Irrigation systems face unforeseeable changes in climate, technologies, and societal preferences during their lifetime, potentially rendering them obsolete or inadequate. To remain functional, irrigation systems need to be adaptive to changes as the future unfolds. Past approaches to irrigation system design were largely informed by engineering or economic criteria. This is increasingly recognised as insufficient. We provide examples of contemporary irrigation systems in Australia to highlight the need for planning and design approaches that recognise the complex interactions between human and water systems and embrace unknowns. We review literature on hydro-social interactions and dynamic adaptive pathways to provide insights for the development of adaptive irrigation systems.

灌溉系统在其一生中将面临气候，技术和社会偏好方面不可预见的变化，有可能使它们过时或不足。为了保持功能正常，灌溉系统需要适应未来的发展。过去进行灌溉系统设计的方法很大程度上受工程或经济标准的影响。人们越来越认识到这是不够的。我们提供了澳大利亚当代灌溉系统的示例，以强调需要进行规划和设计的方法，这些方法应认识到人与水系统之间复杂的相互作用并包含未知因素。我们回顾了有关水社会互动和动态适应途径的文献，为适应性灌溉系统的发展提供了见识。