ABSTRACT
Water scarcity occurs when available water cannot satisfy water demands for drinking, sanitation and food production. With increasing global population and a changing climate water scarcity situations are occurring more often. Due to irrigation, farmers use less land while producing more food. However, water for irrigation has significantly altered the hydrological and environmental characteristic of many basins. Irrigation infrastructure supply water to the crop fields through main, secondary and/or tertiary canals or conduits. Social, economic and political dimensions influence the way that water is allocated, which may influence the distribution of wealth among water users. Hydrological data provide a quantifiably form of information that can be stored, processed and made available for the general public, water professionals, and specific decision makers in basin authorities and irrigation systems. Water policy and regulations include specifications about the use of hydrological data and information. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
