Water scarcity, rising evapotranspiration, and increasing climate variability pose substantial challenges to cereal production, particularly in semi-arid regions where durum wheat (Triticum durum) is a critical crop for food security. This study synthesizes research on strategies to enhance durum wheat resilience under water-limited conditions and highlights emerging opportunities for adaptation under intensifying climate stress. Key approaches include the development and deployment of drought-tolerant and climate-resilient cultivars, precision irrigation technologies that optimize water use, and soil-water conservation practices such as conservation tillage, residue retention, mulching, crop rotation with legumes, and organic matter enhancement. These measures improve soil structure, water infiltration, and moisture retention, thereby reducing irrigation requirements and buffering crops against episodic droughts while maintaining long-term soil productivity. The study also addresses the environmental trade-offs associated with irrigation expansion, including soil salinization, groundwater depletion, and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, which can collectively undermine farm sustainability if not properly managed. Integrated governance frameworks that align water, energy, and food priorities are essential for sustainable intensification, particularly in regions where irrigation development is constrained by hydrological or infrastructural limitations. Mechanisms such as volumetric water allocation, systematic groundwater and salinity monitoring, and the incorporation of renewable-energy-powered irrigation systems provide the regulatory and operational tools necessary to prevent resource overexploitation and ensure equitable access across farming communities. An illustrative example from continental semi-arid basins demonstrates how supplemental irrigation during critical growth stages, combined with basin-level water planning and rational groundwater use, can stabilize wheat yields without compromising environmental integrity. The case highlights the potential for integrating multiple water sources, including surface water, groundwater, and collector-drainage water, with climate-resilient cultivars to enhance productivity while maintaining ecosystem health. Sustainable durum wheat systems require simultaneous advances in agronomy, technological innovation, resource governance, and farmer capacity-building to ensure successful implementation. Advancing semi-arid agriculture will ultimately depend on integrating drought-tolerant varieties, efficient irrigation, soil–water conservation, and Water–Energy–Food–aligned planning into cohesive strategies that can guide future innovation and policy toward resilient, climate-ready production systems.
Saspugayeva et al. (Thu,) studied this question.