Water usage and resources for Agricutlure

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as international guidelines for building a fairer, more sustainable future. SDG 2 (“End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”) was set in response to a major challenge: feeding every person on the planet.

Water availability is essential to the development of agricultural activities (crops and livestock). Improving how this vital resource is managed is therefore a key priority. In terms of water, agriculture is one of the highest-consuming sectors, since very little of the water used is returned to the environment (unlike energy production, for example).

All over the globe, agriculture is becoming increasingly exposed to droughts, floods and other hazards associated with climate change. At the same time, agriculture itself has a major impact on water resources (in terms of quantity and quality).

Moreover, this sector will need to better share water resources at a time of growing demand from other users (expanding urban populations and increasing demand from the energy and manufacturing sectors).

There are numerous options for reducing water use in agriculture (improved irrigation techniques, alternative cropping sequences, nature-based solutions, etc.). In addition, it remains essential to preserve available resources by avoiding pollution associated with some agricultural practices (such as pollution caused by crop-protection products).

Fortunately, solutions are available to address these challenges, such as improved irrigation equipment and agricultural practices, or treated wastewater reuse (TWWR).

TWWR is an approach that aims to capture and reuse treated wastewater from treatment plants, which is often discharged into the natural environment, for various purposes. Using this treated wastewater in agriculture limits the impact on natural resources as well as helping to better control soil amendment.

In order to continue producing food, the agricultural sector therefore has a key role to play in preserving available water resources and optimising their use in farming activities.