Substantial irrigation requirements may be expected in some countries where irrigation hardly exists at present (e.g. Ireland, Holden et al., When considering only the joint effect of temperature and precipitation changes and assuming constant land use type, the irrigation requirements and w'ater deficits on rainfed areas may decrease by the end of this century, although the magnitudes are subject to high uncertainty (Zhang and Cai, 2013). Quiggin and Horowitz (2003) found that temperate agriculture in Australia might gradually move southwards where the climate would become more suitable for agriculture.