Estimating irrigation water demand for green spaces in humid areas: seeking a sustainable water management strategy

• Published in: Urban water journal 2018-01, Vol.15 (1), p.16-22
• Main Authors: Shi, Yan, Yang, Guofu, Du, Yuanyuan, Ren, Yuan, Lu, Yijun, Fan, Likun, Chang, Jie, Ge, Ying, Bao, Zhiyi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; Decision support; Demand; Green infrastructure; green water; Humid areas; Hydrology; integrated water management; Irrigation; Irrigation water; landscape planning; Open spaces; Rivers; Spatial discrimination; Sustainability; Sustainability management; sustainable management; Temporal variations; Urban areas; Urban planning; Urbanization; Water; Water consumption; Water demand; Water management; water supply
• ISSN: 1573-062X; 1744-9006
• DOI: 10.1080/1573062X.2017.1363255

Quantifying the irrigation water demand of green spaces (IWDG) is an important part of smart urban water management. However, the IWDG in humid cites is not well characterized. Moreover, the alteration of natural hydrological processes caused by urbanization leading to the dependence of green spaces on irrigation is becoming more common. To better understand the IWDG in humid areas, we developed an estimation model and used the Yangtze River Delta in China as a case study. Results showed that the amount of water required by the green spaces in the Yangtze River Delta was approximately 354 × 10 6  m 3 , which was equivalent to 12% of the urban residential water consumption in 2011. This study also investigated the spatial-temporal changes of urban green spaces and estimated their effects on irrigation water demand. These findings provide policymakers an integrated view of the water demand of green spaces associated with sustainable management.