Water for a food-secure world

Water for a food-secure world What does IWMI do to combat food and water security?

Colin ChartresIWMI HQ, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka

September 20th, 2010

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

“ We have a looming water crisis. This crisis is the response to growing population, changing dietary habits, and competition for water from other sectors of the economy. Lack of water for growing food will be one of the most critical issues for us to overcome in the twenty-first century.”

- Colin Chartres & Samyuktha Varma, Authors, Out of water: from abundance to scarcity and how to solve

the world's water problems,2010.

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

Today’s Agenda

• To highlight concerns regarding water and food crises

Photo credit: IWMI

Photo credit: IWMI

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

We are living in a fast changing world

Growth of private sector Strength of

BRICs

E-Comms

Networked science

9 billion people by 2050

Urbanization

Dietary change

Energy crises

Climate change

Food crises

Water scarcity

Collapsing fish stocks

Deforestation, soil erosion and exhaustion

Global food chains disadvantage smallholders

Economies of scale

increasing challenges – increasing opportunities

Source: Image taken from www.google.com

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

Drivers of food and water scarcity

• The major drivers of water scarcity and food security are:– Population growth(6.7 billion today to 9.0 billion in 2050)

– Dietary change– Urbanisation– Globalisation– Biofuel production– Climate Change

Photo credit: Nico Sepe

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

Poverty and Population

Pop. m2009

Pop. m2050

Growth

Africa 1010 1998 98%

Asia 4121 5231 27%

Europe 732 691 - 5%

LA and Caribbean 582 729 25%

Population growth, dietary change and poverty and malnutrition will be key drivers with respect to agriculture

Source: Geographic Domain Analysis to Support the Targeting, Prioritization & Design of a CGIAR Mega-Project (MP) Portfolio. Draft Progress Report. September 9, 2009.

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

Water scarcity will handicap efforts for food security

Source: Adapted from the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. 2007.

IWMI :

Water for a food-secure world

Based on WaterSim analysis for the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture

Comprehensive Assessment Scenario: Policies for productivity gains, upgrading rainfed areas, revitalized irrigation & trade

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

The Paradox and the Challenge

Feeding another 2.5 billion people

with

less water for agriculture than we

have nowPhoto credit: Nico Sepe

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

So what does IWMI do to combat food and water scarcity?

1. Identification of major issues

2. Development of technical solutions

3. Development of policy options

Photo credit: IWMI

Photo credit: IWMI

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

1.Issue identification: Water supply vs. demand gaps

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

2. Technical solutions

e.g.:a) Using clay to

ameliorate sandy soils in Thailand

b) Improving the way wastewater is managed in vegetable production

c) Promoting water storage to insure farmers against climate change

Photo credit: Nico Sepe

Photo credit: IWMI

Photo credit: IWMI

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

3. Policy options

• Outcome was reduced electricity use, less groundwater use, improved power supply to domestic users

e.g. Jyotigram in Gujarat:

• Issue was over-pumping of groundwater because of subsidised electricity

• Solution provided by IWMI was separation of supply to villages and pumps

Photo credit: IWMI

Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world

“ If we are to solve the closely related problems of water scarcity and food security, we have to move forward with a truly integrative approach to these mighty challenges. The problem is that we have a very limited time frame in which to do this.”

- Colin Chartres & Samyuktha Varma, Authors, Out of water: from abundance to scarcity and how to solve the

world's water problems,2010.

For more information, please visit: www.iwmi.org