Sustainable Mountain Development No. 56, ICIMOD, Winter 2009
lack of infrastructure, investments, and reliable institutions of rainfall. New and more effective systems in both
(e.g., for water provision), and the low availability of capturing and storing water will become essential. This
micro-fi nance, it will become diffi cult to increase crop means both improved land management and improved
production in those regions where it is needed the most storage methods. It includes, as possible options, the
unless this is given major priority. Irrigation water was installation of new water capture and storage methods,
crucial in the former ‘Green Revolution’ based on fertiliser as well as the re-introduction of some of the ancient
increase. Without a ‘blue revolution’ ahead, not only traditional storage systems, such as the qanat, foggara,
future production, but even previous gains may be off-set. karez, and falaj systems known from desert regions.
Moreover, trade and urbanisation also change the food It also includes irrigation systems and pipelines from
habits of consumers, and the supply from the hinterland of major rivers, as deforestation frequently increases the
rate and speed of the fl ow of water into major channels.
The required training, the revival of old knowledge,
and implementation will require funds and programmes
directed towards adaptation.
A ‘green economy’ may feed the world by
reducing water and food waste through
increased effi ciency
A concerted effort will be required to feed Asia and
to ensure the platform of its productivity. A ‘green
economy’ in Asia could provide society, business,
and policymakers the room to provide innovative and
progress-oriented ideas that may help to provide the
basis of a more sustainable future for generations to
come.
Firstly, developing alternatives to the use of cereal in
animal feed, such as by recycling waste and using
many developing countries may become insuffi cient unless
fi sh discards, could meet the demand for the projected
major investments in agricultural water effi ciency can take
population growth of nearly one billion people in
place, and may, even then, be an enormous challenge.
Asia. Secondly, in addition to slowing down climate
change and environmental degradation, the boosting of
Half of the world’s food, and even more of the small-scale farmer productivity could both improve food
water, is wasted security and generate small-scale business opportunities.
In addition to increasing production, we can also learn
Furthermore, a major shift to more eco-based production
from experiences in the conventional energy sector. In
and reversing land degradation would help limit the
the 1970s, high oil prices led to increased research
spread of invasive species, conserve biodiversity
into more energy effi cient houses, cars, and industry.
and ecosystem services, and greatly help reduce the
Similarly, rather than focusing solely on increasing
losses of water in ineffi cient irrigation systems. Thirdly,
production, there is a huge potential for improving
investments in green, small-scale technology and
food security through optimising food energy effi ciency
development, and the implementation of improved
and water effi ciency. Food energy effi ciency is about
irrigation systems, designed to optimise the water
our ability to minimise the loss of energy in food from
irrigation exactly according to plant demand, reducing
harvesting through processing, to actual consumption
evaporation, and reducing run-offs, could likely increase
and recycling. Today, nearly half of the food produced,
effi ciency in water usage several-fold. It is expected
and even more of the irrigation water, is wasted in some
that major changes and effi ciency improvements in the
form through ineffi cient use.
agricultural sector will take decades to implement. The
time frame for implementation now is probably less than
One of the chief challenges in the coming decades will a couple of decades. In order to sustain populations we
be to capture and store excess water during periods need a revolution in Asia – a ‘blue revolution‘ of water
of high water availability. We are likely to experience effi ciency.
more extreme droughts, as well as extreme events
9
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