Why is so much water used for “irrigation”? Can we not reduce this to satisfy the needs of rapidly growing cities and safeguard the environment?

Obviously, people need water for more than drinking, washing and other domestic needs alone. Few people realize how much more.

As much as seventy times more water is required to grow a person's food than is required for domestic needs. Even more water is required to maintain the ecosystem services without which our lifestyle is not sustainable. That frames the challenge on water for food and environment: finding water for expanding cities, often taken from agriculture;growing food for a growing population; providing jobs for the rural poor while sustaining the environment.

If we fail in this challenge poor people will pay the price. Poor urban people are most affected by low access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation. For poor rural people, inadequate access to safe and affordable water is crucial for domestic use as well as for their livelihoods. Degraded natural resources affect all people,but particularly the poor,in cities as well as rural areas. Is it possible to overcome this challenge? We believe it is.

Communities in hundreds of “bright spots”demonstrate that technologies are available and effective if used appropriately. It requires a shift in how natural resources are managed. Many river basins,particularly in Asia,are already “closed”,i.e. there is no additional water available for development that does not take away water already being used by someone else.