In brief
Recent research highlights the urgency for sustainable water management to combat impending food crises.
In a troubling convergence of global crises, high food prices and widespread water scarcity threaten food security across the world. As revealed in three independent studies published this week, the concentration of agricultural production in a limited number of countries, many grappling with decreasing water supplies, is alarming.The World Resources Institute has highlighted that 25% of the world’s crop production occurs in regions suffering from unreliable or stressed water supplies. Meanwhile, the Global Commission on the Economics of Water emphasized that half of the world's food is cultivated in areas forecasted to experience declining water availability. Alarmingly, a study from the European Union’s environmental agency has pointed out a drying trend affecting traditionally wet regions of the continent.Each study calls for immediate and significant changes in practices, recommending measures like repairing water system leaks, minimizing food wastage, restoring vital wetlands, and setting corporate targets for sustainable water usage. The global commission’s report underscores the need for policymakers to redefine the value of water, warning that it is often undervalued and mismanaged despite its critical scarcity.
