Water for Food, Water for Life

by Molden, David

• ISBN13: 9781844073962
• ISBN10: 1844073963
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781136548529
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-03-30
• Publisher: Routledge
• More Book Details

Summary

** Tackles one of the most pressing challenges of our time'how to manage finite water resources to feed two billion extra people, eliminate poverty and reverse ecosystem degradation ** Brings together the work of over 700 researchers into the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of water resources ever written ** Covers all aspects of water management in agriculture, poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity, irrigation, groundwater, river basins, inland fisheries, rice production and much more ** Hundreds of full-color figures, tables, and graphs present key information in easy-to-read format--a must-have reference for all professionals This comprehensive assessment of the world's water, written by experts with research from over 700 leading specialists, critically evaluates current thinking on water and its interplay with agriculture, charting the way forward with concrete actions from management to policy level across all countries and territories. After framing the main issues and providing a comprehensive examination of trends and scenarios in world water management, the book critically examines the cross-cutting issues of reducing poverty, reforming institutions for sustainable water management, avoiding or mitigating ecosystem impacts, and improving water productivity. Thematic chapters follow, covering such key issues in water management as irrigation, groundwater use, inland fisheries, rice cultivation, land conservation, and river basin management and development.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xii
Preface	p. xiv
Team for preparation of the report	p. xviii
Summary for decisionmakers	p. 1
Will there be enough water to grow enough food? Yes, if...	p. 1
Divergent views-divergent understanding	p. 5
Water for food-water for life	p. 7
Water scarcity-water management	p. 10
Future demand for food-and for water	p. 13
Influencing what happens next	p. 17
Change the way we think about water and agriculture	p. 19
Fight poverty by improving access to agricultural water and its use	p. 21
Manage agriculture to enhance ecosystem services	p. 22
Increase the productivity of water	p. 24
Upgrade rainfed systems-a little water can go a long way	p. 26
Adapt yesterday's irrigation to tomorrow's needs	p. 30
Reform the reform process-targeting state institutions	p. 33
Deal with tradeoffs and make difficult choices	p. 35
Setting the scene
Setting the scene	p. 41
The aim of the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture	p. 42
Key concepts	p. 43
The conceptual framework	p. 48
Several pathways are possible, but which is just and sustainable? The use of scenarios	p. 51
Uncertainty in the Comprehensive Assessment	p. 52
Structure of the assessment	p. 52
References	p. 53
Trends and scenarios
Trends in water and agricultural development	p. 57
Overview	p. 57
The water situation today-is there a water crisis?	p. 61
Key trends and their drivers: how did we get here?	p. 67
Benefits and costs, winners and losers	p. 83
Changing responses over time to the water-food-environment challenge	p. 84
Reviewers	p. 87
Notes	p. 87
References	p. 87
Looking ahead to 2050: scenarios of alternative investment approaches	p. 91
Overview	p. 91
Drivers of agricultural water use	p. 93
Exploring alternative strategies	p. 104
Understanding tradeoffs	p. 126
Comparing South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, homes to most of the world's poor	p. 131
The Comprehensive Assessment scenario	p. 134
Reviewers	p. 139
Notes	p. 139
References	p. 140
Integrating issues
Reversing the flow: agricultural water management pathways for poverty reduction	p. 149
Overview	p. 149
Understanding water poverty	p. 151
Challenges and pressures	p. 168
The way forward	p. 185
Reviewers	p. 185
Notes	p. 185
References	p. 185
Policy and institutional reform: the art of the possible	p. 193
Overview	p. 193
Reforming reform	p. 195
Assessing institutional and policy challenges	p. 198
Critical review of experiences: what are the lessons?	p. 207
The way forward	p. 218
Reducing uncertainty: research to support reform processes	p. 224
Reviewers	p. 225
Notes	p. 225
References	p. 226
Agriculture, water, and ecosystems: avoiding the costs of going too far	p. 233
Overview	p. 233
Water and agriculture-a challenge for ecosystem management	p. 235
Consequences and ecosystem impacts	p. 243
Societal responses and opportunities	p. 255
Conclusions	p. 269
Reviewers	p. 270
References	p. 270
Pathways for increasing agricultural water productivity	p. 279
Overview	p. 279
What is water productivity and why is it important?	p. 281
A framework for water productivity	p. 282
Crop water productivity basics	p. 283
Pathways to improving water productivity	p. 290
Water productivity pathways for reducing poverty	p. 302
Establishing enabling conditions	p. 304
Investment priorities	p. 305
Reviewers	p. 306
Note	p. 306
References	p. 306
Thematic issues
Managing water in rainfed agriculture	p. 315
Overview	p. 315
Major water investments required in rainfed agriculture	p. 317
Investing in rainfed agriculture to improve livelihoods and environmental sustainability	p. 330
New investment opportunities and policy options	p. 342
Reviewers	p. 347
References	p. 348
Reinventing irrigation	p. 353
Overview	p. 353
Irrigation: a key element in the 20th century's agricultural revolution	p. 355
The next era of irrigation investments	p. 362
Overall performance of public irrigation schemes	p. 372
The changing role of government	p. 378
Sustaining growth and reducing poverty in rural areas	p. 380
Managing the impacts of irrigation on health and the environment	p. 382
Adapting to sectoral competition	p. 385
Typology of irrigation systems	p. 388
Reviewers	p. 389
References	p. 389
Groundwater: a global assessment of scale and significance	p. 395
Overview	p. 395
Global trends in groundwater irrigation	p. 397
Driving forces	p. 402
Socioeconomic impacts	p. 406
Prospects for sustainable groundwater management	p. 411
Reviewers	p. 419
Notes	p. 419
References	p. 419
Agricultural use of marginal-quality water-opportunities and challenges	p. 425
Overview	p. 425
Situation and outlook	p. 427
Impacts of using marginal-quality water	p. 433
Response options and management strategies for marginal-quality water	p. 437
Policies and institutions relating to marginal-quality water	p. 448
Reviewers	p. 453
References	p. 453
Inland fisheries and aquaculture	p. 459
Overview	p. 459
What inland fisheries and aquaculture contribute to economic and social development	p. 460
Aquaculture	p. 466
Keeping water flowing	p. 471
Realizing the opportunities	p. 476
Reviewers	p. 480
Notes	p. 480
References	p. 480
Water and livestock for human development	p. 485
Overview	p. 485
Water, livestock, and human development	p. 487
Where are livestock kept by the poor?	p. 489
Demand for livestock products	p. 494
Livestock water productivity-an integrated approach to managing animal-water interactions	p. 495
Livestock water productivity and estimates of the virtual water content of meat and milk	p. 507
Livestock water productivity and gender	p. 508
Applying livestock water productivity principles	p. 509
Reviewers	p. 511
Notes	p. 511
References	p. 511
Rice: feeding the billions	p. 515
Overview	p. 515
Trends and conditions	p. 517
The challenges	p. 531
Response options	p. 533
Reviewers	p. 546
Note	p. 546
References	p. 546
Conserving land-protecting water	p. 551
Overview	p. 551
Key elements of land degradation	p. 553
Drivers of land degradation	p. 560
Poverty and livelihoods	p. 566
Response options	p. 568
Conclusion	p. 579
Reviewers	p. 580
Note	p. 580
References	p. 580
River basin development and management	p. 585
Overview	p. 585
An introduction to river basins	p. 587
Mounting pressure on water	p. 589
Easing the pressure: response options for governing river basins	p. 614
Concluding remarks	p. 620
Reviewers	p. 620
Notes	p. 620
References	p. 620
About the coordinating lead authors, lead authors, and review editors	p. 627
Institutional affiliations of authors and reviewers and cross-cutting theme reviewers	p. 643
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