2006年-世界发展银行全球_Shaping_the_Future_of_Water_for_Agriculture___Designing_and_Implementing_Quality_Investments_in_Agricultural_Water_Management_4页_831kb

Summary of Shaping the Future of Water for Agriculture

Core Content

This document, Shaping the Future of Water for Agriculture: A Sourcebook for Investment in Agricultural Water Management, highlights the critical role of agricultural water management in addressing global food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. It emphasizes the need for improved investment quality and strategies to enhance water productivity and resource use efficiency in the agricultural sector.

Main Points

1. Importance of Irrigated Agriculture

• Irrigated agriculture has significantly contributed to increasing food production and reducing world hunger.
• Between 1960 and 1999, cereal output increased threefold, and fresh fruit and vegetable production rose fivefold.
• Over two-thirds of this growth came from yield improvements, and water use per person dropped by half.
• This has been key to improving calorie intake in developing countries.

2. Challenges in Agricultural Water Management

• The pace of irrigation development and donor support has slowed in recent years.
• The World Bank's lending for irrigation dropped from 5% in the 1970s–1980s to less than 2% in the early 2000s.
• Technological advances have not been widely adopted, with drip irrigation used on less than 1% of irrigated lands.
• Environmental degradation, such as groundwater depletion and salinization, has been neglected.

3. World Bank's Role and Strategies

• The World Bank is addressing these challenges through three corporate strategies: rural development, water resources, and environment.
• Investment in agricultural water management needs to increase in both volume and quality.
• The Sourcebook serves as a guide for practitioners to design and implement effective investments, focusing on policy and institutional reforms, technology, and management.

Key Recommendations

4. Reforming Policies and Institutions

• Governments are shifting from being principal investors to facilitators and regulators.
• Policy reforms are essential to create favorable institutional and incentive frameworks.
• Institutional development should include participatory irrigation management through water user associations.
• Capacity building is needed to support a knowledge- and skills-based agricultural economy.

5. Improving Economic and Financial Frameworks

• Market-driven approaches are necessary to improve investment returns.
• Policies should encourage open trade, reduce price distortions, and promote cost sharing.
• Water service charges, despite being contentious, are beneficial for farmers and help with cost recovery.

6. Increasing Investment Levels and Outcomes

• Investment in irrigation has declined due to high costs and poor returns.
• Modernization approaches in large-scale irrigation combine institutional and physical investments.
• The World Bank can enhance investment quality by using appropriate lending instruments:
  • Learning and Investment Loans (LILs) for piloting innovations
  • Specific Investment Loans (SILs) for scaling up good practices
  • Development Policy Loans (DPLs) for policy and institutional reforms

7. Investing in Technology and Water Resources Management

• There is significant potential for efficiency gains in irrigation.
• Current efficiency levels are well below technical maxima, with many areas still using low-value crops.
• Integrated approaches that consider soil, water, and agronomy are needed to enhance productivity.
• Adoption of water-saving technologies requires efficient knowledge transfer, reliable water service, and a supportive economic environment.

8. Addressing Poverty and Rural Incomes

• Agricultural growth is central to poverty reduction, as 70% of the world's poor live in rural areas.
• Participatory approaches and farmer empowerment are crucial for effective water management.
• Pro-poor investments include small-scale irrigation, water conservation, and support for rainfed farmers.
• Community-driven development (CDD) can be an effective investment vehicle.

9. Environmental Sustainability and Governance

• Water resources are under intense pressure, and many countries are reaching the limits of development.
• Over-extraction of groundwater is causing water table decline and quality issues.
• Integrated and participatory approaches are essential for watershed management and sustainability.
• Drainage and groundwater management should be considered through their multi-functional roles.

World Bank Assistance

• The Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy (CWRAS) links World Bank programs with national strategies.
• It supports the integration of best practices into World Bank lending and helps identify appropriate instruments for different investment priorities.
• The Sourcebook is expected to aid in reviving and reorienting the World Bank’s lending program towards sustainable agricultural water management.

Selected Reading

• Reengaging in Agricultural Water Management (Directions in Development Report, 2005)
• Agricultural Growth and the Poor: An Agenda for Development (Directions in Development Report, 2005)
• Agriculture Investment Sourcebook (World Bank, Agriculture and Rural Development Department)

This document underscores the need for strategic, sustainable, and inclusive investment in agricultural water management to achieve food security, poverty reduction, and environmental protection.