Developing a Life Cycle Assessment Framework with Nature-based Solutions for Carbon Footprint Management in Irrigation Infrastructure

Irrigation infrastructure, critical for agricultural water management, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during its operational phase due to energy and resource consumption for gate operations, water pumping, and maintenance activities. In Taiwan, the construction of new irrigation canals has largely plateaued, with current projects predominantly focusing on repair, replacement, and upgrades. This study seeks to address the carbon footprint of these engineering activities by developing a tailored Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework that evaluates emissions hotspots specific to irrigation infrastructure and explores Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as mitigation strategies.

The LCA framework focuses on the maintenance and operational stages (B1-B5) of irrigation systems while incorporating end-of-life considerations (C1-C4) where necessary. For instance, it assesses energy consumption during post-repair operations and simulates scenarios involving energy savings or material reuse. NbS interventions, such as vegetative soil stabilization, eco-friendly repair techniques, and energy-efficient water management systems, are analyzed for their feasibility and alignment with the eight NbS criteria and twenty-eight associated indicators. The framework is designed to quantify the potential of these interventions to reduce lifecycle emissions and enhance ecosystem resilience.

Aligned with the Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructures Initiative, this study incorporates harmonized methodologies and collaborative practices to evaluate carbon emissions and explore effective mitigation strategies. By addressing key environmental challenges through structured frameworks, the research highlights the potential for interoperability and scalability, offering insights into how localized practices can inform global efforts in sustainable water resource management and climate resilience.

Preliminary findings highlight the potential of NbS to address key emission sources. For example, vegetative solutions applied to embankments reduce soil erosion while simultaneously sequestering carbon, and energy-efficient upgrades to water pumping systems significantly lower operational emissions. These results underscore the value of integrating LCA with NbS to provide actionable pathways for mitigating environmental impacts while ensuring infrastructure functionality.

By focusing on a localized case study of Taiwan’s irrigation infrastructure, this research demonstrates how regional practices can contribute to global environmental research infrastructures, fostering collaboration and advancing efforts to address shared environmental challenges under the context of climate resilience.