08/02/2005 From 31 January
to 4 February, some 500 delegates from more
than 120 countries gathered in The Hague
to attend the United National Food and Agriculture
(FAO) Conference on Water for Food and Ecosystems
to discuss the question of how water can
be better used for food production while
at the same time conserving the ecosystems
that are the ultimate source of the water.
Delegates were not only reminded that malnutrition
is still an everyday fact for up to a billion
people in poor countries, despite the commitments
of governments to tackle this, but that
farming is responsible for about 70 per
cent of all water withdrawn from nature,
dwarfing the amounts used by industry (20
per cent) and personal household use (10
per cent). Strikingly, water extracted for
farming in arid countries tops 90 per cent
with much of it wasted, with losses to evaporation
and seepage accounting for more than half
of the water withdrawn for crop irrigation.
In the face of this alarming picture, the
UN conference set itself the relatively
modest aim of highlighting practical examples
that demonstrate ways in which food production
can be increased, while protecting the natural
resource base on which everyone depends.
HRH Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
reminded delegates that everyone needs to
be involved in action to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals. Not just by increasing
donor aid to developing countries, but also
by reforming agricultural policies and reducing
subsidies in Europe. These themes were echoed
by David Harcharik, Deputy Director-General
of FAO, who underlined the productivity
of natural ecosystems and the need to balance
ecosystem functions and agricultural production
within river basins.
The Prince also reported on the Roundtable
Debate among Agriculture and Environment
Ministers, held on fourth day, which emphasized
the need to integrate water agriculture
and environmental sectors, promote cooperation
among stakeholders, and invest in agricultural
practices that are sustainable over the
long-term. During the meeting, many practical
examples were cited to illustrate such sustainable
practices.
Examples of rainwater “harvesting” were
among the good practices presented and debated.
Cases from South Africa were presented,
including the practice of collecting rainwater
on farms during the infrequent rains to
help small farmers increase their food security.
Similar results have also been seen in West
Africa where large-scale irrigation schemes
have been notoriously difficult to maintain;
in some cases with un-used water flowing
off into the desert.
The experience in India, perhaps the world
leader in such small-scale water development
practices, was also discussed at length.
Building low walls to divert and trap water
and sediment during the monsoon rains, and
village ponds, or “tanks” as they are also
referred to locally, in natural depressions
were shown to help stabilize underground
water levels that are vital for water supply
to villages and farms during the dry seasons.
Such practices have shown to lead to the
re-vegetation of the landscape, the restoration
of wetlands, and increased river flows.
It seems clear that a major programme is
needed at international and national levels
to encourage rainwater harvesting and other
small-scale technologies to complement the
large-scale irrigation technologies that
have been the single answer of organizations
such as FAO until very recently.
WWF contributed lessons from three cases
at the conference — two from India and one
from Zambia — to show how investing in appropriate
technologies can deliver better results
all round. The Zambia example is a case
in point: two dams some 600km apart control
the water flow through the Kafue Flats,
an internationally important wetland area
that boasts two national parks, and is an
area of highly productive fisheries, as
well as large-scale commercial sugar plantations.
Because the releases of water from the upper
dam were previously designed only for electricity
generation the wetland area has been progressively
declining,leading to loss of livelihoods
for local people as well as reducing the
value of eco-tourism in the national parks.
A partnership involving the government of
Zambia, ZESCO, the national electricity
company, and WWF, has succeeded recently
in re-calculating and agreeing the water
releases from the upper dams so that a more
natural water flow will result through the
Flats with expected benefits for local food
production and nature. The next few years
will show whether the new water regime can
help resolve age-old conflicts between the
national economic interests for power with
local needs for jobs and welfare, while
conserving an internationally important
wetland system.the national electricity
company, and WWF, has succeeded recently
in re-calculating and agreeing the water
releases from the upper dams so that a more
natural water flow will result through the
Flats with expected benefits for local food
production and nature. The next few years
will show whether the new water regime can
help resolve age-old conflicts between the
national economic interests for power with
local needs for jobs and welfare, while
conserving an internationally important
wetland system.the national electricity
company, and WWF, has succeeded recently
in re-calculating and agreeing the water
releases from the upper dams so that a more
natural water flow will result through the
Flats with expected benefits for local food
production and nature. The next few years
will show whether the new water regime can
help resolve age-old conflicts between the
national economic interests for power with
local needs for jobs and welfare, while
conserving an internationally important
wetland system.has succeeded recently in
re-calculating and agreeing the water releases
from the upper dams so that a more natural
water flow will result through the Flats
with expected benefits for local food production
and nature. The next few years will show
whether the new water regime can help resolve
age-old conflicts between the national economic
interests for power with local needs for
jobs and welfare, while conserving an internationally
important wetland system.has succeeded recently
in re-calculating and agreeing the water
releases from the upper dams so that a more
natural water flow will result through the
Flats with expected benefits for local food
production and nature. The next few years
will show whether the new water regime can
help resolve age-old conflicts between the
national economic interests for power with
local needs for jobs and welfare, while
conserving an internationally important
wetland system.The next few years will show
whether the new water regime can help resolve
age-old conflicts between the national economic
interests for power with local needs for
jobs and welfare, while conserving an internationally
important wetland system.The next few years
will show whether the new water regime can
help resolve age-old conflicts between the
national economic interests for power with
local needs for jobs and welfare, while
conserving an internationally important
wetland system.
The “new economy” for food and ecosystems
was one of the main themes explored at the
conference. It is, therefore, regrettable
that the private sector was notably absent
in The Hague. Their contribution towards
positive solutions is certainly needed as
governments are no longer in a position
to “command and control” what happens in
the multi-billion dollar food and fiber
industries. Indeed, the relationship between
governments and companies, whose business
it is to produce, process or import and
sell such agricultural products, are inextricably
linked through the rules and demands of
world trade. Working together, governments,
investors and the food and fiber industries
could stimulate the adoption of Better Management
Practices (BMPs) that reduce the major environment
and social impacts of agricultural commodities,
by incorporating such BMPs into decisions
to buy or invest in a particular region
or production process. This is an emerging
area of work in which WWF is involved as
a stakeholder in processes to define measurable
sustainability criteria for commodities
such as shrimp, salmon, palm oil, cotton,
and sugar.
The FAO conference set-out to promote the
sustainable management of water for food
and ecosystems. By the end of the week,
most of the delegates were no longer talking
about the need to take more water from nature
to grow crops, or vice-versa. Indeed, the
debate had moved on to promoting practical
approaches that integrate the objectives
of food production with ecosystem conservation,
within the finite limits of water available
in a river basin. In this respect the conference
represents a step in the right direction.
* Richard Holland is Policy Advisor at
WWF's global Freshwater Programme.
