GROWING MORE FOOD WITH LESS WATER.
WATER
Expectations for the population to grow by 40 per cent to more than 9 billion by the year 2050 have raised the global question of how to grow more food with less water. With agriculture responsible for 70 per cent of all freshwater withdrawals, efficient and sustainable water use is needed for our own generation and future generations.
With our global water crisis in mind, we have created this resource to provide factual water news and information.
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LATEST NEWS
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Agriculture Must Adopt Better Water Management to Ensure Sustainable Food Supplies
GLOBAL – As people around the world celebrated World Water Day 2015 last weekend, the United Nations released a new report predicting major water shortages…
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Substantial Decline Seen in US High Plains Aquifer Groundwater Levels
US – The US Geological Survey has released a new report detailing changes of groundwater levels in the High Plains Aquifer, which saw substantial depletion…
Monday, December 08, 2014
Soil Carbon Advances Could be Key to Improving Food and Water Security
UK – The Global Advances in Soil Carbon Management recommendations, which have been compiled by a team of international scientists, could have a significant…
Blue Fresh surface and ground water, for example, the water in aquifers, streams and rivers
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Green The precipitation on land that does not run off or recharge the groundwater but is stored in the soil or temporarily stays on top of the soil or vegetation.
Eventually, this part of precipitation evaporates or transpires through plants. Green water can be made productive for crop growth.
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Grey Waste water from bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. It is not water that has come into contact with feces, either from the toilet or from washing diapers.
Greywater may contain traces of dirt, food, grease, hair, and certain household cleaning products. While greywater may look “dirty,” it is a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water in a yard.
If released into rivers, lakes, or estuaries, the nutrients in greywater become pollutants, but to plants, they are valuable fertilizer.
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Black Waste water than has come into contact with fecal matter. It includes sewage and other contaminated water sources, including all forms of flooding from seawater, ground surface water, and rising water from rivers and streamsthey are valuable fertilizer.
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Uses The world population tripled during the 20th century and water use for human purposes multiplied six-fold.
The main uses of water are for domestic use – drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning, but this area, while important is a per cent of water. Industrial use is about twice that of domestic use, mostly for energy production. The biggest user is agriculture – producing food and fiber to feed and clothe our growing population.
Threats Human activity is increasing the threat to our global fresh water supply.
Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and our growing population are immediate threats. Mountain glaciers are shrinking at ever-faster rates, threatening water supplies for millions of people and plant and animal species.
Availability Without question, the world’s freshwater resources are unevenly distributed. One person in five does not have access to safe and affordable drinking water. And by 2025, an estimated 3 billion people will be living below the water threshold. Densely populated and developing regions of the world, such as Asia and Africa, are expected to face the maximum water stress.
Solutions While there is no easy solution to a problem as big as global water use, new technology is helping to reduce use in some areas. Drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops are examples of agricultural technology that is being adopted in parts of the world that can help reduce water use while not limiting yields.
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GLOBAL AND ECONOMIC WATER SCARCITY
Definitions and Indicators
- Little or no water scarcity. Abundant water resources relative to use, with less that 25% of water from rivers withdrawn for human purposes
- Physical water scarcity (water resources development is approaching or has exeeded sustainable limits). More that 75% of river flows are withdrawn for agriculture, industry, and domestic purposes (accounting for recycling of return flows). This definition – relating water availability to water demand – implies that dry areas are not necessarily water scarce.
- Approaching physical water scarcity. More than 60% of river flows are withdrawn. These basins will experience physical water scarcity in the near future.
- Economic water scarcity (human, institutional, and financial capital limit access to water even though water in nature is available locally to meet human demands). water resources are abundant relative to water use, with less than 25% of water from rivers withdrawn for human purposes, but malnutrition exists.
PUBLICATIONS
Our growing listing below features in-depth reports on global water supplies.A Pact for Water SecurityThe Water Footprint Assessment Manual (English)The Water Footprint Assessment Manual (Chinese)The Water Footprint Assessment Manual (Portuguese)Coping With Water ScarcityWater and FoodSmallholders and Sustainable WellsThe Great Balancing Act
ARTICLES
Keep a close eye on the most recent technical articles about water use, scarcity and solutions.
A Trifecta of Water-Planning Tools
As fall progresses into winter and harvest comes to a close, crop producers might want to consider planning their future crop rotations, crop mixes and…
Reducing Water Scarcity Possible by 2050
Increased water-recycling and improved irrigation techniques among six strategies identified as key to successfully reducing global water scarcity….
Mapping Water Trends for African Maize
Today’s food production relies heavily on irrigation, but across sub-Saharan Africa only four per cent of cultivated land is irrigated, compared with a…
