New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Jain Irrigation Systems Limited Saturday inked a MoU to set up a ‘Resource Centre on Water Use Efficiency’ in an effort to address the challenges of water and food security.
The MoU marks the beginning of a new chapter in carrying out comprehensive research on the themes of water use efficiency at the farm level, water conservation and regeneration practices along with more efficient farm system practices, said a statement.
TERI director general R.K. Pachauri said: “The MoU is a unique example of a partnership between a business organization like JISL and a knowledge organization like TERI. The world is facing acute problems with growing water stress, limited resources of fossil fuels, malnutrition and hunger.”
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd Anil Jain said: “TERI and JISL are active in a number of common areas such as water systems efficiency, watershed planning and irrigation efficiency. Both institutions believe that through collaboration, they can enhance their efforts in achieving water use efficiency, particularly in the agriculture sector, besides basic research, knowledge exchange and dissemination policy advocacy.”
The high level dialogue held during the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) focused on enhancing water use efficiency, keeping in view the challenges associated with sustainable use of natural resources, energy and food security in the developing nations in general, and India in particular.
The discussions identified the challenges and opportunities in achieving energy, water and food security and particularly deliberated on regional disparities in crop-water productivity as well as efficiency.
Water, energy and food are inextricably linked and water scarcity would destabilize the balance, the participants said.
With increasing complexities of peak demand, inefficient use and added risks due to climate change, the challenge of water availability is set to be the greatest challenge of the 21st century, they said.
Food production and supply chain is responsible for around 30 percent of total global energy demand.
Food production is the largest user of water at the global level, responsible for 80-90 percent of consumptive blue water use. By 2050 – with 9.2 billion people sharing the planet – it is expected that there will be a 70 percent increase in agricultural demand for food and 40 per cent energy increase in demand. Yet by 2030, the world will confront water supply shortage of approximately 40 percent.
A comprehensive approach to resolving the inefficiencies of water use and the institutional reform processes that will govern them require inputs from policymakers, scientists, engineers, farmers and civil society institutions, the participants said.