Presentation for the 4th International Conference of Agriculture and Bio-Engineering ICABE 4

1. ‫المؤتمر‬‫الرابع‬ ‫الدولي‬
‫والحيوية‬ ‫الزراعية‬ ‫للهندسة‬
4th International Conference of
Agriculture and Bio Engineering ICABE4,
September 6, 2015
Eng. Agr. Carmen Capriles
Presentation: Gabriela Prada
Cairo - Egypt

2. The present research has the analyze the impacts that global warming will have on water
supply in the next decades. The study focus mainly in comparing two regions; the South
American region and the Middle East and North Africa region, with the aim to contrast the
one of the regions with very fragile ecosystems, one with more water availably with the
most arid region and how an average of 2ºC rise at global level can be devastating for life in
many places, furthermore we have already start experience the signs of climate change and
what we can expect the next years. Water is vital for life on Earth and the actual climate
conditions help to maintain water in liquid and solid state, an un balance of forcing in the
atmosphere would lead to a drastic reduction of water. In the field of agriculture we are
aware that most of our crops will thrive by combining precipitation with irrigation, but as
changes happen we need to identify more effective and efficient ways to use water at the
same time it will be crucial to protect and restore natural sources of water and find better
ways to store it and to use it in order to guarantee this pleasure resource for the next
generations. Since the problem is a global problem we will analyze some of the
international agreements already existing on water and why is important to raise the
ambition and have all countries respect this treaties. The study concludes with
recommendations of policies and measures that can be taken at local, national and
international level in order to take care of the resource.

3. Abstract
1) Introduction
2) Background
3) Objective
4) Theoretical framework
• Water sources in the world
• Water supply in Latin-American (Overview)
• Water supply in the MENA Region (Overview)
• Defining Integrated Water Resources Management
• Tools and instruments for IWRM
• Challenges
• Climate risk management within the IWRM
• What can be done?
5) Conclusions
6) Recommendations

4.  The present study has the aim to explain how
climate change is affecting water supply for
different uses especially agricultural needs
basically and what this means for food production,
based on scientific data and a close analysis of the
lattes events that had had a great impact on local
populations and how this picture will change in the
next decades if we do not take the needed
measures to be ready, therefore we will also focus
on Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) as a tool that can help us make a more
effective and efficient use of water in agricultural
activities.

5.  The present study will focus on two regions; the region of Latin-American
and the Caribbean LAC and the Middle East North of Africa MENA region
under the characterization stated by the World Bank. We focus on this two
regions because evidence suggest that their water supply in the next
decades due to global warming, the first one, the LAC regions is the one of
the regions with more fresh water availability in the other hand the MENA
region has the most arid ecosystems, nevertheless the basic agricultural
principles and methods apply to both and the recommendations for a more
effective use of water for productive uses can apply to both regions, under
the premise that taking measures early can help deal with tougher problems
at a long term.
 This study is based on secondary sources of information nevertheless very
reliable sources in order to have a bigger picture of the problem and give
important inputs to take the needed measures, the study also aims to show
that the problems are very alike but more research is needed to understand
what can be done in specific cases at lower or more local scales.

6. The main aim of the present study is to
raise awareness of the future of water
supply for agriculture on two regions of the
planet, Latina-American and the Caribbean
(LAC) region and the Middle East - North
Africa (MENA) region and proposing
IWRM as a viable mean to face climate
change impacts on water at long term.

7. Volume (km2) Share of world reserves
Share of total
water(%)
Share of fresh
water(%)
Atmospheric water 12,900 0.001 0.01
Glaciers end permanent snow cover 24,064,000 1.74 68.7
Ground ice in zones of permafrost strata 300,000 0.022 0.86
Water in rivers 2,120 0.0002 0.006
Water in lakes (fresh, 91,000 km2) 176,400 0.013 0.26
Water in marshes 11,470 0.0008 0.03
Soil moisture 16,500 0.001 0.05
Active groundwater (in aquifers), including brackish and fossil 10,530,000 0.76 30.1
Inactive groundwater (in lithosphere) 23,400,000 1.7
World ocean 1,338,000,000 96.5
Around 71% of the planet's surface is covered by water, 96.5% is in the oceans (saltwater). Fresh water
reaches only 2.5% of all water on Earth, out of this 2.5% of fresh water, 70% is in polar ice and is not
available for human consumption, the remaining 30% is distributed in the form of surface water around
16%, while the other 14% is underground water.
Forecast of water demand by sector UNDP

9.  According to the World Bank, the Latin American and
Caribbean (LAC) region has the highest average water
in the world, around 24,400 cubic meters per person
available, nevertheless, availability and water security
vary greatly within countries and between them. In
some parts of the region the current water use is
unsustainable. However, the Andean countries are
home to nearly 10% of the fresh water on the planet
(CAN, Becerra, M .; 2009).
Source: http://faculty.smu.edu/ Source: http://www.subdivx.com/X12X7X145328X0X0X1X-
botella-magica.html

10.  According to the World Bank Group "The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the world’s driest
region. Water availability is around 1,200 cubic meters person per day, compared with the average of
about 7,000 cubic meters worldwide, nevertheless One half of MENA’s population lives under conditions
of water stress. Moreover, with the population expected to grow from around 300 million today to around
500 million in 2025, per capita availability is expected to halve by 2050". "Water loss, and its operational
and financial consequences, is a major concern for urban water utilities in the Mediterranean region.
Source: http://www.futurewater.nl/uk/projects/mena/

11.  "Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) can
be defined as a process that promotes the coordinated
development and management of water, land and related
resources in order to maximize the resultant economic
and social welfare in an equitable manner, without
compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems "
Global Water Partnership; Technical Advisory Committee, 2000

12. Among the technical tools used in the
IWRM we are:
Watershed management
Multipurpose Project
Flood control and drainage
Environmental protection and ecosystems
Water quality
 Water pollution and contamination control

13. IWRM has a number of challenges that must
solve for the use of the resource benefits all
users equitably and not on minority interests.
In order to face the challenges we must act in
the following ways:
• Ensuring water for people and for food production
• Protecting vital ecosystems;
• Water variability in time and space;
• Managing the risks;
• Creating the participation and knowledge;
• Shaping the political will to act

14.  Recent hydrological research strongly suggests that it is plausible that climatic
changes caused by increases in greenhouse trace gas concentrations will:
(1) alter the timing and magnitude of runoff and soil moisture,
(2) change lake levels and groundwater availability, and
(3) affect water quality.
 Such a scenario raises the possibility of dramatic environmental and socio-economic
dislocations and has widespread implications for future water-resources planning and
management.
 We must promote innovative practices of climate risk management leading to multiple
social and environmental benefits for the vulnerable communities . Specifically, we
seek proposals that report multiple social and environmental benefits and empower
poor communities that are exposed to climate risk to:
• Test innovative, low-cost strategies to spread climate risk beyond the local level (eg,
improvements in trade and value chain, microfinance). Preference for strategies that target
vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly will;
• Forge innovative partnerships that strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities,
including increased access to knowledge, information and services on climate risk
management;
• Use innovative means to help educate communities on climate risks that leads to
empowerment for action.

15. Areas where it is expected the decline in rainfall will have to improve
the storage, management and water productivity. Large irrigation
systems must adapt to the changes that will occur in water supply
regimes and support for water control measures on a small scale,
conducted in the field is required.
Five key policy responses are:
• Include adaptation and mitigation measures for water management for agriculture
in national development plans.
• Promote technical and management measures to increase the flexibility of rainfed
and irrigation, and reduce water losses in irrigated production systems.
• Improve knowledge on climate change and water and spread good practices
among countries and regions.
• To promote national risk management policies through better monitoring networks
and innovative insurance products.
• Mobilize adaptation funds to meet the challenges of water and food security
caused by climate change.

16. 1. Water belongs to the earth and species.
2. Water should be left where it is, whenever possible.
3. Water must be conserved forever.
4. The contaminated water must be recycled.
5. Water is best protected in natural wetlands.
6. Water is a common good that must be protected by all levels of
government.
7. adequate supply of clean water is a human right.
8. The best advocates for water are local communities and citizens.
9. The public must participate as an equal partner in government to
protect water.
10. Economic globalization policies are not aimed at that water is a
sustainable resource.
Source: Maude Barlow, Blue Gold: the global water crisis and its
conversion into a commodity on the world's water supply. Synthesis
report (June 1999)

17.  The present study has given us an analysis of how the water supply for agriculture can be
affected at a short term due to climate change and bad water management practices on the
MENA and the LAC region, to avoid this it is necessary to take the needed measures that
can help ensure the resource at long term..
 The global changes that have been raise in relation to water resources need to be
addressed to take care of the resource, therefore is important to work on adaptation
strategies promoting efficient practices resource use within different contexts social that
take into account local realities as we have seen the different situations that both region,
LAC and MENA face in relationship to the resource.
 While a number of documents created in recent years on climate change and integrated
water resources management, the ability to incorporate policies whether national or
regional, is still yet to see especially the need of political will needed for its implementation.
 Although action are being taken in relation to integrated water resources management and
climate change, it is necessary to take into account within different local settings, especially
in finding both solutions to the climate crisis and the shortage of water.
 It is also important to ensure the supply without compromising it, either by other uses like
domestic or industrial uses as well as to ensure that other activities do not compromise the
quality of the resource like polluting it and contaminating it furthermore it is important to
have regulations for this not to happen.

18. Some recommendation that we can share from this study are:
 Work in relation to institutional strengthening at the local level to incorporate mechanisms that enable the
implementation of IWRM strategies at local as well as national levels, in the MENA region as well as in
LAC region.
 Work on strong policies framework toward climate change that takes into account the impacts on water
supply for measures on adaptation, mitigation, capacity building, technology transfer and finance, taking
into account the strong political will needed to address the issue.
 Ensure that water supply policies for cities take into account the need to guarantee the resource for
productive activities especially agricultural ones.
 More research is needed to analyze the situation at local levels to identify and raise efficient strategies
focus on the major water users to increase and ensure both as to participation in the processes decision-
making in order to guarantee access to water resources.
 Analyze different contexts, to identify bottlenecks that limit participation, based on studies and
interpretations of local realities that take into account certain practices and customs in relation to the
structure of local decision-making, incorporated within macros panoramas up to meet regional
expectations.
 Identifying the agricultural sector as main user, in relation to resource conservation to achieve sustainable
use of the same ensuring long term and taking into account other uses, both domestic, productive and
industrial.
 Have more case studies on recovery technologies and traditional knowledge to cope with the problems
caused the abrupt introduction of certain technologies, as models of community management ensuring
the resource in small communities on rural areas.
 Trainings and capacity building activities that lead rural populations to empower in relation to technologies
needed to make a more efficient use of the resource.

19.  Dr. Hesham Abdel Moneim Farag
 EICA (Egyptian International Center for
Agriculture) Program on Soil Water and
Management
 Gabriela Prada
Thank you!!!!
For more further information or questions
please write to: carmen_capriles@yahoo.com