Date : 17/10/2023

Relevance: GS Paper 3- Economy - Food Security and Resources

Keywords: Water management, Food and nutrition security, Climate change adaptation, Sustainable agriculture, Water scarcity, Global food production

Context-

• This year, the theme for World Food Day, observed on October 16, focuses on the vital role of water in food production and is titled 'Water is Life, Water is Food.' The theme emphasizes the pressing need for wise water management, given the increasing impact of climate extremes.
• Many countries are grappling with severe challenges like droughts, floods, unseasonal rains, and prolonged dry spells. With less than seven years remaining to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stress the importance of adopting innovative and collaborative approaches to enhance the management, conservation, and availability of limited water resources.

The Role of Water in Sustaining Life

• Water is a fundamental component of life on Earth, constituting more than half of the human body's weight and covering 71 percent of the planet's surface. However, only 2.5 percent of this water is freshwater, which is vital for drinking, farming, and industrial purposes. Beyond its role in our physiological makeup, water also supports ecosystems, influences weather patterns, and drives geological processes.
• Despite its crucial role, data for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on 'Clean Water and Sanitation for All' reveals alarming statistics: 2.4 billion people reside in water-stressed regions, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, 3.5 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitation, and 2.2 billion lack basic hand-washing facilities.

Challenges to Water Resources

• The rapid growth of the global population, urbanization, and the effects of climate change have placed tremendous strain on the world's water resources. Water availability and quality have diminished by 20 percent per person in recent decades due to misuse, extraction, pollution, and climate change.
• Approximately 600 million people depend, at least in part, on water for their livelihoods, further highlighting the critical importance of water.

The Critical Role of Water in Food and Nutrition Security

• The availability of water profoundly influences various aspects of human life, particularly food and nutrition security. To illustrate, approximately 60% of India's cultivated land relies on rainfed agriculture, contributing to 40% of the total food production. However, rainfed agriculture is highly dependent on water availability, and fluctuations in rainfall and soil moisture can significantly impact food and nutrition security.
• There is an urgent requirement to address climate change by promoting technologies and practices that enhance the resilience and sustainability of rainfed production. Sustainable water management is crucial to tackle the imminent threats to food and nutrition security. Furthermore, irrigated agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater usage, sometimes causing lasting harm to the sustainability of crucial ecosystems like seasonal rivers and deep aquifers.
• Water scarcity is a global challenge, with projections suggesting that up to 5 billion people, or two-thirds of the world's population, could face water scarcity for at least one month a year by 2050. Climate change intensifies this issue, leading to more frequent and severe droughts in some regions and excessive rainfall and flooding in others. The impact of water scarcity disproportionately affects marginalized communities, affecting health, and economic development, and perpetuating poverty. The "Right to Water," declared by the United Nations in 2010, underscores that access to clean water is a basic human right.

Water and its impact on Crop production

• Over the years, mismanagement of water resources, pollution, and the escalating climate crisis have led to the deterioration of freshwater sources and ecosystems, making small-scale producers more susceptible to climate-related shocks and land degradation in some of the world's most fragile environments.
• Approximately 40% of the Earth's land area has been degraded, resulting in reduced productivity for farmers. This has a particularly harsh impact on small-scale farmers, who constitute over 80% of the global farming population, often lacking access to financial resources, technology, and irrigation systems necessary to maintain their livelihoods through sustainable production.
• The increasingly frequent extreme weather events and fluctuations in water availability are severely disrupting agricultural output, altering agroecological conditions, and shifting growing seasons. Changes in precipitation patterns and rising temperatures are also negatively affecting crop yields, leading to decreased food availability.
• The Indian government has conducted assessments of the climate change impact in 2050 and 2080 using climate projections and crop simulation models.
• Without effective adaptation measures, it is projected that rainfed rice yields in India could decrease by 20% in 2050 and a substantial 47% in 2080 scenarios. Similarly, irrigated rice yields are expected to decline by 3.5% in 2050 and 5% in 2080 scenarios.
• Wheat yields are projected to drop by 19.3% in 2050 and a significant 40% in 2080, while kharif maize yields might decrease by 18% and 23%.
• In all scenarios, climate change, in the absence of adequate adaptation measures, results in reduced crop yields and diminished nutritional quality of agricultural produce.
• To address this challenge, the FAO is conducting pilot initiatives in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra, introducing a crop forecasting framework and model that integrates climate data, soil characteristics, and market information. This initiative aims to empower rainfed farmers with information for making informed decisions that contribute to food security.

Climate change adaptation

• The FAO is actively promoting sustainable changes in agrifood systems and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance water efficiency. They have shown support for initiatives such as the farmer water school program in Uttar Pradesh, which benefits small-scale farmers. Simultaneously, the Andhra Pradesh Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems project extended its reach to 638 habitations in seven drought-prone districts, implementing a hydrological monitoring program.
• Similarly, IFAD has embedded climate change adaptation at the core of its strategies. They have set ambitious goals for utilizing climate financing to combat the adverse effects of agriculture on climate change and assist farmers in adjusting to the increasing weather volatility. Their efforts involve investments in soil health, water resources, and the integration of modern technologies with traditional knowledge systems to build robust and productive production systems and value chains. IFAD-supported projects in states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, and Mizoram introduce climate-resilient seed varieties and crops, such as millets, and provide training to farmers in climate-responsive agricultural practices and soil management to address rising water stress.
• WFP is also collaborating with the Government of Odisha to create solutions for smallholder farmers, with a particular focus on women. Their aim is to boost resilience through solar technologies, establish community-based climate advisory services to manage climate impacts and promote millet-value chains that reduce water consumption while enhancing nutrition.

Policies and investments should focus on:

• Addressing Historical Disparities: To achieve equity, policies, practices, and governance structures must be implemented to prioritize inclusivity and address historical disparities in water access. A sustainable future demands equitable access to clean and safe water, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, and addressing the interconnected challenges of water and food security.
• Sustainable Water Management and Irrigation: Implementing environmentally and socially sustainable, financially viable water management and irrigation strategies that are essential for agriculture. These measures should also reduce the environmental impact of agricultural production, addressing bio-hazards and environmental pollution.
• Access to Sanitation and Drinking Water: Ensuring improved access to sanitation facilities and clean drinking water for rural households, bridging the gap between these essential resources and rural communities.
• Efficient Food and Water Recycling: Encouraging the adoption of efficient strategies for recycling food and water resources, minimizing waste, and maximizing resource utilization.
• Strengthening Water Regulation and Management: Enhancing institutional frameworks and building capacity for effective and equitable water regulation, management, access, and ownership.
• Ensuring Equitable Access: To address the water crisis, it is essential to prioritize the needs of vulnerable and marginalized populations to ensure equitable access. Smallholder farmers, marginalized communities, and vulnerable groups must have equal opportunities to secure and use water for their agricultural needs. Innovative techniques, such as precision agriculture and drip irrigation, can maximize crop yields while minimizing water wastage, enhancing productivity, and conserving finite water resources. Sustainable water management strategies must also adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
• The Role of Technological Innovation: Technological innovation, including remote sensing and data analytics, plays a pivotal role in monitoring and effectively managing water resources. These tools enable efficient water resource management and support sustainable agricultural practices.

Conclusion

The United Nations' food agencies collaborate closely with the Government of India and state governments on various initiatives, including Solar 4 Resilience, Secure Fishing, and the revival of millets. These efforts aim to promote renewable energy, enhance food security, and improve nutrition.

Recognizing the intrinsic value of water and its central role in our existence is paramount in building a more resilient and food-secure world for current and future generations. Prioritizing equitable access to clean and safe water, promoting sustainable agriculture, and addressing the complex interplay between water and food security are crucial steps in this journey.

Source - The Hindu