Irrigation has consistently been used as a crop protection and yield enhancement strategy and has become even more critical in a warming world . Approximately 40% of global yields come from irrigated agriculture, with a doubling of irrigated areas over the last 50 years and now constituting around 20% of the total harvested area . Thus, irrigation is one of the most frequently applied adaptation responses in agriculture and features centrally in projections of adaptation at all scales. Expansions of irrigated areas over the coming century are projected, leading to shifts from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture in response to climate change . However, there are regional limitations to this expansion due to renewable water resource limitations, including water quality issues . Depending on the specific spatial, temporal and technological characteristics of irrigation expansion, up to 35% of current rain-fed production could sustainably shift to irrigation with limited negative environmental effects .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report