4.1.3. Irrigation Return

Irrigation return is affected positively for the majority of simulations, and results fall within the category of unsustainable agricultural development. An exception is the G1 scenario in the short-term, which falls into the category of unacceptable. The evaluated IE policy yields irrigation return changes ( −3.4% in G1, 3.1% in U1, and 3.0% in N1) during 2017–2050. Irrigation return increases (3.6% in G1, 7.5% in U1, and 9.9% in N1) during 2051–2099. The average increase in irrigation return is 0.9% in the short-term and 7.0% in the long-term. The increasing irrigation return over the simulation period shows that the IE policy benefits the long-term irrigation supply.
