The application of GIS in the field of irrigation water management

The aim of this paper is to introduce the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques in irrigation water management where GIS can be used as a powerful tool for the exploration of spatially distributed databases and the evaluation of scenarios under different local conditions. The successful integration of GIS techniques can be applied to the analysis of irrigation water requirement and the estimation of future demand. Moreover, the spatial analysis and management capabilities of GIS have rendered it a powerful tool for expanding the irrigation estimation from a farm scale to a regional level. In addition, such integrated irrigation systems are capable of increasing crop productivity and facilitating selection of the most suitable cropping pattern. Its applications in precision farming and groundwater assessment are also discussed.