27 Apr Over consumption and climate change threaten water supplies and food security
According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Water Council (WWC), over consumption and the impact of climate change threaten food security and water supplies around the world. By 2050, the FAO estimates that food production will have to increase by 60% and farming practices will be required to use water far more efficiently than it currently does.
FAO Deputy Director-General of Natural Resources Maria Helena Semedo stated that humanity’s ability to produce adequate amounts of food that is safe and nutritious to eat sustainably and equitably is more important than ever before given the accelerated rate of environmental change around the world.
Water scarcity, already affecting more than 40% of the global population, is not helped by increasing demand from other uses which is made worse by weak governance, inadequate capacities and under-investment.
Clean water is critical to our survival both in terms of consumption and as an essential item for food production. Given the increasing weight of evidence of climate change around the world, it is high time that Governments stepped up and passed stringent legislation to protect existing water resources, prioritised the use of water for food production over other uses and invested adequate funds in maintaining existing capacities and research into more water efficient agricultural practices.
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