Introduction

Basic  facts

Water and food security

Managing water -  the "people" side

Technology - irrigated production

Technology - options for farmers

Use and abuse

Looking ahead

USE AND ABUSE

The Aral Sea

- An environmental tragedy

When water from the Aral Sea was withdrawn to irrigate cotton, the annual flow of water into the Sea was reduced by almost 85 percent.

As a result, the sea level fell by 16 metres between 1981 and 1990. Twenty of the 24 species of fish disappeared. The fish catch - which totalled 44 000 tonnes a year in 1950 and supported 60 000 jobs - literally vanished. Moreover, toxic dust-salt from the dry seabed was deposited on the surrounding farmland, killing crops.

A high concentration of salts and toxic chemicals are making the remaining water hazardous to drink. Those who remain in the areas have lost their livelihood - and those who left have become environmental refugees.

Clearly, irrigation that benefits people in one place can have tragic impacts on the livelyhoods of people further downstream.

Today, agriculture is under intense pressure to stop damaging the environment, especially by depleting water sources, polluting water systems, and contributing to soil infertility and erosion. Irrigation must be managed carefully to avoid or reverse environmental damage, which is already extensive, and the spread of water-borne diseases. Overuse of water in one place means deprivation in another.

Did you know... It is estimated that poor drainage and irrigation practices have led to waterlogging and salinization of about 10 percent of the world's irrigated lands, thereby reducing productivity.   In India's Tamil Nadu state, overpumping in certain areas has lowered the water level in wells by 25 to 30 metres in one decade.   In northern China, a large area of farmland is threatened by falling water levels owing to the overuse of groundwater.   Since water and population are unevenly distributed, water supply is critical in various countries and regions. Countries could be defined as "water-stressed" if they abstract more than 20 percent of their renewable water resources. By this definition, 36 out of 159 countries (23 percent) were already water-stressed in 1998.

Agricultural water withdrawals as a percentage of total renewable water resources

Map shows where withdrawals for agriculture are critical high >40 % and indicative of water stress 20-40 %