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Technical institutes

Researchers Develop High-Resolution Global Irrigation Maps for Improved Agricultural Management

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at Polytechnic University Milan have created high-resolution global irrigation maps to support water resource and agricultural management. The dataset identifies the likely irrigation status (rainfed or irrigated) and water source (groundwater or surface water) of croplands for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. The study used a combination of spatial patterns, national and subnational statistics, and crop model data to downscale a 10-km irrigation dataset. The resulting maps offer a more accurate and spatially detailed representation of irrigation water sources, enabling improved analysis of agricultural water use.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers developed high-resolution (60 m) global irrigation maps to identify likely irrigation status and water source of croplands for 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015.
  • The dataset was downscaled from a 10-km irrigation dataset using spatial patterns, national and subnational statistics, and crop model data.
  • Validation of the method used household agriculture surveys in India (N = 8,355) and a U.S. well database (N = 1,505,371).
  • In the U.S., the method achieved 85% accuracy in distinguishing groundwater use within 2 km of wells, significantly higher than the Global Map of Irrigation Areas (GMIA) (25%).
  • In India's groundwater-dominated regions, the estimates performed comparably to GMIA (73% vs. 72%).
  • The research concluded that the dataset offers a more accurate and spatially detailed representation of irrigation water sources, enabling improved analysis of agricultural water use.
  • The study was financially supported by the National Science Foundation.
  • The research team included Davide Danilo Chiarelli, Fengwei Hung, James S. Famiglietti, and Marc F. Müller.

Statistics:

  • The dataset provides high-resolution (60 m) global irrigation maps.
  • The study identified the likely irrigation status and water source of croplands for 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015.
  • The researchers used household agriculture surveys in India (N = 8,355) and a U.S. well database (N = 1,505,371) for validation.
  • In the U.S., the method achieved 85% accuracy in distinguishing groundwater use within 2 km of wells.
  • In India's groundwater-dominated regions, the estimates performed comparably to GMIA (73% vs. 72%).
  • The study was published in the journal Scientific Data on October 23, 2025.

Sources:

  • Downscaled global 60-meter resolution estimates of irrigation water sources (2000-2015). Scientific Data, 2025;12(1):1632.
  • NewsRx. Researchers at Polytechnic University Milan Detail Findings in Science [Downscaled global 60-meter resolution estimates of irrigation water sources (2000-2015)]. Agriculture Week. October 23, 2025; p 359.

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