Water, like lands, forests, and seeds, is a key natural resource for farming, fishing and forestry. Inadequate water leads to low, and even zero yields and harvests in family farms, causing food insecurity and loss of livelihoods. Inaccessible water supply, especially for drinking, cleaning and cooking, spells long hours of walking for women just to fetch water for their household needs; time which can be spent for more income generating endeavours, or time to just to have a much-needed rest. The dwindling water resources are greatly caused by deforestation, land degradation, and desertification from the overuse of natural resources, exacerbated by climate change.

Currently only 20% of total cultivated land is irrigated. Many irrigation facilities need dredging and repairs, and the water flows from these irrigation facilities are also dwindling. And yet, some irrigated lands, such as in the Philippines, have been converted to subdivisions and economic zones, thereby negating the purpose for which these irrigation facilities were primarily built.

We are seriously affected by the ever-growing competition for use of water, especially for electricity and industrial use. In Thailand and in Philippines for example, mega dams are being constructed to address water shortage in the cities, submerging our farmlands and properties, and threatening displacement of thousands of farmers, many belonging to indigenous peoples’ communities. In Thai communities where dams have already been built and have submerged their farms, farmers are still waiting for full compensation, or the compensation was not enough to make a decent living in the urban workplace or not enough to buy fertile lands from other areas. Also, in countries with shared borders and rivers, farmers from downstream countries are affected with the opening and closing of the dams upstream. In Australia, under current legislation, the federal government can grant multi-decade extraction rights to groundwater for commercial bottling/large scale irrigation and local governments have little power to adjust extraction quotas in response to water shortages to ensure water availability for local communities.

We thus urge the FAO and its member states to promote water rights in agriculture by respecting the rights and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and communities, through:

·       Implementation of policies for equal opportunities and security in access to water and land for food producers – both women and men – and promote responsible investments in line with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of land, Fisheries and Forests and The Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems.

·       The commercialisation of critical common resources such as water in times of scarcity must be better addressed in fair and transparent processes for water licensing and allocation.

·       Investment in the modernization, improvement, and sustainable extension of rain-fed and agricultural systems and technologies adapted to local contexts with special attention to those used by small-scale family farmers.

·       Enhancing the resilience of agriculture, notably rain-fed family farming agriculture, in light of climate change and water variability, through integrated water resources and ecosystems management and sustainable, agroecological practices.

·       Strengthening of the capacities of key agencies in water management - communities and water user organizations - such that they can  (1) adopt water-saving practices and technologies for water storage, (2)  re-use and safe disposal of wastewater and rainwater , (3) facilitate multiple water uses, (4)  enhance resiliency of rain-fed family farming agriculture  through integrated and sustainable agroecological practices  and (5) engage their governments in the formulation of policies that promote water rights for family farmers and (6) secure a seat in the policy decision making processes on water use and water management.

Thank you for your attention.