Evaluating traditional and improved water harvesting techniques using the FAO AquaCrop model

Agricultural Water Management is essential for mitigating climate-induced water scarcity. Water Harvesting Techniques offer practical field-level interventions, yet evaluating their impact often requires strategic modeling tools like FAO-AquaCrop, especially in data-constrained regions. This study presents a systematic literature review to frame the current state of FAO- AquaCrop-based WHT simulations. A targeted search of major databases identified a specialized body of literature, from which three primary modeling strategies were synthesized: (i) in-situ accumulation as irrigation events, (ii) soil hydraulic property modification via Curve Number adjustments, (iii) ex-situ storage coupling through external water balance integration.