Irrigation: Making a Difference in Rural Areas

8 July 2022, Washington, DC – The World Food Law Institute convened a hybrid Round Table event at the Embassy of Spain to discuss the importance of irrigation as a tool for promoting rural development and food security. The session, which was part of WFLI series on water convened experts Begoña Nieto Gilarte, Counselor of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food to US & Canada at the Embassy of Spain, and Robina Wahaj, Irrigation Officer at the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), who presented an overview of the vital role irrigation plays in their respective countries.

The dialogue came following the release of the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition report. The SOFI 2022 report served as another wake-up call for the international community, presenting stark evidence of how far off track the globe is from meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to end hunger.

Marsha Echols, Director at the World Food Law Institute (WFLI), provided introductory remarks and moderated the session. Echols stressed the importance of collaboration around water issues, whether that be across organizations, the public and private sectors, or regional land areas. Daniel Gustafson, Former Deputy Director-General at FAO, followed with an overview of how central water is to discussions around food security and in advancing the Sustainable Develoopment Goals (SDGs). Gustafson stressed that after decades of misuse, we are still not managing water as well as we should. The world needs new policies and technologies, and irrigation represents a new opportunity.

Irrigation in Spain

Water planning is central to ensuring efficient, resilient agricultural systems in Spain, a dry country defined by frequent droughts. Counselor Begoña Nieto Gilarte explained that 65 percent of total crop production value in Spain comes from irrigated farms - this translates to over USD 20 billion. Gilarte noted the the need to improve irrigation efficiency as well as water management more generally. While currently most of the water in Spain comes from rivers, dams, and reservoirs, there is a growing percentage of water coming from treated wastewater. This new source of water will be crucial for the growth of urban and peri-urban agriculture.

Simultaneously, irrigation is helping keep agricultural communities tied to their land at a time when rural depopulation is a major issue. In Spain, farms with irrigation bring three times more employment opportunities in comparison to those without irrigation, improving rural livelihoods while making food supply chains more dependable.

Due to limited supply, water is frequently a source of conflict in the region. To combat tensions, farmers are organized into bodies that manage local water infrastructure, maintain legal rights, and solve disputes. Strong organizations are crucial to building more resilient food systems. These farming bodies are also pushed to be more sustainable through incentivized government funds and private investments––fund that are only accessible through demonstrating commitment to environmental sustainability. This creates a cycle of progress where farmers are awarded for improved efficacy with the capital necessary for adapting to changing environmental demands.

Irrigation in Pakistan

Pakistan is no stranger to the need for adaptation, the country is the 8th on the list of states most affected by climate change. Addressing climate issues is pressing for an agrarian nation dependent on its agricultural outputs. Pakistan has the largest continuous irrigation system in the world, and dependence on the system is extremely high. Over 80 perdecent of cropland in Pakistan is irrigated, as FAO’s Robina Wahaj stated, “Irrigation is a lifeline for crop production in Pakistan.” While irrigation efficiencies on farms are strong, there is a need for systematic improvement on a large scale.

Irrigation expertise and advisory is needed around the country. Increased industrialization has affected the quantity and quality of water that makes its way from the Himalayas to southern agrarian communities. Like Spain, water is a source of tension between provinces. While farmers from different provinces come together to discuss conflicts, they often lack important data on water use and quality. This issue presents a gap that needs to be filled with data collected through partnerships with organizations like FAO. In Pakistan, around 32 percent of the population is living with food insecurity. And while the population in Pakistan continues to rise, access to water has decreased steadily. Pakistan is building new infrastructure to make water management more efficient, but much work remains.

Leaders from around the world can agree that water is a fundamental human right. The challenge is ensuring that all individuals have access to clean and reliable water sources. As Daniel Gustafson stated, “in most cases water is actually the limiting factor in what we’re trying to do to meet the demands of the world in terms of producing food.”

Watch the recording: https://bit.ly/3akGhJP