Water saving in agriculture often refers to reducing the amount of water abstracted or diverted and used for different purposes. However, this is not the only option: reductions in water use can also be achieved by using appropriate techniques for irrigation, applying relevant management practices, using water from alternative sources or influencing behaviour – for example, via awareness-raising, dissemination of best practices, regulation, water pricing and/or the use of financial incentives. While these options or responses will help to reduce pressure on water resources, if implemented in isolation they limit the extent to which water is actually ‘saved’. More often, they need to be considered as part of a broader integrated approach to water management. This paper presents a framework for identifying areas in which scope for achieving water savings exists and then reviews the possible means of action and the constraints to implementation. The framework is intended to inform polices aimed at improving the sustainability and allocation of water to irrigated agriculture.