Contacts: In Mexico: Sergio Jellinek +1-202-294-6232 Sjellinek@worldbank.org Gabriela Aguilar Martinez +52 (044)-55-54-56-42-23 Gaguilar2@worldbank.org In Washington: Kristyn Schrader +1-202-458-2736 Kschrader@worldbank.org MEXICO CITY, March 20, 2006—The World Bank called today for a doubling in rural irrigation investments – to $40 billion a year – to improve agriculture productivity, accompanied by a more efficient use of water, to avoid a potential global food crisis in the next 20 years. According to the World Bank’s new report, Reengaging in Agricultural Water Management: Challenges and Options (download: 1.6mb pdf | purchase), by 2030 food demand will double as world population increases by an additional two billion people. The increase in food demand will come mostly from developing countries. The report that was released during the Fourth World Water Forum taking place in Mexico City, March 16th – 22nd calls for a doubling of annual investments in irrigation According to Kevin Cleaver, Director Agriculture and Rural Development, World Bank, “About 60% of the extra food to meet the increasing demand will come from irrigated agriculture. At the same time, we face the challenges of increasing farmer incomes, reducing rural poverty and protecting the environment, all from an increasingly constrained water resources base.” The new publication reviews the current environment for agricultural water use, provides a glimpse of the future of agricultural water use and food, and suggests a range of policy options to meet the challenges ahead. According to the report, over the last forty years, demand for food in developing countries has increased more than threefold, and in response, these countries have increased their production of irrigated crops from two to fourfold. Water productivity has increased sharply during the same time. In fact, the water need to produce food for one person halved from six m3 per day to less. Farmers, governments and a range of other stakeholders must make critical policy choices regarding the management of agricultural water, the report states. These choices have to strike a balance between water demand across a range of sectors, not just agriculture, and they must address environmental risks and benefits. For farmers, the needs are obvious. They must have reliable access to water, cost-effective means of growing their crops, and markets to sell into. In other words, an integrated approach is essential. Agricultural water management lies at the crossroads between four important areas of public policy: water resources; agriculture; rural development; and environment. Each area can make important contributions to the development and productivity of agricultural water management. According to the report, water rights for farmers are essential, as are agricultural policies that help farmers achieve better returns for their investments, in particular policies that foster domestic and international markets for agricultural products. Additionally, rural development policies need to ensure investment produces profitable and sustainable solutions to irrigation issues, and as such these policies need to foster women’s participation agricultural water management. Finally, environmental concerns need to be addressed at all levels of agricultural water management to protect water resources. The report asserts that there has to be a move towards new institutional arrangements, investments that give more responsibility and voice to farmers, which engage the energy of the private sector, and that reduce the role of the government. The emphasis should be on decentralization, financial viability and accountability of water service providers, empowerment through rights and responsibilities of water users and their organizations, the use of incentives to reflect societal values, and innovative mechanisms to bring in the private sector.
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Download the full text of the report (1.6mb pdf)
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For more information, please see the websites:
www.worldbank.org/water www.worldbank.org/watsan www.worldbank.org/infrastructure www.worldbank.org/sustainabledevelopment |
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