PRECIOUS WATER IN THE WORLD

Blue Revolution Key to Getting “More Crop per Drop” and Strengthening Food Security; Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet team highlights low-cost, small-scale initiatives to effectively manage water resources in agriculture
April 27, 2011 (Worldwatch Institute)

"Increasing demand for water continues to threaten the livelihood of millions of small-scale farmers…[and] one in eight people lacks access to safe water…[T]he Worldwatch Institute’s…recently released State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet report showcases initiatives to increase the availability of water…

"Seventy percent of the world’s freshwater is used for irrigation, and global water resources are drying up as climate change takes hold and population growth continues. Sixty percent of the world’s hungry people live in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa—most of them on small farms—where they do not have a reliable source of water to produce sufficient yields…"

click to enlarge

"The Green Revolution of the 1960s led to a near tripling of global grain production and a doubling of the world’s irrigated area. It also demanded vast quantities of water…but there has been relatively little research and investment in ways to make better use of scarce water resources…Affordable innovations that boost agricultural development and meet the increasing demand on already-scarce water resources while also mitigating the impacts of climate change are more important than ever…

"...Over the past 15 months, the Nourishing the Planet team conducted on-the-ground research in 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers met with over 250 farmers’ groups, scientists, NGOs, and government agencies that are working to alleviate hunger and poverty while also protecting the environment…"

click to enlarge

"In sub-Saharan Africa, 95 percent of cropland depends on rain, and climate scientists predict that rainfall on the continent will decline in the coming decades…Nourishing the Planet recommends three models for effective water management that can be replicated and scaled-up around the world…[1] Human-powered pumps…[would enable] 2.3 million farmers in the developing world—some 250,000 in sub-Saharan Africa—to boost crop productivity, improve harvest reliability, and raise incomes. The original $35 version can irrigate 0.2 hectares with ground water; newer models can irrigate up to 0.8 hectares and cost no more than $140 installed. These devices already generate $37 million a year in profits and wages…

"…[2] Affordable micro-irrigation…is helping farmers use limited water supplies more efficiently, often doubling water productivity. These systems…can come in the form of $5 bucket kits, $25 drum kits, or $100 shiftable drip systems that irrigate up to 0.2 hectares. Solar-powered micro-irrigation drip systems are also making their debut in West Africa…[V]illagers in Benin had higher incomes and protein in their diets. Children attended school more often…[3] More effective use of rainfall…[with c]onservation tillage…timely weeding and mulching…planting vegetative barriers…[and r]ainwater harvesting…Supplementing these practices with irrigation may produce optimal results…"