Economic Growth and Food Security
Putting Water to Work to Alleviate Food Crises and Poverty
Food production is completely dependent on predictable and high quality supplies of fresh or marine water. More than seventy percent of all freshwater consumed on the planet is devoted to agricultural production, often in irrigated systems that are inefficient and environmentally unsustainable. The growing global population will demand even greater agricultural productivity in the future. Creative solutions will be needed to address world food security without degrading or depleting terrestrial and/or aquatic ecosystems.
In all cases, water scarcity, overabundance and contamination disproportionately affect the poor, and the links between poverty and achieving a safe and adequate supply of water for human and ecosystem needs are significant. A dependable water supply is critical for every kind of economic development ranging from primary sector activities (agriculture, forestry and mining) to industrial production, energy generation or service sector development. Increasingly, different human activities are competing for limited water supplies that are critical to sustain human livelihoods and economic productivity.
USAID investments related to the role of water in economic development and food security promote equitable economic growth that focus on effective means of bringing poor, disadvantaged, and marginalized groups into the mainstream of an expanding economy, and promote the development of capabilities to enable countries to meet their own demands for food supply.
USAID’s investments in activities related to the role of water in Economic Growth and Food Security include:
- Irrigation and Agriculture
- Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Hydropower (Small Scale)
Irrigation and Agriculture
Irrigation and agriculture activities are directed at supporting or providing irrigation facilities, or are designed to manage and conserve soil, water, and biological resources that are utilized for agricultural production. These interventions help increase the availability (through diversion and other means) and/or efficient use of ground water and surface water for agriculture. The category includes infrastructure and irrigation management, and interventions to conserve water quantity and protect water quality from agrochemicals and sediment deposition.
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Fisheries and aquaculture activities include the capture and/or culture of aquatic animals (including fish, crustaceans and mollusks) and plants (including seaweed) in fresh, brackish and marine waters, primarily for use as human food. This category also includes activities related to the assessment, conservation and management of aquatic animals and plants harvested from oceans, rivers and lakes for use as human food, animal feeds, or for industrial purposes. Aquaculture activities include hatchery production for stocking aquaculture facilities as well as for the enhancement of natural stocks.
Hydropower (Small Scale)
Hydropower activities are related to the planning, development and management of hydropower facilities. While a relatively small portion of USAID’s water investment portfolio, small-scale hydro-power development is often the most appropriate technology package for generating and delivering electricity to remote rural communities.
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