Maize Water Footprint of Kampar Watershed to Bolster Sustainable Agriculture in Indonesia

Abstract Agriculture plays a significant role in driving water demand and degradation. Assessing sustainability is crucial for understanding the impact of current water use on future availability and preserving water quantity and quality. Maize cultivation, practiced in over 150 countries, ranks third in cereal production worldwide, following wheat and barley. This study focuses on the importance of watersheds in meeting agricultural water needs, specifically in the context of maize farming. The research was conducted in the Kampar watershed, Indonesia. The study utilized a quantitative methodology to assess the agricultural water footprint, applying the Penman-Monteith method alongside benefit transfer techniques. The water footprint of maize crops was calculated using the Cropwat 8.0 software. The results showed that the overall water footprint of agriculture in the Kampar watershed was 42.94 m 3 per ton. In the Kampar district, maize had a green water footprint of 8.67 m 3 /ton, a blue water footprint of 7.93 m 3 /ton, and a grey water footprint of 3.28 m 3 /ton. In the Pelalawan district, the green water footprint was 15.5 m 3 /ton, the blue water footprint was 1.33 m 3 /ton, and the grey water footprint was 6.23 m 3 /ton for maize. Assessing agriculture's water footprint provides valuable insights for climate-resilient crop development and anticipating regional shifts in the face of climate change.