Applications of GIS in Management of Water Resources to Attain Zero Hunger

Abstract

The sustainable development goals as proposed by United Nations give huge importance to ending hunger and attaining food security for all by 2030. According to World Health Organization (WHO), food security can be achieved if everyone has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food throughout the year. Every one in nine persons is deprived of sufficient and safe food. To meet the growing population demand, United Nations aims to double the productivity in agriculture by 2030. Though, by 2015 there is around 10% reduction in critically hungry population of world, yet, the food security for all is a far-sighted dream. Crunch of land and water resources is posing the biggest threat in meeting this target. Per capita availability of land has been decreased with the increase in population, and the water resources are either unavailable or polluted. For sustainable agriculture, there is a need to identify and map locations having adequate water and land resources. GIS models help in analyzing ground profiles, soil water content, rainfall patterns, and geographical terrain and crop conditions. Thus, GIS technologies can help in developing models for water resource management. Continuous monitoring and assessment of natural water resources can help in capacity building, mapping and/or monitoring of cultivable land. Advances in GIS technologies could be an efficient tool to achieve the “zero hunger” goal. The present chapter covers various developments in GIS for water resource modeling across the globe.