Agriculture, food and water - Managing water to feed a growing population

Journal article (2004)

Authors

P. Steduto Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
S. Bangoura Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
J. M. Faures Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
L. Fletcher-Paul Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
K Frenken Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
C. Garces Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
L.M. Hermans Policy Analysis - TPM , Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
J. Hoogeveen Water Resources - CEG , Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
G. Izzi Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
B. Kiersch Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
S. Koo-Oshima Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
F. Maraux Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
M. Bazza Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
J. Martinez-Beltran Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
G Munoz Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
R. Pavlovic Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
D Renault Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
M. Sonou Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
P. Torrekens Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
Gerardo Van Halsema Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
N van Leeuwen Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
R. Wahaj Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
J. Van Wambeke Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
I. Beernaerts Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
O. Berney Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
J Burke Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
B. Casentini Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
Zhuoyao Chen Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
Å Eliasson Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
T. Facon Food/Agric. Org. of the U. Nations
Research Group
Policy Analysis (TPM) (TU Delft)
Water productivity Water resources Irrigation Water use Agricultural water management Water policy
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Published Date

23-08-2004

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Technology, Policy and Management

Department

Multi Actor Systems

Research Group

Policy Analysis

Abstract

Latent heat of evaporation represents a large outgoing component of the energy balance established at a crop-stand surface. This explains why agriculture uses approximately 70% of all the freshwater withdrawn in the world. Increasing demand for water due to population growth, competition with industrial, domestic and environmental requirements, and the decreasing quality of water, limit the agricultural capacity for food production. The Water Resources, Development and Management Service (AGLW) of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is carrying out activities aimed at helping country members in supporting sustainable water management to securing food for a growing population. These activities cut across the various levels of the water domain, going from the (inter)national policy level down to local-level field applications. In this article, FAO's experiences in agricultural water management are used to provide lessons from the past and indicate directions for future challenges.