Irrigation as climate-change adaptation in the Cerrado Biome of Brazil evaluated with new quantitative methods, socio-economic analysis, and scenario models
LCLUC ANALYSIS CAN SHIFT IRRIGATION POLICY FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION
- Agricultural expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado drives the loss of primary vegetation and the gain of irrigation for export-oriented monocultures of soy, maize, and cotton.
- Climate change reduces water availability, increases water demand, and aggravates socio-ecological conflicts.
- Understanding irrigation, specifically its distribution, effectiveness, and alternatives, is essential for understanding adaptation to climate change.
- Development of LCLUC methods is essential to analyze drivers and impacts of land change.
