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| Agriculture :: Land and Water |
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Natural resources in the region are being subjected to increasing degradation,
pressure and competition, mainly due to population growth, urbanization and economic development.
The transition from subsistence agriculture towards intensification, commercialization
and industrialization in response to increased population and changing consumption patterns
has led to increased water pollution and consumption and has degraded the physical, chemical
and biological
properties of the soil, resulting in lower productivity. The land has become more vulnerable to
natural disasters in coastal areas, floodplains, rangelands, mountains and rural watersheds,
and their impact has become much more serious.
To address these issues, the FAO regional office focuses on
activities to improve the management and sustainable use of land and water
resources for food security and improved livelihoods.
Priority areas
of the current programme are:
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Sustainable land management, soil and water conservation,
land resources evaluation and monitoring |
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Integrated plant nutrient management |
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Soil bio-diversity and fertility/productivity improvement |
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Improving the performance of irrigation systems through
modernization and associated capacity building, irrigation management transfer
and improved on-farm water management |
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Long-term strategic planning and coordination for integrated water
resources management in the context of rural basins and watersheds.
In this regard, the
E-network on Strategic Planning and Management of
Water Resources in Asia and the Pacific has been launched in close partnership
with UNESCAP. The E-Network is an initiative to facilitate
regional cooperation toward well-informed, multi-disciplinary
and multi-stakeholder decision-making processes that should result in more sustainable practices, strategies and policies to manage land and water resources and
mitigate disasters.
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