Implications of new legislation (US FSMA) and guidelines (EC) on the establishment of management systems for agricultural water.

This report summarizes key messages related to agricultural water quality as discussed by an ad hoc panel at the 1st International Symposium of Food Safety in Santiago, Chile. Participating representatives of the academia, industry and government of diverse geographical backgrounds and the audience discussed topics such as (1) implications of the US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA: www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm277706.htm) on the Agricultural Water Quality, (2) comparisons between MPN and CFU in analyzing water quality, (3) alternatives to fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) to be used as indicators to evaluate water quality, and (4) vegetative buffers as an alternative to reduce pathogen loads in agricultural surface waters. Panelists identified the following key messages for each topic discussed that are related to agricultural water quality: (1) the FSMA regulation and the new guidance document elaborated by the EC are highly relevant as they provide a definition of agricultural water and specific criteria for different water uses and circumstances; (2) FSMA supports modification from MPN to CFU; (3) Growers require more alternatives for treatment of agricultural water; (4) Vegetative buffers are a potential practical and feasible alternative for agriculture producers to reduce the pathogen and fecal pollution loads of in their agricultural waters.

Land Use Change Assessment and Water Quality of Ephemeral Ponds for Irrigation in the North West Province, South Africa.

In the semi-arid environments of the North West province of South Africa the amount, timing, and distribution of rainfall is irregular, while water accessibility is a key factor in production. In line with this, a study was conducted to assess the impact of land use change on water quality and water depth within the sub-catchment areas of ephemeral ponds. To determine land use dynamics, 2004 and 2013 Landsat images were classified using maximum likelihood algorithm. Pond water quality was analysed for physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters using standard the American Public Health Association (APHA) methods. Multiple linear regression models were computed to determine relationships between land use changes and water quality parameters. Results revealed a reduction in grass cover, whereas built-up areas increased at the expense of bare land. All the values for the physical characteristics were higher than the recommended Department of Water Affairs (DWAF) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) limits, but chemical parameters, except cadmium, were within limits. Regression showed that bare areas have a positive effect on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in ephemeral pond water. The study highlights the suitability of pond water for irrigation to increase crop production and the effects of land use changes on ecosystems as critical for proper catchment planning, water resource management, and food security.

Analysis of the nexus between population, water resources and Global Food Security highlights significance of governance and research investments and policy priorities.

BACKGROUND: Analyses of sensitivity of Global Food Security (FS) score to a key set of supply or demand factors often suggest population and water supply as being the most critical and on which policies tend to focus. To explore other policy options, we characterized the nexus between GFS and a set of supply or demand factors including population, agricultural and industrial water uses, agricultural publications (as a surrogate for investment in agricultural research and development (R&D)) and corruption perception index (CPI), to reveal opportunities for attaining enduring GFS. RESULTS: We found that despite being the primary driver of demand for food, population showed no significant correlation with FS scores. Similarly, agricultural water use was poorly correlated with GFS scores, except in countries where evaporation exceeds precipitation and irrigation is significant. However, FS had a strong positive association with industrial water use as a surrogate for overall industrialization. Recent expansions in cultivated land area failed to yield concomitant improvements in FS score since such expansions have been mostly into marginal lands with low productivity and thus barely compensated for lands retired from cropping in several developed economies. However, FS was positively associated with agricultural R&D investments, as it was with the CPI scores. The apparent and relative strengths of these drivers on FS outcome amongst countries were in the order: industrial water-use ≈ publication rate ≈ corruption perception ≫ agricultural water use > population. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that to enshrine enduring food security, policies should prioritize (1) increased R&D investments that address farmer needs and (2) governance mechanisms that promote accountability in both research and production value chains. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of Preservation of Subsoil Water Act on Groundwater Depletion: The Case of Punjab, India.

Indian states like Punjab and Haryana, epicenters of the Green Revolution, are facing severe groundwater shortages and falling water tables. Recognizing it as a serious concern, the Government of Punjab enacted the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act in 2009 (or the 2009 act) to slow groundwater depletion. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of this policy on groundwater depletion, using panel data from 1985 to 2011. Results from this study find a robust effect of the 2009 act on reducing groundwater depletion. Our models for pre-monsoon, post-monsoon, and overall periods of analysis find that since implementation of the 2009 act, groundwater tables have improved significantly. Second, our study reveals that higher shares of tube wells per total cropped area and increased population density have led to a significant decline in the groundwater tables. On the other hand, rainfall and the share of area irrigated by surface water have had an augmenting effect on groundwater resources. In the two models, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, this study shows that seasonality plays a key role in determining the groundwater table in Punjab. Specifically, monsoon rainfall has a very prominent impact on groundwater.

Wastewater irrigation and environmental health: implications for water governance and public policy.

Climate change is a large-scale and emerging environmental risk. It challenges environmental health and the sustainability of global development. Wastewater irrigation can make a sterling contribution to reducing water demand, recycling nutrients, improving soil health and cutting the amount of pollutants discharged into the waterways. However, the resource must be carefully managed to protect the environment and public health. Actions promoting wastewater reuse are every where, yet the frameworks for the protection of human health and the environment are lacking in most developing countries. Global change drivers including climate change, population growth, urbanization, income growth, improvements in living standard, industrialization, and energy intensive lifestyle will all heighten water management challenges. Slowing productivity growth, falling investment in irrigation, loss of biodiversity, risks to public health, environmental health issues such as soil salinity, land degradation, land cover change and water quality issues add an additional layer of complexity. Against this backdrop, the potential for wastewater irrigation and its benefits and risks are examined. These include crop productivity, aquaculture, soil health, groundwater quality, environmental health, public health, infrastructure constraints, social concerns and risks, property values, social equity, and poverty reduction. It is argued that, wastewater reuse and nutrient capture can contribute towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. Benefits such as avoided freshwater pumping and energy savings, fertilizer savings, phosphorous capture and prevention of mineral fertilizer extraction from mines can reduce carbon footprint and earn carbon credits. Wastewater reuse in agriculture reduces the water footprint of food production on the environment; it also entails activities such as higher crop yields and changes in cropping patterns, which also reduce carbon footprint. However, there is a need to better integrate water reuse into core water governance frameworks in order to effectively address the challenges and harness the potential of this vital resource for environmental health protection. The paper also presents a blueprint for future water governance and public policies for the protection of environmental health.

Water flowing north of the border: export agriculture and water politics in a rural community in Baja California.

Favored by neoliberal agrarian policies, the production of fresh crops for international markets has become a common strategy for economic development in Mexico and other Latin American countries. But as some scholars have argued, the global fresh produce industry in developing countries in which fresh crops are produced for consumer markets in affluent nations implies "virtual water flows," the transfer of high volumes of water embedded in these crops across international borders. This article examines the local effects of the production of fresh produce in the San Quintín Valley in northwestern Mexico for markets in the United States. Although export agriculture has fostered economic growth and employment opportunities for indigenous farm laborers, it has also led to the overexploitation of underground finite water resources, and an alarming decline of the quantity and quality of water available for residents' domestic use. I discuss how neoliberal water policies have further contributed to water inequalities along class and ethnic lines, the hardships settlers endure to secure access to water for their basic needs, and the political protests and social tensions water scarcity has triggered in the region. Although the production of fresh crops for international markets is promoted by organizations such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank as a model for economic development, I argue that it often produces water insecurity for the poorest, threatening the UN goal of ensuring access to clean water as a universal human right.

Impact of non-livelihood-based land management on land resources: the case of upland watersheds in Uporoto Mountains, South West Tanzania.

Various land management strategies are used to prevent land degradation and keep land productive. Often land management strategies applied in certain areas focus on the context of the physical environment but are incompatible with the social environment where they are applied. As a result, such strategies are ignored by land users and land degradation becomes difficult to control. This study observes the impacts of land management in the upland watersheds of the Uporoto Mountains in South West Tanzania. In spite of various land management practices used in the area, 38% of the studied area experienced soil fertility loss, 30% gully erosion, 23% soil loss, 6% biodiversity loss and drying up of river sources. Land management methods that were accepted and adopted were those contributing to immediate livelihood needs. These methods did not control land resource degradation, but increased crop output per unit of land and required little labour. Effective methods of controlling land degradation were abandoned or ignored because they did not satisfy immediate livelihood needs. This paper concludes that Integrating poor people's needs would transform non-livelihood-based land management methods to livelihood-based ones. Different ways of transforming these land management methods are presented and discussed.