As leaders of the world are preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic, little attention is given to the problem of water shortages which currently put millions of people in agony around the world.
This year's World Water Day (WWD) on March 22 passed with little notice, although the day is an opportunity to focus on the role of water as a precious and finite resource that we must use wisely.
The amount of water in the world is limited. Water resources occupy a specific place among other natural resources. Water is the most distributed substance on our planet; in different amounts it is available everywhere and plays an important role in the surrounding environment and human life.
Agriculture is responsible for about 70% of all the freshwater withdrawn, and is by far the biggest user of water. But unfortunately this sector doesn't use it efficiently and global irrigation efficiency is about 40%. The main activity of agriculture is the production of food. For example, each human drinks 2-5 litres per day but most of the water consumed is hidden in food. Some 2,000 to 5,000 litres of water is eaten daily based on the production process of foods.
Besides food, agriculture provides raw materials such as cotton and wool for clothing, stimulants such as tobacco, coffee and tea, as well as flowers and rubber. In many countries, agriculture is not only the main source of food and raw materials, it is the main source of income. Between 2000-2010, about 48% of the total world labour force was working in agriculture. In developing countries, this was about 58% and in industrial countries about 10% of the total labour force. However, the progressive industrialisation of agriculture in developing countries will lead to a smaller labour force in the near future. So, today the world must act wisely to conserve, preserve and improve its water supplies, as well as step up efforts to increase agricultural crop water productivity. By using better seeds, boosting soil fertility and implementing other agricultural techniques, farmers can produce higher yields. But we have one solution which is to increase agricultural productivity to produce less drop per crop. Water covers about 70% of the Earth's surface but most is too salty for use. Also the world is wasting too much of the water it could use. On the other hand, the world population will grow from around 7.8 billion people today to more than 8.5 billion by 2030. Consequently, additional people will need to be fed within the next 10 years. Therefore, demand for food will increase over this period. The growing population will result in strong demand for additional food production. The FAO projects that world food production needs to increase by around 60% to feed the growing world population. Populations are growing, but water supplies are not. The amount of water in the world is restricted. The human race, and the other species which share the planet, cannot expect an infinite supply. Of course, this presents a collision course because while more and more water is needed for food production, less and less will be available for irrigation because of municipal and industrial demands and also global warming due to climate change. Such growth in population has created and will continue to create unprecedented pressure on the limited natural resources base to produce additional food, fibre, fuel and raw materials.
This is especially true in developing countries where the largest population growth is expected. At the same time, more and more irrigation water will be needed to meet increasing food demand for growing populations. In the past, these requirements were met mainly through technological innovations, institutional and infrastructure developments, and policy initiatives that promoted growth in agricultural productivity and thereby created the Green Revolution. This is also expected to be the case in developing countries over the next 30 years. The most common limiting factor in population expansion is the availability of water resources. But water is already rare in many countries and the competition for water from industrial and domestic user continues to grow. An FAO study of 93 developing countries shows that a number of nations are already withdrawing water supplies faster than they can be renewed. So where will we find the water to feed the world? The major problem is how to increase and sustain the productivity of food, while at the same time reducing the sector's water consumption. Thus, producing more food with less water, and at lower financial and environmental cost, is a major challenge for the 21st century.
Around 2.2 billion people are living without access to safe water. A principal focus of this year's WWD is to support the reaching of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. This year's theme is "Water and Climate Change". It is about water and climate change, and how the two are intricately linked. The campaign shows how our use of water will help reduce floods, droughts, scarcity and pollution, and will help combat climate change itself. Just this year in Thailand, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is planning to build an additional 421 water storage facilities in the fight against the looming water shortage, which is expected to be the worst in 10 years. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said they would comprise "new large, medium and small-scale water source projects", including kaem ling water-catchment areas. "The new storage facilities will increase water capacity by 942 million cubic metres," he said, adding that up to 1.2 million rai of new irrigation areas will benefit from the move. The country is undergoing uncertain rain patterns which are leading to unusually low water levels in major reservoirs and rivers. The minister linked the phenomenon to climate change.
By adjusting to the water effects of climate change, we will protect health and save lives. By using water more proficiently, we will reduce greenhouse gases from treatment systems. Our crucial messages are as follows:
We cannot afford to delay. Climate policy makers must put water at the core of action plans.
Water can help battle climate change. There are sustainable, affordable and accessible water and sanitation solutions.
Each person has a role to play. In our daily lives, there are remarkably easy steps we can all take to address climate change.
We use about 70% of the water we have in agriculture. Therefore agriculture, the biggest water consumer, is seen as the main factor behind increasing global freshwater scarcity. Because much of the increase in crop production will come from intensified agriculture, supported by irrigation, especially in developing countries, with a growing world population, agriculture will face more competition from industrial and domestic water users. Thus, agriculture will have to use water more efficiently and improve the efficiency of both irrigated and rainfed production. Investments in smarter water-saving agricultural practices and better water management are urgently needed. At the same time, environmental anxiety must be considered.
Mohammad Esmaeil Asadi is Associate Professor of Water Engineering and Management at the School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.