Irrigation helps beat the heat of global warming

The research, led by ETH Zurich in Switzerland, showed that irrigation dampens and in some cases offsets the combined effects of global warming on hot days. 

The researchers compared the climate effects of irrigation with other natural and human drivers, including greenhouse gas emissions, across intensely irrigated areas in Southern Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and the United States.

Dr Annette Hirsch, from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, was part of the research team.

She said while not a "watershed", the study showed that irrigation offered some hope when it came to dealing with more frequent and intense hot extremes caused by global warming. 

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