Adaptation of Contemporary Irrigation Systems to Face the Challenges of Future Climate Changes in the Mediterranean Region: A Case Study of the Lower Seyhan Irrigation System

Abstract

The Mediterranean region will be particularly affected by climate change over the 21st century. Rising temperatures and more marked drought periods will affect spatial and temporal precipitation and hence the water resources. This paper first reviews and evaluates the current and future social and environmental pressures on water resources, including climate change. The results show that pressures are not uniform across the region and sectors of water use. The changes in temperature and precipitation predicted by the general circulation models for the Mediterranean region will affect water availability and resource management, critically shaping the patterns of future crop production. The temperatures in the Mediterranean region are expected to rise by +2 to +3 {\textdegree}C by 2050, then by +3 to 5 {\textdegree}C by 2100. The water-poor countries are likely to be the most affected by 2100, and rainfall is likely to have decreased by 20--30{\%} in the countries to the south, opposed to merely 10{\%} in those to the north. The Mediterranean basin is thus predicted to be particularly sensitive to climate change.