| n.a. | |
| Agriculture Food and Water |
| This publication is based on Water for people – Water for life the United Nations World Water Development Report UNESCO–WWAP 2003 where it appears as Chapter 8 “Securing food for a growing population”. The World Water Development Report was published jointly in 2003 by the United Nations Educational Scientifi c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Berghahn Books. Only a part of agricultural water withdrawals are effectively used in the production of food or other agricultural commodities; a large proportion of water may not reach the crop plants because it evaporates or infi ltrates during conduction evaporates from the soil in the fi eld or is used by non-productive growth such as weeds. Irrespective of the actual outcomes it is important to highlight the fact that water allocations for agriculture will face increasing competition from other higher utility uses – municipal industrial uses and calls for water to be left in the environment. Under these circumstances it is crucial that the role of water in securing food supply is understood and the potential for improving overall agricultural productivity with respect to water fully realized. In this report the facts about past present and future water demand in food production and food security are discussed. For the purpose of discussion three groups of countries are identifi ed: developing countries industrialized countries and countries in transition. Developing countries call for special attention because demographic growth rates are high and the potential demand for food is not yet satisfi ed. This group of countries is considered in regional groupings that is: sub-Saharan Africa Near East/North Africa Latin America and the Caribbean South Asia and East Asia. It should always be kept in mind that aggregate and average fi gures tend to hide as much as or more than they reveal. Water problems are always local or at most regional in nature and may vary over time. Countries with large territories also have a large diversity of situations including arid and humid regions and plains as well as mountains. |
Auteur: various authors
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Publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Année: 2003
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| Mot clef: Diagnostic , Analyse situationnelle . |
| Catégorie de document: Autres | Langue: Anglais |