Agricultural Water Security Under Water Scarcity: Structural Patterns, Systemic Blind Spots, and Research Frontiers in Semi-Arid Regions: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In the face of intensifying climate change, agricultural water security in semi-arid zones has emerged as a critical frontier for water governance. This study provides a systematic and critical analysis of the scientific literature to map current research frontiers and structural gaps. The methodology integrated the PRISMA 2020 protocol and a modified Methodi Ordinatio, spanning a search period from 2014 to 2026 across the Science Direct and SciELO databases. From an initial broad screening, 136 high-impact articles were selected based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings reveal a significant fragmentation of knowledge, characterized by a high prevalence of small-scale studies (25 articles) and limited interdisciplinarity. Notably, a governance-centric approach is present in only 20% of the literature, while the Water–Energy–Food Nexus appears in just 6%, signaling a major disconnect in holistic management. Based on these results, this study identifies water governance and socioeconomic integration as the most pressing research gaps. Consequently, an integrated conceptual framework is proposed, built upon three pillars: Governance, Technology, and Environment (GET). This study concludes that advancing the frontiers of agricultural water security requires moving beyond isolated solutions toward a structured, systemic, and interdisciplinary integration.