Climate Change, Water and Food SecurityThe impacts of climate change on the global hydrological cycle are expected to vary the patterns of demand and supply of water for agriculture - the dominant user of freshwater. The extent and productivity of both irrigated and rainfed agriculture can be expected to change. As a result, the livelihoods of rural communities and the food security of a predominantly urban population are at risk from water-related impacts linked primarily to climate variability. The rural poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be disproportionately affected. Adaptation measures that build upon improved land and water management practices will be fundamental in boosting overall resilience to climate change. And this is not just to maintain food security: the continued integrity of land and water systems is essential for all economic uses of water. This report summarises current knowledge of the anticipated impacts of climate change on water availability for agriculture and examines the implications for local and national food security. It analyses expected impact of climate change on a set of major agricultural systems at risk and makes the case for immediate implementation of 'no-regrets' strategies which have both positive development outcomes and make agricultural systems resilient. It is hoped that policy makers and planners can use this report to frame their adaptation responses when considering both the water variable in agriculture and the competing demands from other users. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The baseline and trends in agricultural water demand | 3 |
31 | 13 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
adaptation and mitigation adaptation strategies Africa agricultural water management agroforestry analysis aquifer arid Asia assessment Australia benefits biofuel carbon sequestration China climate change impacts CO₂ CO2e costs crop production dams decline developing countries downscaling drainage drought economic ecosystems effects enhance environmental evaporation evapotranspiration farmers farming systems fertilizer flood flows food security future GCMs GHG emissions global global warming greenhouse gas groundwater groundwater recharge higher hydrological impacts of climate improved increase India infrastructure inputs investment IPCC irrigated agriculture irrigated areas irrigation systems irrigation water livestock maize methane Murray-Darling Basin options patterns percent potential precipitation predicted rainfall rainfed agriculture reduce regional rice risk river basins runoff salinity scale scenarios season semi-arid soil carbon soil moisture Stern Review surface water temperature trends tropics variability vulnerable water allocation water availability water demand water productivity water resources water supply water use efficiency World Bank yield zone
Bibliographic information
| Title | Climate Change, Water and Food Security Volume 36 of Water reports, Food and Agriculture Organization, ISSN 1020-1203 |
| Authors | Hugh Turral, Jacob J. Burke, Jean-Marc Faurès, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011 |
| Original from | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Digitized | Sep 11, 2018 |
| ISBN | 9251067953, 9789251067956 |
| Length | 174 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |