Assessments of water resources and their management

10. What about water resources more specifcally in agriculture?

Water in agriculture is central to feeding the planet, providing livelihoods, and building resilience to climate shocks and extremes. It takes around 2,000 – 3,000 litres of water to produce enough food to satisfy one person's daily dietary need¹⁵.

Irrigation methods such as furrow and overhead sprinkler irrigation are usually less expensive but are also typically less efficient, because much of the water evaporates, runs off or drains below the root zone. Other irrigation methods considered to be more efficient include drip or trickle irrigation, surge irrigation, and some types of sprinkler systems where the sprinklers are operated near ground level¹⁶.

In their support to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) response and recovery the Water Group of the World Bank¹⁷ works to :

• (i) ensure continuity of irrigation services that sustain critical agricultural production and
• (ii) provide cash injections to rural communities, create job opportunities for the vulnerable, and improve the productivity of agro-environmental assets to build long-term resilience to shocks.