scholarly journals Growing water scarcity in agriculture: future challenge to global water security

2013 ◽  
Vol 371 (2002) ◽  
pp. 20120410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Falkenmark
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Circulation System ◽  
World Population ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Global Water

As water is an essential component of the planetary life support system, water deficiency constitutes an insecurity that has to be overcome in the process of socio-economic development. The paper analyses the origin and appearance of blue as well as green water scarcity on different scales and with particular focus on risks to food production and water supply for municipalities and industry. It analyses water scarcity originating from both climatic phenomena and water partitioning disturbances on different scales: crop field, country level and the global circulation system. The implications by 2050 of water scarcity in terms of potential country-level water deficits for food self-reliance are analysed, and the compensating dependence on trade in virtual water for almost half the world population is noted. Planetary-scale conditions for sustainability of the global water circulation system are discussed in terms of a recently proposed Planetary Freshwater Boundary, and the consumptive water use reserve left to be shared between water requirements for global food production, fuelwood production and carbon sequestration is discussed. Finally, the importance of a paradigm shift in the further conceptual development of water security is stressed, so that adequate attention is paid to water's fundamental role in both natural and socio-economic systems.

Global water scarcity assessment incorporating green water in crop production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfeng Liu ◽  
Xingcai Liu ◽  
Hong Yang ◽  
Philippe Ciais ◽  
Yoshihide Wada
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Global Water

scholarly journals An In-Depth Analysis of Physical Blue and Green Water Scarcity in Agriculture in Terms of Causes and Events and Perceived Amenability to Economic Interpretation

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1693
Author(s):  
Kalomoira Zisopoulou ◽  
Dionysia Panagoulia
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Causal Connection ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Economic Interpretation ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Relationship Of

An analytical review of physical blue and green water scarcity in terms of agricultural use, and its amenability to economic interpretation, is presented, employing more than 600 references. The main definitions and classifications involved and information about reserves and resources are critically analyzed, blue and green water scarcity are examined along with their interchange, while their causal connection with climate in general is analyzed along with the particular instances of Europe, Africa, Asia and the WANA region. The role of teleconnections and evaporation/moisture import-export is examined as forms of action at a distance. The human intervention scarcity driver is examined extensively in terms of land use land cover change (LULCC), as well as population increase. The discussion deals with following critical problems: green and blue water availability, inadequate accessibility, blue water loss, unevenly distributed precipitation, climate uncertainty and country level over global level precedence. The conclusion singles out, among others, problems emerging from the inter-relationship of physical variables and the difficulty to translate them into economic instrumental variables, as well as the lack of imbedding uncertainty in the underlying physical theory due to the fact that country level measurements are not methodically assumed to be the basic building block of regional and global water scarcity.

scholarly journals Water security of mankind: global and regional dimensions

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
World Population ◽  
Management Problem ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Global Water

The article outlines modern and perspective water security of mankind, which means the population's ability to have sustainable access to the necessary quantity of acceptable water quality to maintain the existence, well-being and socio-economic development; protection against water-related pollution and disasters; conservation of ecosystems and political stability. The article notes that despite of a huge volume of water on the planet, its fresh resources contained in surface runoff and being the main source of water supply are limited. The work examines geographical, economic, political, anthropogenic factors creating the background for a global water management problem and threat to the water security of mankind. The article analyzes regional water management problems of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and other regions; the research underlines the presence of significant political and economic difficulties with the use of the river flow of international river systems. The article considers prospects of the global threat to water security for mankind and ways to overcome it. A high correlation between the growth of the world population and the growth of global water consumption is substantiated. The research shows that by 2030 the water-resource potential of mankind will practically lose the capacity for self-recovery. There should be a strategy to solve the problem and a mechanism to implement it, including the creation of the International Fund for the Streamlining of the Use of the World's Water Resources and the Institute for its Regulatory and Legal Support under the auspices of the United Nations; electronic department of the United Nations with the functions of monitoring the state of water resources and access to them by the population, development of international regulations on water use, creation of design estimates, financing of water projects of global or international importance, monitoring the implementation of water management measures.

Mapping global agricultural economic water scarcity to identify target areas for sustainable irrigation expansion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rosa ◽  
Davide Danilo Chiarelli ◽  
Maria Cristina Rulli ◽  
Jampel Dell'Angelo ◽  
Paolo D'Odorico
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Economic ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Water Scarce ◽  
Sustainable Irrigation ◽  
Water And Food Security

<p>With continuing growth in food demand and limited potential for cropland expansion, sustainable irrigation becomes an increasingly important strategy to ensure a reliable and resilient global supply of food in a changing climate. We here define and introduce the original concept of ‘agricultural economic water scarcity’ as the condition whereby croplands exposed to green water scarcity are not irrigated even though a sufficient amount of renewable blue water resources for irrigation is locally available. These conditions occur for instance as a result of a variety of socio-economic and political factors that impede irrigation. To date, little attention has been given to the analysis of this phenomenon and its role in the global geography of water scarcity. Here, we develop and apply a monthly agro-hydrological model to quantify and map croplands affected by agricultural green, blue, and economic water scarcity. By doing so we firstly provide a comprehensive, spatially explicit, global mapping of agricultural economic water scarcity across the global croplands. We then assess the water and food security implications of increased food production from irrigation expansion over economically water scarce croplands. Our results show that up to 25% of global croplands face agricultural economic water scarcity. Two thirds of economically water scarce lands are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Here, a sustainable irrigation expansion could increase food production and feed an additional 850 million people, while preventing further aggravation of blue water scarcity. The application of the concept of agricultural economic water scarcity has the potential to identify target areas for sustainable water and food security policies at global, regional, national, and local scales.</p>

scholarly journals The Impact of Water-Related Challenges on Rural Communities Food Security Initiatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-23
Author(s):  
Ndivhoniswani Nephawe ◽  
Marizvikuru Mwale ◽  
Jethro Zuwarimwe ◽  
Malose Moses Tjale
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Water Scarce ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Water scarcity has been a critical concern in many countries of the world. The same concern has been discussed, analyzed and researched at different platforms to find better solutions to the challenges of water scarcity, and in most cases water scarcity directly influence food security in terms of food production. South Africa, being one of the water scarce countries that derives its food from the agricultural sector; water scarcity remains at the centre stage of the national socioeconomic debate. Water scarcity is one of the major challenges in many countries such as Zimbabwe and Ethiopia particularly for the farmers. However, there is insufficient information on the impact of water scarcity challenges on rural communities’ food security initiatives. This review is focused on unearthing water scarcity challenges in rural communities, their impact on agriculture and ultimately food security initiatives. This paves way for possible research areas, practical implications and strategies to mitigate water security effects on food security.

Green water security for the food makers of tomorrow: windows of opportunity in drought-prone savannahs

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 71-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Rockström
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Windows Of Opportunity ◽  
Global Food

The largest remaining biophysical water challenge is whether there is enough fresh water to sustain global food production and service natural ecosytems. Focussing on the drought-prone savannahs and small-scale farming, this paper argues that the crucial resource is vapour flow, not 'blue' water, and there are grounds for optimism if resource management can be improved.

scholarly journals Water Security Assessment of the Grand River Watershed in Southwestern Ontario, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baljeet Kaur ◽  
Narayan Shrestha ◽  
Prasad Daggupati ◽  
Ramesh Rudra ◽  
Pradeep Goel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Stream Flow ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Environmental Flow ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Blue Water ◽  
Flow Method

Water security is the capability of a community to have adequate access to good quality and a sufficient quantity of water as well as safeguard resources for the future generations. Understanding the spatial and temporal variabilities of water security can play a pivotal role in sustainable management of fresh water resources. In this study, a long-term water security analysis of the Grand River watershed (GRW), Ontario, Canada, was carried out using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). Analyses on blue and green water availability and water security were carried out by dividing the GRW into eight drainage zones. As such, both anthropogenic as well as environmental demand were considered. In particular, while calculating blue water scarcity, three different methods were used in determining the environmental flow requirement, namely, the presumptive standards method, the modified low stream-flow method, and the variable monthly flow method. Model results showed that the SWAT model could simulate streamflow dynamics of the GRW with ‘good’ to ‘very good’ accuracy with an average Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency of 0.75, R2 value of 0.78, and percentage of bias (PBIAS) of 8.23%. Sen’s slope calculated using data from over 60 years confirmed that the blue water flow, green water flow, and storage had increasing trends. The presumptive standards method and the modified low stream-flow method, respectively, were found to be the most and least restrictive method in calculating environmental flow requirements. While both green (0.4–1.1) and blue (0.25–2.0) water scarcity values showed marked temporal and spatial variabilities, blue water scarcity was found to be the highest in urban areas on account of higher water usage and less blue water availability. Similarly, green water scarcity was found to be highest in zones with higher temperatures and intensive agricultural practices. We believe that knowledge of the green and blue water security situation would be helpful in sustainable water resources management of the GRW and help to identify hotspots that need immediate attention.

scholarly journals Will We Soon Run Out of Water?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Ghislain de Marsily
Keyword(s):  
Food Habits ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Meat Consumption ◽  
Good Health ◽  
World Population ◽  
Total Food ◽  
Food Deficit ◽  
The World ◽  
Average Water ◽  
Per Capita

In 2000, the World population was 6.2 billion; it reached 7 billion in 2012 and should reach 9.5 billion (±0.4) in 2050 and 11 billion (±1.5) in 2100, according to UN projections. The trend after 2100 is still one of global demographic growth, but after 2060, Africa would be the only continent where the population would still increase. The amount of water consumed annually to produce the food necessary to meet the needs varies greatly between countries, from about 600 to 2,500 m<sup>3</sup>/year per capita, depending on their wealth, their food habits (particularly meat consumption), and the percentage of food waste they generate. In 2000, the total food production was on the order of 3,300 million tons (in cereal equivalents). In 2019, about 0.8 billion inhabitants of the planet still suffer from hunger and do not get the nutrition they need to be in good health or, in the case of children, to grow properly (both physically and intellectually). Assuming a World average water consumption for food of 1,300 m<sup>3</sup>/year per capita in 2000, 1,400 m<sup>3</sup>/year in 2050, and 1,500 m<sup>3</sup>/year in 2100, a volume of water of around 8,200 km<sup>3</sup>/year was needed in 2000, 13,000 km<sup>3</sup>/year will be needed in 2050, and 16,500 km<sup>3</sup>/year in 2100. Will that much water be available on earth? Can there be conflicts related to a food deficit? Some preliminary answers and scenarios for food production will be given from a hydrologist viewpoint.

Systems Thinking for Sustainability

2021 ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Bryan Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Economic System ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
World Population ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Social Responses ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Sustainability Strategies ◽  
Biophysical System

A sustainability framework based on nested adaptive socio-ecological systems is used to analyse historical examples of soil erosion and its implications for food production and security for a growing population. While there are examples of innovation in agriculture to address food availability, there are also cases of inadequate social responses leading to famine. The analysis highlights the value of considering these issues in a framework of linked biophysical and socio-economic systems. The socio-economic system generates management interventions to resolve biophysical limitations such as soil depletion on food production. The socio-economic system is also responsible when there are inadequate social responses. Currently, the biophysical system produces enough food to feed the world population. However, food distribution through the socio-economic system results in increasing numbers of undernourished people. Biophysical system modelling indicates that unless major changes are made to the current world system, overshoot because of resource depletion will lead to system collapse within the 21st century. To develop sustainability strategies, we need to analyse the socio-economic response to this biophysical vulnerability. A socio-ecological analysis also indicates that perspectives based on power relations that govern real-world decision making rather than sustainability interventions to address food security, need to be incorporated.

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