This paper seeks to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners, ®rst, by illustrating
where research tools and techniques have practical applications and, second, by identifying real
problems that remote sensing could solve, albeit with additional research and development. As
freshwater becomes an increasingly scarce resource, all opportunities to better manage water uses,
particularly in irrigated agriculture, must be taken. An important challenge in the ®eld of water
resources is to utilize the timely, objective and accurate information provided by remote sensing.
# 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.