Regionally adapted indicators’ system for sustainable intensification of irrigated agriculture

Abstract

Purpose: to develop and substantiate a system of regionally adapted indicators reflecting geospatial patterns, relationships and vulnerabilities of the irrigated farming systems functioning, for its sustainable intensification. Materials and methods. The study was carried out on the basis of a systematic approach using the principal component method, rating and scoring methods, cluster analysis, proportional costs method, and estimation scales. The database for calculations was formed on the basis of data from federal and regional institutions of the Russian Federation, the portal of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Water Supply Systems “Raduga”, enterprises and administrations of municipal districts of Western Siberia. Results. A system of regionally adapted geospatial indicators for sustainable intensification of irrigated agriculture, which includes two blocks: structural-functional and geoecological, has been developed. The principles for selecting indicators adapted to the regional scale and tested at the macro-regional, landscape-provincial, basin and district territorial levels of Western Siberia are substantiated. The structural-functional block includes 45 indicators reflecting both the main driving forces, factors and vulnerabilities of the irrigated farming systems functioning, as well as the processes of their cause-and-effect relationships with higher-order systems, which contributes to the study of regularities of spatio-temporal differentiation and identifying areas of interest. The geoecological block combines 40 indicators that help assessing and planning the development of irrigated agriculture, taking into account the geoecological limitations. Conclusions: the proposed system of regionally adapted indicators is an effective tool strategic decision support for the implementation of regional policies of sustainable intensification of irrigated agriculture.

Keywords

• irrigated agriculture
• indicators system
• interdisciplinary approach
• sustainable intensification
• region
• western siberia