Global Diálogo
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Main findings
In terms of recommendations for action, the following themes emerged across the discussion groups, demonstrating the inter-relations between all the discussion topics: No water = no food: Resolving issues around water scarcity, pollution and wastage is crucial for transforming food production and consumption. The demand for food is increasing: while almost 800 million people are currently hungry, by 2050 global food production would need to increase by 50% to feed the more than 9 billion people projected to live on our planet. However, the annual amount of available freshwater resources per pe
... Leer másrson has declined by more than 20% in the past two decades. Whether it is irrigation or whether it is the water we receive through rain-fed agriculture, water is one of the food systems elements that is most taken for granted. The way we value and manage water is central to how we make our food systems resilient and sustainable for future generations. Food loss and waste = water loss and waste: When water is wasted, food is wasted and when water is scarce, food is scarce. One-fourth of freshwater consumed in global food production is effectively wasted since the food produced with this water is never consumed. Reducing food loss and waste is a clear entry point to mitigate water scarcity. Reducing food loss and waste optimizes water use. Food producers = water managers: The way in which water is used in agriculture is no longer sustainable. We know that irrigation accounts for more than 70% of global water withdrawals. Farmers, with specific emphasis on smallholders, are essential actors and food producers are among the world’s most important water managers. Farmers could benefit from education programmes, including through an improved version of farmer field schools which aims to ensure two-way communication, collective learning and co-design principles. Technical solutions and innovation: Innovation should incorporate the fact that water in agriculture is strongly linked to land tenure and distribution, climate change policies, energy and urbanization policies. Innovative technologies are increasingly important to manage scarce water resources, e.g. desalinization, drip irrigation, harvesting rain water in the face of climate change to meet the competing demands of agriculture, domestic use and industry/energy requirements. Innovative policies will allow better management of competition across various nexus domains, highlight trade-offs and synergies, and reduce conflict risks. Regenerative agriculture, including the storage of water in the soil, seed selection, rebuilding soil biodiversity will improve the water cycling in agricultural systems. Safe wastewater reuse in agriculture is a promising solution particularly in peri-urban settings. Governance: Sustainable water use is enhanced by integration of all sectors in conservation including farmers, governments, the private sector and the general population. Governments would benefit from access to high-quality data to develop sustainable water policies. Good governance is essential to mitigate negative forces that impact water management through establishing policies and setting up regulatory frameworks that provide the right incentives. This requires a departure from the ‘sectoralist’ policies to embrace a cross-sectoral approach including food, health, energy and others. Even though investments can optimize and foster sustainable water technologies and processes, the path to water security needs to rely on the right laws and institutions that work to ensure that water sustainably. Inclusion: There is a need for an inclusive participatory process that gives a voice to marginalized and vulnerable communities, indigenous peoples and future generations. Such empowerment and the democratizing of decision and policymaking can foster the trust between relevant stakeholders that is required to leverage synergies and manage trade-offs between different interests, while ensuring that no-one is left behind. This implies a fundamental shift in the way water is valued, in which water not just understood as a commodity, but instead as core to life, livelihoods and culture. Significant part of the traditional knowledge remains with communities that are detached from technology and bringing their wisdom to the benefit of the broader communities and making it accessible requires deliberate effort. Investments: Investments link to many themes above; e.g. investments in technology that helps manage water better, but need for a governance context that guides investments. This must come alongside a series of region-specific or context-specific indicators, indicating what each SDG, especially those relevant to food and water security, means for each regional setup in terms of investments. Investments can play a significant role in improving water security by recognizing the economic value of water, which should be an essential component for investment mechanisms. Public-Private Partnerships are an essential instrument within water and irrigation systems, but there has been a lack of innovative developments in that field. These tools would help investors identifying the direct and indirect impacts of their investments. The value/role of aquatic foods should also be considered. Connections between biodiversity and ecosystems and the benefits you can get from having a water management scheme need more attention. Leer menos
Línea(s) de Acción: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Palabras clave: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy, Trade-offs, Women & Youth Empowerment