Director-General QU Dongyu

FAO Regional Workshop on “National Water Roadmaps” - Opening Remarks

by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

22/02/2023

FAO Regional Workshop on “National Water Roadmaps”  

Opening Remarks

By

Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General

Harare, 22 February 2023

 

Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues and Friends,

 

1. I wish to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe for hosting this important regional workshop.


2. I also wish to welcome all the Ministers responsible for Water and for Agriculture from the region who are participating.


3. We are here to discuss country-specific National Water Roadmaps, looking at regional and national perspectives that we can bring to the 2023 UN Water Conference.


4. National Water Roadmaps are an important tool to address the growing complexities around water, and they help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.


5. At the Rome Water Dialogue in November last year, I highlighted that water is one of the world’s most precious resources.


6. It is central to achieving all Sustainable Development Goals.


7. Why? Because water is food, and food is water


8. Over 95% of the food we eat is produced on land, from soil and water.


9. Yet we are facing severe water challenges: droughts and water scarcity, floods and pollution.


10.  The climate crisis is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, 


11.  Which has an impact on food production.


12.  In Africa, 289 million people, or 21% of the population on the continent, still suffer from hunger or food insecurity.


13.  And more than 300 million people in Africa live in areas affected by low and irregular rainfall, resulting in droughts and water scarcity.


14.  These extremes – of too much or too little water – impact farmers, crop production, livestock, food security, economies and livelihoods. 


15.  And African nations also face economic water scarcity, due to a lack of investment in water storage, irrigation and domestic water supply infrastructure.


16.  Many women and girls spend productive hours fetching water from unsafe water sources.


Dear Colleagues,


17.  We clearly need to rethink how we use the water we have in a sustainable and equitable way – with innovations in agriculture being at the forefront.


18.  Agriculture is responsible for 70% of global freshwater use, making it the world’s largest water user.


19.  By 2050, global production of food, fiber, biofuel and animal feed will need to increase 50% compare to the 2012 levels to meet growing demand.


20.  Under a business-as-usual scenario, this would require at least 30% of additional freshwater resources.


21.  We must find ways to produce more with less.


22.  For this reason, FAO supports the development of tools to increase water productivity - more crop per drop.


23.  The FAO Water Productivity Open-access portal (WaPOR) is one of these tools.


24.  It provides data based on satellite remote sensing in Africa and the Near East.


25.  Information from WaPOR helps policy makers to make informed decisions, to be better prepared for drought, and to increase agricultural production with less water use.


26.  And through extension services or smart phone applications, now small scale farmers in countries like Tunisia and Egypt can also use this data to resolve practical problems, and to increase land and water productivity.


27.  Currently, the project is scaling-up innovations in Algeria, Mali, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique, and it will have a global coverage by May.


28.  FAO also provides the Secretariat for the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG).


29.  WASAG is a Partnership established in 2017 and hosted by FAO. It consists of 70 government agencies, international organizations, research institutions, and advocacy groups, engaged in implementing projects and formulating new ideas to address increasing water scarcity in agriculture.


30.  I wish to thank the Government of Cabo Verde for hosting the successful 2nd WASAG Forum earlier this month, and for championing the 17 actions in the Praia Declaration adopted at the Forum.


Dear Colleagues,


31.  FAO also supports field projects in Africa aimed at improving the efficient use of water.


32.  These projects include, for example the modernization of old irrigation systems and the introduction of solar powered irrigation in Uganda and Burkina Faso.


33. And the multiple use of rice paddy for rice and fish production in Zambia.


34. And through the Pro-Sahel project, FAO supports Sahel countries (Burkina Faso and Niger) to upscale small-scale irrigation technologies for high-value crops.


35. FAO also works together with the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities.


36. For example, we support the African Union in the operationalization of the Irrigation Development and Agriculture Water Management Framework.


37.  We also need to cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture through the sustainable management of soils, to prevent further disruption to the water and climate cycle.


38. We must find ways to curb water pollution.


39.  And we must look at the “big picture” of integrated water resources management to deal with increasing competition and trade-offs between sectors, and we need to increasingly work in partnerships.


40. Integrated water-related strategies and policies, with concrete actions and strong political will, are crucial to manage water across sectors in a holistic and efficient way.


Dear Colleagues,


41. Country-led water dialogues and country-owned National Water Roadmaps can strengthen inter-sectoral coordination for integrated water management,


42. And lead to cross-sectoral investment plans, including clearly defined infrastructure development. 


43.  FAO is firmly committed to provide technical support to Members and facilitate their access to financial resources to develop National Water Roadmaps through country-led dialogues and participatory processes.


44.  In this regard, today’s event is an important platform.


45.  FAO is well positioned to facilitate South-South, South-North and Triangular Collaboration, to share best practices with African countries, and to help leverage financial support.


46.  I am pleased to share with you that China has committed to provide USD 1.5 million to support this initiative.


47.  Next month in New York, FAO will also convene a side event on National Water Roadmaps during the UN Water Conference, to further share this proposal with the other countries.


48.  I would like to invite you to attend this side event and demonstrate African leadership and commitment to the UN Water Action Agenda


49.  In addition, we also support countries to link these roadmaps with existing Integrated Water Resources Management plans, National Adaptation Plans, Nationally Determined Contributions and National Development Strategies.


My Dear Brothers and Sisters,


50. To ensure there is enough water for all, we must bring all sectors together to co-create, co-design and co-advocate solutions for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all.


51. We must accelerate action on finance, data and information, innovation, capacity development and governance of water.


52. You will be discussing all these key issues over the next few days.


53. I wish you a fruitful workshop, with action-oriented outcomes for a successful journey towards the UN 2023 Water Conference, and beyond.


54. I thank you.