Water for food security and nutrition: a report by the high level panel of experts on food security and nutrition May 2015.
Abstract
Water is life: it is integral to human food security and nutrition, and it is the lifeblood of ecosystems upon which all humans depend. Safe drinking water and sanitation are fundamental to the nutrition, health and dignity of all. Securing access to water can be particularly challenging for vulnerable populations and women. Water of sufficient quantity and quality is essential for agricultural production and for the preparation and processing of food. Irrigated agriculture accounts for 70 percent of all surface and ground water withdrawals globally. This report explores the relations between water and food security and nutrition, from household levels to global levels. It investigates these multiple linkages, in a context of competing demands, rising scarcities, and climate change. It proposes ways for improved water management in agriculture and food systems, as well as ways for improved governance of water, for better food security and nutrition for all, now and in the future. The report is deliberately oriented towards action. It provides examples and options to be implemented by the many stakeholders and sectors involved, given regional and local specificities.