Unlocking Water Issues Towards Food Security in Africa

Abstract

An action-oriented contribution by FAO to support the development and implementation of policies and programmes for the sustainable use of water in agriculture worldwide Water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Agriculture, comprised of crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry, is both a cause and a casualty of water scarcity. It accounts for an estimated 70 percent of global water withdrawals, while competition with other sectors for water is increasing. Climate change also affects freshwater resources negatively, in terms of both quantity and quality. More frequent and severe droughts are having an impact on agricultural production, while rising temperatures translate into increased crop water demand. Water withdrawals grew at almost twice the rate of population increase in the twentieth century, and a 60 percent surge in food demand is expected by 2050. There is an urgent need, therefore, to address water scarcity. • Water scarcity is one of the leading challenges of the twenty-first century, and it is expected to intensify as a result of climate change. • Population growth, economic development, urbanization, dietary changes, widespread civil unrest and regional conflicts, migration and pollution pressure water resources. • For each 1-degree global warming, 7 percent of global population will see a decrease of 20 percent or more in renewable water resources. • Irrigated agriculture contributes 40 percent of global crop production in 20 percent of total cultivated land. • As much as 84 percent of the economic impact of drought falls on agriculture, with major impacts on food security. • Deforestation, land degradation and desertification resulting from the overuse of natural resources and exacerbated by climate change have negative impacts on the quantity and quality of water resources. • Water scarcity exacerbates the direct and long-term effects of desertification on land and soil quality, soil structure, organic matter and soil moisture and therefore on agricultural productivity. Why? Key facts " Water is a precious resource, crucial to realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, which at their heart aim to eradicate poverty " United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Coping with water scarcity in agriculture: a global framework for action in a changing climate will support the development and deployment of policies, strategies, programmes and field capacity for the adaptation of agriculture to water scarcity, using context-specific approaches and processes tailored to specific circumstances and needs, including support for the formulation of transformational projects. The Global Framework will help in efficiently achieving the water-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Sustainable Development Goal 6 – " Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all " . Investments made now in water resource management will provide long-term payoffs for sustainable human development and economic growth and have immediate short-term benefits. Climate adaptation measures in agriculture that build on existing good management practices can increase water security and thus contribute directly to sustainable development. Innovative technologies derived from applied research, combined with appropriate policies and strategies, are necessary for both adaptation to, and the mitigation of, climate change.