Here’s a little fact that you probably know already: you need water to grow crops.

And in a world where more than 6 billion people need food, you need a lot of fresh water for farming.

It might surprise you to learn that farming uses most of the world’s fresh water. Nearly 70 per cent of all fresh water withdrawn – and over 80 percent in developing countries – is used for agriculture.

And as the world’s population grows, we’ll need to grow even more food and use even more water.

The big question

So the big question is: “Do we have enough water?”

Hey, guess what! We’ve got good news for you!

FAO expects water used for agriculture will increase only slightly between now and 2030. That means there should be no major water crisis affecting irrigated food production at global level.

Unfortunately, some regions aren’t as lucky as others.

For example, Sub-Saharan Africa, where hunger is very severe, has lots of potential for expanding irrigation and boosting its food production. This region uses only about 2 percent of its water resources. FAO is working to help African farmers use their fresh water resources wisely.

The Near East and North Africa, on the other hand, are already using nearly 60 percent of their fresh water resources. Some countries are reaching their limit and face serious challenges in balancing the farming needs with the needs of other people and sectors. FAO is helping these countries find ways of adapting their farming systems so they can avoid a water crisis.

Wasting water isn’t wise

Obviously, in dry areas water is a precious resource and farmers have to manage their water resources very carefully. But even where fresh water is plentiful, farmers need to pay careful attention to how they use it. If they don’t, it can bring disaster.

Poor drainage can cause fields to become water-logged or too salty to grow crops. This is a big problem in many countries. In the developing world, one fifth of the cultivated land has become damaged by water logging or salinity.

FAO gives its member nations the information and technical support they need to make sure their farmers get maximum production from their water with minimum impact on the surrounding environment.

Bringing pumping power to the poor

Large-scale irrigation schemes can help big producers with lots of money and land. But millions of small farmers who may have neither money nor land need smaller, more affordable solutions. That’s what FAO provides.

Through its field projects, FAO has brought low-cost, environmentally friendly irrigation techniques to farming communities throughout the developing world.

Boosting productivity with well-managed irrigation systems does more than reduce hunger; it also helps protect the environment. More production per field means that farmers have less need to clear new land to increase their income. And this means there is less pressure to cut down forests or to farm on environmentally sensitive areas.

Women also benefit. Women often have the responsibility of fetching water for their fields. If they have to go a long way to get the water, this can be a time-consuming and exhausting chore. Irrigation allows them to spend their energy on more productive activities.