UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Central Asia Subregional Coordinator and Turkey Representative Viorel Gutu noted the vital importance of water, saying governments should invest in water resources and farmers should be informed for sustainable water management.

Gutu highlighted that this year World Food Day was dedicated to water, one of the most valuable natural resources, with the motto “Water is life, water is food.”

Stating that the day in question aims to raise global awareness about hunger and food insecurity and call on everyone to take action for the future of food, people and the planet, Gutu said that this day is celebrated in more than 150 countries and more than 50 languages.

Underlining that everyone should have access to safely managed water and sanitation by 2030, Gutu said water is vitally important to achieving sustainable development goals.

Gutu noted that 70 percent of the planet’s fresh water is used for agricultural irrigation and said:

“Therefore, transforming agriculture represents solutions to the global water crisis and is key to achieving a future with water and food security for all. “Today, 2.4 billion people live in water-scarce countries, 80 percent of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment, and water-related natural disasters cause direct economic costs exceeding $200 billion. dollars only in 2021.”

EFFECTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT

Gutu emphasized that increasing pressure on water resources due to increasing population, increasing water-intensive practices in agriculture and industry and worsening climate change require transformative measures to manage water more efficiently. , and listed his suggestions for effective water management as follows:

* We need to produce more with less water by moving away from single and reactive short-term actions and turning to more holistic, integrated and future-oriented approaches and projects.

* Governments, the private sector, academia and civil society should collaborate to ensure a water-secure future, as well as invest in integrated water resources management for sustainable development.

*Farmers must be equipped with the right information and tools to use and manage water sustainably. (AA)