact, 10 years ago, a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) untitled "*Climate change, water and food security*" clearly promoted the applicability of different adaptation measures that deal with climate variability and build upon improved land and water management practices. These measures imply a good understanding of the impact of climate change on available water resources and on agricultural systems, and a set of policy choices, and investments and managerial changes to address them. Some year later and in order to respond to water-food nexus challenges in a coordinated and effective manner, the FAO has developed the *Global Framework for Action to Cope with Water Scarcity in Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change*. It calls for urgent action to cope with water scarcity in agriculture in the context of climate change and growing competition for water resources. The *Global Framework for Action* recognizes the intricate links between climate change, water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, and food security and the importance of addressing these holistically. Its objective is to strengthen the capacity to adapt agriculture to the impacts of climate change and water scarcity and thereby to reduce water-related constraints to achieving the food security and sustainable development goals. This framework is based on the premise that a sustainable pathway to food security in the context of water scarcity lies in maximizing benefits that cut across multiple dimensions of the food-water-climate nexus [64]. This means enabling sustainable agricultural production while reducing vulnerability to water scarcity and

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89787*

dominated global hydrologic (and hydrosocial) system [62].

optimizing the climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits [65].

irrigation by combining technical, social, and management approaches.

Sandra Ricart\*, Jorge Olcina and Antonio M. Rico

\*Address all correspondence to: sandra.ricart@ua.es

provided the original work is properly cited.

Taking into account both the adaptation capacity of irrigation systems from its socio-ecological nature and the requirements for addressing oncoming climate challenges, this book is the first attempt at bringing several fields together to analyze

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,

### *Introductory Chapter: Addressing Past Claims and Oncoming Challenges for Irrigation Systems DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89787*

concept, popularized by the Dutch atmospheric chemist and Nobel Prize-winning Paul Crutzen, is defined to describe a new geologic era caused by the drastic effect of human action on the earth. Taking into account the transdisciplinary nature of the concept, the analysis of human-water interactions requires the collaboration between natural sciences and the humanities, which must simultaneously explore the geophysical, social, and economic forces that shape an increasingly human dominated global hydrologic (and hydrosocial) system [62].

According to the report "*Adapt Now: A global call for leadership on climate resilience*" published on 2019 by the Global Commission on Adaptation, adapting the planet's water resources and systems to the Anthropocene and the new climate reality is a formidable task. Furthermore, it is the main opportunity to improve ecosystems management, grow eco-friendly economies, boost agricultural efficiencies, and planning for natural risks (floods and droughts) from nature-based solutions [63]. In fact, 10 years ago, a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) untitled "*Climate change, water and food security*" clearly promoted the applicability of different adaptation measures that deal with climate variability and build upon improved land and water management practices. These measures imply a good understanding of the impact of climate change on available water resources and on agricultural systems, and a set of policy choices, and investments and managerial changes to address them. Some year later and in order to respond to water-food nexus challenges in a coordinated and effective manner, the FAO has developed the *Global Framework for Action to Cope with Water Scarcity in Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change*. It calls for urgent action to cope with water scarcity in agriculture in the context of climate change and growing competition for water resources. The *Global Framework for Action* recognizes the intricate links between climate change, water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, and food security and the importance of addressing these holistically. Its objective is to strengthen the capacity to adapt agriculture to the impacts of climate change and water scarcity and thereby to reduce water-related constraints to achieving the food security and sustainable development goals. This framework is based on the premise that a sustainable pathway to food security in the context of water scarcity lies in maximizing benefits that cut across multiple dimensions of the food-water-climate nexus [64]. This means enabling sustainable agricultural production while reducing vulnerability to water scarcity and optimizing the climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits [65].

Taking into account both the adaptation capacity of irrigation systems from its socio-ecological nature and the requirements for addressing oncoming climate challenges, this book is the first attempt at bringing several fields together to analyze irrigation by combining technical, social, and management approaches.
