Irrigation Technology In Developing Countries Must Improve, Experts Say
As the earth’s population grows, so does its need for more water. But without better water management practices in place, particularly in the agricultural practices of developing countries, the world will likely face a shortfall of the resources, a panel of experts told the 2009 World Congress World Agriculture Forum in St. Louis on May 20.
Paying particular attention to irrigation practices used in farming, the panel discussed many of the consequences involved with diminishing world water supplies.
“We expect about 11 percent of global cereal production will be lost just because of a lack of water by 2025, and this will increase to 14 percent by 2050,” panelist Claudia Ringler, a senior research fellow for the International Food Policy Research Institute, said. “In terms of the numbers, in 2025 it’s 2.5 times the current African cereal production and in 2050 it’s more than four times the current African cereal production. So obviously the loss is significant.”
“The water resources of the world are very limited indeed,” panel moderator Dr. Rattan Lal, a professor of soil sciences at Ohio State University, said in his opening remarks. “Ninety-seven and a half percent of the total water is salt water and only 2.5 percent is fresh water. And out of that, soil water and the water in glaciers play a very, very important part.”
The United Nations estimates that of the remaining 2.5 percent that is fresh water, almost 70 percent is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves only about one percent of the water resources on earth available for human use.
The panel agreed that the core problem is too much water is wasted, mainly by farmers. The United Nations estimates that agriculture uses 70 percent of the world’s available fresh water. According to the panel, sixty percent of this water is wasted because of inefficient irrigation systems, particularly in developing countries.
“The water consumption for agriculture is very critical and I think we all need to think more deeply about the fact that the water needed for agriculture is not well defended,” panelist Berhard Kiep, a vice president at Valmont Industries, said. “This is because most of the [people in agriculture] don’t consider the importance of water.”
Investments to expand irrigated land area and improve irrigation technologies in the developing world are key to reducing pressure on limited water supplies, the panel said.
“In 1950, on a global scale, we had an irrigated land area of 100 million hectares,” Lal said. “In 2000, we had 275 million hectares. By 2020, that must be 300 million hectares. And by 2050, that must be 360 million hectares.”
“Even though only about 17 percent of the world’s croplands are irrigated, those lands account for 50 percent of the value,” Kiep said. “So if we want to help farmers make money there is no other solution than irrigation. I speak for myself—I was born on a farm that used irrigation. And without it I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now. I wouldn’t have been able to afford college.”
According to the panel, flood irrigation is highly inefficient but is by far the most common irrigation technique used around the world. The panel pointed to newer, more efficient techniques, including drip and center-pivot irrigation systems.
“We have the opportunity to reverse the downward spiral of inefficient use of irrigation which causes the degradation of land and [waste of resources],” panelist Daniel Hillel, a researcher at the Center for Climate Systems at Columbia University, said.
One example of how upgrading irrigation systems would save water involved rice farming in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
“If just 30 percent of the rice growers there would switch [from flood to mechanized irrigation] they could save 810 billion gallons [annually],” Kiep said. “That is nine times the need of water consumption for human beings of that state.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 60 percent more water will be needed for farmers to feed the growing population by 2030 if efficiency isn’t improved.
“Despite recent commitments for increased irrigation investments, developing countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, will have to significantly increase net food imports from the developed world,” Ringler said. “Even if Sub-Saharan Africa tripled irrigation it would not be enough to reverse the situation there and we will continue to see an increase in the number of malnourished children. At this point we can’t reverse it because of the lack of investments that have been made up to today.”
Ringler said that irrigation technologies, policy reform and enhanced coordination among agencies charged with governance over water resources are all needed.
Additionally, the role of new technologies and hybrid seeds in helping ease the pressures of the water shortage were mentioned.
“It is important to note that new hybrids are [producing the same amount] with half the amount of water,” Kiep said as the discussion was winding down. “This is a huge savings and we really don’t help our cause if we don’t spread it out and have people try it because of fear.”
“Modern agriculture is not a luxury, it’s a necessity, if we are to feed the growing population,” Lal added.
