ROME, Mar 28 (IPS) – Degrading soil, air air pollution, vanishing biodiversity, rising plant and animal well being points and extra are coming collectively within the present state of affairs of a number of disaster. Making certain water safety is only one, among the many many challenges people, international locations, and the world faces. But, we shouldn’t neglect that water makes up the most important proportion of our our bodies and the identical applies to animals, crops and the planet’s floor. The specter of water insecurity is, as all of us see, not a petty drawback, however one of many best challenges of our century.
We want water safety to make sure individuals have meals on their plates. Furthermore, water safety is a catalyst for remodeling the meals and agricultural sectors to change into extra environment friendly, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Since its founding in 1945, the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO), has been an advocate for improved pure useful resource administration, and extra just lately, the Group is elevating its voice every single day for the appliance of sustainable water administration practices as a prerequisite for farmers’ resilience and, thus, for safeguarding meals safety.
The 50-plus international locations of Europe and Central Asia usually are not exempt from this example, the place rising water insecurity threatens to undermine agrifood programs, exacerbate inequalities, and impede progress towards a sustainable future.
For these causes, water safety was chosen as the principle theme of the Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Meals Safety and Diet 2024 report that might be launched on 2 April, highlighting the water sector’s interlinkages with agriculture, meals safety and diet.
Rising water insecurity and unequal impacts
Water safety on this area is marked by stark disparities. Whereas sure European Union member international locations have from extra water safety, individuals dwelling in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and the Western Balkans face important challenges. Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are among the many least water-secure nations within the area, with water consumption exceeding obtainable assets in some circumstances, worsened by inefficiencies and losses attributable to ageing irrigation infrastructure. The human toll is critical: floods and droughts have an effect on over 1,000,000 individuals, leading to USD 14 billion in damages throughout the area, which brings me to a vital level: local weather change.
Local weather change and rising demand for water are exacerbating water shortage throughout the area. Variability in precipitation patterns, glacier soften, and extended droughts have gotten extra frequent and extra intense, taking a rising toll on agriculture and particularly on farmers. In some elements of the area, vitality calls for – particularly for hydropower in upstream international locations like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan– compete with downstream irrigation wants, highlighting the necessity for coordinated, transboundary water administration.
Water safety extends past amount to high quality and this facet shouldn’t be neglected. Agriculture stays a major contributor to water air pollution in lots of elements of the area, largely by way of fertilizer and pesticide runoff, undermining each meals security and soil well being. Making certain enough water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure is important to meals safety, significantly in rural areas.
The way in which ahead: Innovation and governance
The complexity and interlinkedness of meals and water safety challenges name for progressive options and strong governance. FAO advocates for a water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus method that emphasizes built-in useful resource administration and which considers the wants of all related sectors. Amongst others, precision and digital agriculture, energy-efficient irrigation, reuse of handled wastewater, and nature-based interventions corresponding to we will see within the instance of the synthetic glaciers in Kyrgyzstan are already contributing to this complete method.
In Europe and Central Asia, FAO has been placing its 80 years of experience into supporting international locations to strengthen local weather resilience and water governance. These efforts embrace the Regional Water Shortage Initiative, which focuses on modernizing irrigation, constructing drought resilience, and enhancing water high quality. Water, sanitation, and hygiene requirements are being enhanced in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan below the worldwide One Well being method. Moreover, the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Shortage facilitates international collaboration and data trade to help international locations in dealing with the pursuit of meals and water safety, for a sustainable social and financial improvement.
One factor is obvious as water: at the moment’s investments in sustainable water administration will yield dividends in meals safety, peace, and prosperity for future generations in Europe and Central Asia, and past.
Viorel Gutu, is Assistant Director-Basic and Regional Consultant of the Meals and Agriculture Group of the United Nations (FAO)
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