Irrigation Needs in Ukraine According to Current Aridity Level

Abstract

Global climate change has led to significant shifts in local climatic conditions of Ukraine with the trend to aridity aggravation. Sustainable crop production is at risk due to the aridity level increase. The study is aimed to evaluate aridity index in Ukraine (on the whole country and individual regions’ scales) and the needs in irrigation using hydro-meteorological data of the key regional stations for the periods of 1961–1990 and 2010–2020. The results of hydro-meteorological evaluation were supported by the data on the soil moisture regimes provided by Soil Explorer service. The general trend to aridity aggravation in Ukraine was proved. It was found out that modern climate in most territory of Ukraine is semi-arid, dry subhumid and humid zones are observed in the western regions only. Humid soil moisture regimes (ustic and udic) are observed in the West and the North of the country. As a result of combined analysis of both aridity index and soil moisture regimes the conclusion was drawn that 46.05% of Ukrainian croplands cannot provide sustainable crop production without irrigation, 42.65% need irrigation for the cultivation of crops with high water use, and just 11.30% of the arable land require little or no irrigation