“We must cease taking water for granted,” emphasized Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), during the commencement of the Rome Water Dialogue. This dialogue centered on recognizing water’s pivotal role concerning soil, land, climate change, biodiversity, and agriculture.
Given that agriculture is responsible for more than 70 percent of the world’s freshwater withdrawals, Qu Dongyu stressed that “by enhancing efficiency, minimizing adverse impacts, and recycling wastewater, agriculture offers solutions to the global water crisis.”
The FAO actively assists nations in developing technical strategies for rainwater harvesting and storage, assessing irrigation requirements, offering data on water scarcity, and evaluating the consequences of floods on rural regions.
The United Nations agency has highlighted that this year’s World Food Day, scheduled for October 16th, will spotlight the direct correlation between water and food security. The event aims to showcase methods to “increase food production and other essential agricultural commodities while using less water, ensuring equitable water distribution, safeguarding our aquatic food systems, and leaving no one behind.”
