Assessing irrigation-driven carbon emissions across the Murray–Darling Basin: first insight from publicly available datasets

Abstract

Abstract Agricultural irrigation is the largest consumptive use of water in Australia. It heavily relies on energy-intensive pumping systems, linking water use to greenhouse gas emissions within the energy-water-food nexus. This study provides the first basin-scale estimate of irrigation energy use and associated emissions across the Murray–Darling Basin. It integrates publicly accessible datasets on agricultural energy, water use, and irrigation activity within a transparent and replicable top-down framework. Three scenarios were developed to estimate irrigation energy demand and associated emissions while reflecting uncertainty in irrigation’s share o..