FAO Presents Water Scarcity Initiative
At a technical briefing on the water-food nexus held at UN Headquarters in New York, US, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) presented the FAO-NENA (Near East and North Africa) Water Scarcity Initiative. The Initiative provides a comprehensive framework to ensure the sustainable use and preservation of scarce water resources in the region.
The FAO Regional Water Scarcity Initiative was formulated in response to a request of the FAO NENA Regional Conference, which identified the issue as a central priority for Member States. The Initiative, which falls under FAO’s strategic programme for sustainable food production, supports NENA countries in their pursuit of food and water security during an unprecedented and severe escalation of water scarcity. It aims to identify critical areas requiring action; assist in the formulation of a regional collaborative strategy; and build broad partnerships to support its implementation.
During the briefing, titled ‘The water-food nexus: Tackling water scarcity in the context of sustainable development,’ which took place on 25 January, participants discussed ways to address the dilemma of food production in the context of water scarcity. Pasquale Steduto, FAO Regional Strategic Programmes Coordinator for NENA, introduced the Initiative.
Brad Smith