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Introduction
Basic  facts
Water and food security
Managing water -  the "people" side
Technology - irrigated production
Technology - options for farmers
Use and abuse
Looking ahead

INTRODUCTION

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This ten-minute guided tour is intended primarily for people who are not familiar with the relationship between water, agriculture, food security and poverty. The reader will also learn about effective ways of managing agricultural water.

For those who are familiar with these issues, the tour offers a synthesis as well as key facts and figures.

Burkina Faso
Farmers irrigating the land with watering cans in a communal vegetable garden.

Water at a glance covers the following main elements:

  • water, agriculture and food security;
  • how water can be managed to improve food security throughout the world;
  • the risks of abusing the world's water supply;
  • why the quality and quantity of water are so important;
  • what can be done to assure that there isn't a shortage of water in the future.


Will water shortages put a break on food production in the coming decades?

We at FAO believe that access to water and good water management are the key issues to ensure sustainable agriculture production in the context of increasing water scarcity.