FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Chinese scientists have released a long-term, high-resolution dataset that tracks global cropland water-use efficiency from 2001 to 2020.
Published in the journal Scientific Data, the dataset provides annual water-use efficiency estimates for croplands worldwide at a spatial resolution of one kilometer.
It is expected to serve as a valuable tool for advancing sustainable agricultural water management.
Water-use efficiency measures the amount of biomass or economic value produced per unit of water used.
It reflects both biological and economic benefits, balancing input and output. As a key indicator of the trade-off between food production and water consumption, water-use efficiency plays an essential role in guiding the sustainable use of regional agricultural water resources, said the study.
The dataset was developed by a research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.