2025-06-01 JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES 2025 59(卷), null(期), (null页)
Study region: The Iguidi watershed is located in southeastern Morocco and represents semi-arid region where limited water resources constrain agricultural productivity and sustainability. Study focus: This study assesses the water footprint (WF) of four major crops: walnuts, wheat, olives, and almonds cultivated in the Iguidi watershed between 1992 and 2021. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+) was used to simulate hydrological processes and estimate crop WF, including green and blue water components. The model was calibrated and validated using observed streamflow, with satisfactory performance (calibration: r = 0.80, R2 = 0.55, NSE = 0.55; validation: r = 0.84, R2 = 0.55, NSE = 0.55). Plant growth parameters were manually adjusted to improve crop model performance. New hydrological insights for the region: Results indicate significant differences in crop water use, with olives showing the highest total WF (2704.8 m3/t) and wheat the lowest (1482.86 m3/t). Blue Water Scarcity (BWS) increased sharply after 2017, with the index increasing from an average of 0.5 (1995-2021) to 2.4 in 2019. Green Water Scarcity (GWS) also increased after 2017, following a relatively stable period between 2009 and 2017 (average = 0.42). These findings indicate intensifying water stress in the watershed and underscore the need for adaptive and integrated water management strategies to enhance agricultural resilience in semi-arid regions.