Metrics and statistics. I think that recommendations to the Water and Food Security for its 42nd session in 2015 could use the metrics and statistics with more efficiency and effectiveness, if wider groups of researchers and practitioners would be involved in this initiative. Collecting data as part of data management can allow not only analysis of the current situation and answering how water use and management has impact on food security in those three dimension: (i) health and nutrition, (ii) agricultural production, and (iii) food processing, but also creating future scenarios considering current situation, trends and emerging risks. For exmple, in some countries using underground water for drinking and irrigation is increased rapidly. How it will influence to the salinization or soil erosion and environment? What will happen in ten years at such rapid use of water? Such issue would be linked with mapping of availability and quality of surface and underground, to draw future scenarios.
Mapping. I would like to see mapping of availability and quality of surface and underground water at least across the regions where scarcity of water is observed or forecasted, especially in dry areas and countries where high level of poor people exists. This mapping would be very expensive, but what can be valued more than investments in future with food security. In many countries, mapping of underground water availability and quality was done decades ago.
Direct and indirect impacts on food security. It is clear that study of the impact of water use on food security will be mostly concentrated on direct influencive factors. But indirect or recycled impacts are also important. For example, we recognize that water has an important role in food security through its impact on health and nutrition, e.g. drinking water, cooking water, sanitary. But water also has impact on health and nutrition through other two dimensions, i.e. agricultural production, and food processing. Thus this three domains should considered as a one system.
Correlated issues. Besides, water cannot be considered as isolated pillar of the ecosystem as a base of food security system. Soil management, socio-economic, institutional, policy and political and other issues should also be considered when we are taking about the water and food security.
Water is not a property and responsibility of a one community or state, but humanity. We may observe that water scarcity or mismanagement in some areas or region can trigger unexpected situations, where poor, smallholders and vulnerable groups of people can be affected seriously. The attention of global community is needed to those regions and areas to prevent and ménage the risks of triggering such situations, when food security would be impossible.
In general, I would like to see more holistic and comprehensive approach in analysis, synthesis and forecasting how water has an influence on food security.
Best regards
Botir Dosov