Competing demands for access to freshwater in the Asia-Pacific region are intensifying, and this could have dire consequences for the region’s massive agriculture sector and, ultimately, could interrupt regular and affordable access to food for millions of people in the region, water resource management experts have warned.

The note of caution was expressed during the Asia-Pacific 2023 World Food Day observances, convened today in Bangkok, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In the Asia-Pacific region, some 90 percent of freshwater is consumed in agricultural activities alone, considerably more than the 75 percent used by agriculture, on average, worldwide. At the same time, in Asia and the Pacific, some three-quarters of the region’s water is insecure, with more than 90 percent of the region’s population already facing an imminent water crisis.

Water demand is on the rise due to population and economic growth, urbanization, and demand for more water-intensive agricultural products, while freshwater supplies are decreasing, also due to a rapid escalation in water pollution and the impacts of climate change.

In fact, climate change is also affecting the availability, quality, and accessibility of freshwater resources. Intense rainfall, floods, droughts and sea level rise – all of these events – are threatening the stable and safe availability of the region’s water for drinking, sanitation, and food production. 

Action needed now to safeguard the future

“We know that ensuring the sustainable use and access to our precious freshwater resources is key to achieving the overall 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, during opening remarks. “Unfortunately, we are far off track in that regard. Water scarcity is increasing at an alarming rate. By 2030, the demand for freshwater will surpass available supply by some 40 percent. Therefore, managing water scarcity by ensuring that water resource consumption and use are sustainable, will be one of the greatest challenges of this century,” Kim added.

Groundwater resources, on which many farmers rely, are being over-abstracted and contaminated, while erratic rainfall patterns are making irrigation planning more uncertain. Ultimately, farmers need support and the right tools to become agents of climate-resilient and sustainable water management. Policy makers, civil society and the private sector – as well as consumers – all have a role to play to mitigate the supply-demand of freshwater imbalance.

A royal call to action

A special guest of honour at the Asia-Pacific World Food Day Observance, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, who is an FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, called for more action to counter the threat of water scarcity and implementation of better water management systems across the region.

“Today, nearly 2.5 billion people live in water-stressed countries. Competition over this priceless resource makes the problem more salient, as fresh water becomes less available. Yet it is critical to producing more food for our region’s growing population,” Her Royal Highness said. “This is a call to action. We must not leave anyone behind. We must begin to better manage – and share – our water wisely. We must produce more food, with less water. And we must make sure that water is distributed equally so that food security is ensured for everyone,” the Princess added. 

The Asia-Pacific World Food Day event also heard from water experts drawn from across the region. Among them was keynote speaker Dipak Gyawali, a former Minister of Water Resources in Nepal, and Chair of the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation.

“Climate Change has added a new layer of challenge to the already complex and interlaced problems of water-energy-food nexus. Silo-approach development in one sector has often resulted in negative cost externalization to other sectors thus harming overall development. Successful policy making of national and international agencies hoping to solve this “wicked problem” need to embrace in their fold other social groupings working in isolation or in confrontation, and bring to the policy table contending voices for a constructive engagement,” Gyawali said.

FAO’s work with its Member Nations on water management

“The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stands in a unique position to offer solutions to address these challenges related to water scarcity, water-related disasters, including droughts and floods, many of which disproportionately affect farming families,” FAO’s Kim said.

Among the work currently underway in the region includes a Water Scarcity Programme that aims to bring water use to within sustainable limits and prepare countries for a productive future with less water. A cooperative effort with other partners, the Programme is assisting countries to implement evidence-based and adaptive water management in that face or worsening scarcity. FAO has also established a regional cooperative platform to enable countries to share solutions, knowledge and experience.

Meantime, some 780 million people depend on transboundary rivers in the Asia-Pacific region. FAO’s Transboundary Water Programme (TWP) is improving transboundary cooperation for effective management of shared water resources in the region. This is happening by building capacity in core skills (water accounting, allocation, environmental flow assessment) and developing mechanisms to effectively manage transboundary flood risks and erosion processes, and relieving pressure on over-exploited water bodies.