Informal Comments on “Water and Food Security” (HLPE Study V0 Draft)
(by Abdul Razak Ayazi, Agriculture Attaché, Afghanistan Embassy, Rome )
General Comments on the HLPE Study
1. It is a well prepared study based on the thorough review of available literature on water resources, their management and their governance. One may say that it is an inventory of the knowledge at hand which is true. However, it is a thoughtful and analytical assessment of the inventory. In view of the importance of the topic, the length of the study is not excessive, despite some repetitions here and there.
2. The structure of the document is fairly balanced, though some sub-sections can be beefed up as I shall mention later. That said, the separation of water management (Part 2) from issues of water governance (Part 3) is a wise approach. It fits the water problems currently facing the people in all parts of the world. It is becoming increasingly clear that water governance at national and sub-regional level is most critical for all countries and especially for countries and regions facing severe water scarcity.
3. The study presents sound and clear recommendations each covering a specific feature of water management and/or governance. The division of the recommendations by 12 key areas provides a better focus. However, the 70 Actions under the 12 Recommendations may benefit from consolidation leading to some reduction.
4. The content of the 23 boxes has enriched the substance of the HLPE report, though it has added to its length.
5. The presentation of a better matrix of global water resources would have been useful. This could have been done by the inclusion of a table to show how the annual precipitation of 400,000 Km3 on our earth is distributed i.e. amount falling on land surface, amount evapotranspired, amount flowing into the sea, amount going under the ground and amount forming surface water. It is only 40,000 Km3 of fresh water, 10% of all precipitation, which is available to meet the needs of human beings, animals and plants. This figure is finite and the projected 9 billion population of 2050 has to rely on this finite quantity of fresh water. The matrix could also have shown how this available 40,000 Km3 is distributed by regions and sub-regions within the region.
6. Figure 1 on page 11, though not very neat, does illustrate how the availability, access, stability and utilization of freshwater are interrelated. For planning purposes this interrelationship is essentials but unfortunately often overlooked at the national level.
7. Table 4 on page 38 which shows water productivity for different food products is useful. Perhaps non-food crops should have been added. By the way the values could change if the water required is provided through irrigation only.
8. Policy implications for water management (pages 48-49) presents some valuable and decisive points based on the information and analysis presented in Part 2 (Improved Water Management for Improved FSN). Readers should appreciate the policy implications.
9. Part 3 (Governing Water for FSN) : This part is well structured and each sub-section is well articulated. It hits the basic features of water governance, the complexities facing its installation and conflicts among users. The journey from equity and universality (the so-called New Delhi Statement) to declaring water as an economic good (the so-called Dublin Statement) is convincingly presented. Sub-section 3.4 presenting the national experience of water governance in 5 developing countries ( Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Jordan and Tanzania) is useful. Sub-section 3.5 is also a good synthesis of the global water governance regime. Far too many actors are involved in water governance. The UN Water alone consists of 30 UN Organizations and 25 other international partners. The field is crowded.
Some Specific Comments
Sub-section 1.1.2 (pages 13-14): is well done as the quality of drinking water has a direct effect on human health and this is more so in the treatment of waste water for household use which is rising globally.
Section 1.2 (page 14) : It needs to be beefed up to show water resource distribution by water basins, and by regions and sub-regions. In addition, it would be useful to have a special section on regions where water resources are extremely limited and are the source of major concern not only for food security but for providing safe drinking water. This is particularly the case of the 29 countries of the Near East, Central Asia and North Africa (13 countries of West Asia, 6 in Central Asia and 10 in North Africa). These 29 countries have 7.6 % of the world population but only 1.9 % of the world’s renewable freshwater resources. On the other hand, these countries account for 12% of the world’s annual freshwater withdrawal of 3.9 trillion cubic meters.
Part 2 (Improved Water Management for Improved FSN) : This part is adequate in coverage and depth. While the sub-section on Groundwater for Irrigation is well presented mention could have been made to situation where aquifers are mined with no consideration for future generations. In this respect, it may be useful to show by sub-regions where groundwater resources are over-exploited and where less exploited and regions where groundwater resources are not exploited. A small sub-section comparing the cost-benefit of irrigation by groundwater versus surface water irrigation would have been helpful.
Sub-section 2.2: It could be shortened by eliminating tables 2 and 3 because lines 33-51 on page 33 makes it clear that the data on the use of water in food processing is incomplete and in any case low in terms of volume. In line 37-38, it cannot be true that in 2005 the amount of water for industrial use in the USA was 70 cubic meters per day (may be it is 70,000 cubic meters?).
In 2.3.1 on page 35: The point could have been made that the cost of recycling water is fairly high due to rising energy cost.
2.3.2 : Because of the importance of desalination in some parts of the world, it would have been useful to beef up this sub-section. In the Arab countries, especially the Gulf countries, desalinated water is on the rise. At present 55% of water supplied to the cities in the Gulf countries is desalinated water. It is projected that by 2025 the desalinated capacity will reach 83 million cubic meters per day. Although the running cost per cubic meter of desalinated water has declined considerable, the cost of installation per cubic meter still remains high.
2.4.2 : The upgrading of rainfed agriculture (pages 39-42) is well covered.
2.4.3 : The sub-section on investing in irrigation could have demonstrated how costly on-farm modern irrigation is, especially for smallholders and also the enormous investment required in developing large irrigation structure which IFIs no longer wish to entertain. On irrigation efficiency the report hits it right. Measurement of irrigation efficiency should include both original water application plus recycling and the experience of Egypt is a good one. In South Asia not much reuse is made of irrigation water due to lack of drainage and hence water logging.
Part 3 (Governing water for FSN) : It may be advisable to bring sub-section 3.6 (The right to water and the right to food) forward because it is the starting point for water governance and water management. Box 21 could be included in it.
3.2.3 : On water user associations, it may be advisable to include a box on one of the several successful cases in Asia, e.g. Indonesian water Supply Association and Philippine Association of Water Districts or some other successful water user association in the Asian continent.
One issue that does not come out of the study is shared water, not only surface water but also groundwater. There is adequate knowledge on shared surface water but not enough knowledge on shared groundwater. This knowledge is important because globally groundwater accounts for 43% of the total consumptive use of irrigation water and irrigates some 113 million hectares, with India, China and USA at the top of the list.
Recommendations: The twelve recommendations is a good and balanced set. All the 12 Recommendations are useful and indeed pertinent. Their rationale is embedded in the analysis presented in Parts 2 and Part 3 of the study.
That said, one sees that the number of Actions proposed for the implementation of the 12 Recommendations amount to 70 Actions. The range varies from 3 to 9 Actions per recommendation. One wonders if there is room for reduction in the number of the Actions. Also there are some 32 Actions which are of a joint nature by States, Donors, UN Organizations and NGOs. One wonders if this a clean way of delegating responsibilities for different Actions and actors.
Actions by the private sector is mentioned only three times. One action relate to Recommendation 5 (Addressing Changing Diets) and two Actions relate to Recommendation 10 (Water Governance). Actions by private sector could equally relate to some of the other 10 recommendations, especially recommendation 2 (Access to sufficient and safe water by poor women and men needs to move up to the top of political agendas for long-term FSN) and Recommendation 4 (Sustainable use of groundwater).
The 12 Actions by CFS relate to seven Recommendations (Recommendations 1, 6. 8, 9.10, 11 and 12). With respect to monitoring CFS also has a role in the remaining 5 Recommendations.
With respect to Recommendation 1 (water and sanitation nexux), it is advisable to link it to Goal 6 of the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and its 8 targets.
Abdul Razak Ayazi