tailieunhanh - Water and Food Security 22nd March 2012

In recent years water quality problems have attracted increasing attention from authorities and communities throughout the world, especially in developing countries but also in countries in transition from centrally planned economies to market economies. In the latter, previously neglected aspects of environmental protection are now becoming a major obstacle for further and sustainable economic and social development. Degradation of surface and groundwater sources has previously been an inherent consequence of economic development and remedial action to compensate for, or to reduce, environmental impacts have always been a lesser priority. Consequently, when the impacts of pollution and the costs of. | VVOric jJafer Dq Water and Food Security 22nd March 2012 Coordinated by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Each of us needs to drink 2 to 4 litres of water every day. But it takes 2 000 to 5 000 litres of water to produce one person s daily food. The world is thirsty because of our needs for food. Today there are over 7 billion people to feed on the planet and this number is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050. To be able to feed everybody we first need to secure water in sufficient quantity and adequate quality. We will also need to produce more food using less water reduce food wastage and losses and move towards more sustainable diets. Water and food security Understanding the linkages Water is key to food security Food security exists when all people at all times have both physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary requirements for an active and healthy life. People who have better access to water tend to have better levels of nourishment. Lack of water can be a major cause of famine and malnutrition particularly in areas where people depend on local agriculture for food and income. Erratic rainfall and seasonal differences in water availability can cause temporary food shortages. Floods and droughts can cause some of the most intensive food emergencies. Drought ranks as the single most common cause of severe food shortages in developing countries. Drought caused more deaths during the last century than any other natural disaster and Asia and Africa rank first among continents in the number of people directly affected. The human right to water in the context of the right to food In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirmed the right of everyone to adequate food. However access to adequate food in the rural areas of many developing countries depends heavily on access to natural resources including water that are necessary to produce food both for direct consumption and for .