Impact of future climate change on sugarcane water requirement

Future climate change has been recognized as one of the largest issues facing the world in the coming century. Like other agricultural sectors, sugarcane farming is expected to be significantly influenced by climate Change. This study investigated possible implications of climate change on sugarcane water requirements (CWRs) from the base period (1971-2000) to 2020s and 2050s at Wonji-Shoa, East Oromia, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Predicted rainfall and temperature series were obtained from regional climate multi-model outputs of CORDEX-Africa for two RCP scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). This study will be useful in explaining the effects of climate change on CWR in Wonji-Shoa and better planning for water resources management. The future projections and the subsequent analysis of the study clearly reveal the magnitude and direction of climate change impact on sugarcane water need. These findings suggested that WSSE should begin to plan for climate contingencies. Actions that make the cane cultivation more immune to climate change should be taken in advance.