The world’s worst National Water Crisis is occurring in India. It is a fact that more than 50% of India’s population is suffering from water scarcity and has no access to drinking safe water. Losing land and water scarcity has been a predominant factor impacting food insecurity as almost 70% of water consumed in the country is used for agricultural purposes. At times frequent or sudden change in the climate also affects the agricultural yields especially in those areas where the water is scarcely available for production, irrigation becomes difficult. Following are the major factors to be looked upon as they are creating a huge impact on water scarcity;
- Is Agriculture beneficial or harmful to the country?
Agriculture can be considered as both, a victim and the cause of the Water Scarcity situation in India. Though Water is the lifeblood of all ecosystems including wetlands, forests, and lakes it is important to supply the right quality & quantity of water for the production of crops and to carry out essential agricultural activities. Having said that, Agriculture is the largest water user in the world and proves to be a major source of polluting the water. At times, when agricultural water use practices are unsustainable, crop productivity may be threatened and reduced.
- Water Scarcity is hindering Water Security
There is a very strong connection between poverty, the lack of land access, and lack of water in the country. The poorest get the least access to land and water and they are certainly locked in the poverty trap with small farms, low-quality soils, high vulnerability quotient considering land degradation and climatic uncertainty. Water scarcity is thus hindering water security as it is extensively complicating water supply for human health, food, energy, and also for industrial production.
- Effect on the Global Food Supply
With more and more water needed to grow those crops and plants, it seems difficult to keep up with the optimal usage factor when it comes to Water Supply. This is a leading factor that can directly affect the amount of food being produced in the country and it is indeed a tough task to advert the water crisis. As the freshwater available in the country is being used majorly for agriculture the entire food supply chain is getting affected and leading to the degradation of our ecosystem.
- FAO’s Global Framework of Action
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States has exceptionally jotted down a Global Framework of action that can assist vulnerable countries to strengthen their inherent capacities to produce and adapt agriculture in tune with the climatic changes and water scarcity. The main aim of this initiative is to focus on prominent areas to address the water scarcity issue in agriculture including;
- The sustainable improvement of agricultural water productivity rendering its advantages & cutting across every agricultural sub-sectors from agroforestry to aquaculture.
- Developing and Mordernicing multipurpose climate-proofing infrastructure to improve the efficiency of water use especially in agriculture.
- Regulating and monitoring rainfall and other climate patterns with Integrated landscape approaches influencing the water yields, sediment levels, the quality of water, and most importantly it can help in increasing the availability of water for agricultural use.
Conclusion-
Agricultural is one of the key factors affecting and coping with water scarcity and it is solely responsible for withdrawing almost 70% of freshwater reserves. Though farmers across the globe have been trying and testing solutions to the water scarcity issue, proper plans and policies need to be framed to produce more and use lesser water which can then cause an ecological balance. PadCorp is a leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery providing top-notch solutions to water scarcity and agricultural issues of farmers with farming tools and equipments designed to perfection.
