August 2018: Population growth and changing diets are key drivers of landscape degradation and increases in water use, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Ahead of World Water Week 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, SIWI is calling for renewed attention to the role of water management in restoring degraded landscapes. The report highlights the importance of such efforts in achieving SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 15 (life on land).

The authors argue that, while much attention in water resource management has focused on the need to cope with climate change and related changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, human activities also account for changes in global freshwater systems. They note that population growth is estimated to increase food demand by 50% by the year 2050, whereas the current rate of water withdrawals is already nearing the global limit for sustainable use. Furthermore, the increased demand for better quality food – meat, dairy products, eggs, fruit and vegetables – requires more water to be used to produce similar amounts of calories, compared with cultivation of cereals and legumes.

Population growth is estimated to increase food demand by 50% by the year 2050.

Actions that are beneficial for water in landscapes need not directly address water use, according to examples cited in the report. For instance, payment for ecosystem services (PES) and tree-planting activities have been undertaken in some countries to increase incomes and meet demand for construction materials, but also have the added benefit of protecting water resources.

The authors suggest that existing international initiatives and agreements provide opportunities for landscape restoration. Examples include the Bonn Challenge on land restoration, and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The latter could be linked, for example, with emission reduction targets under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The authors note the frequent lack of information on water availability and use, and call for making such data publicly available, where it exists. The report proposes a number of management tools and practices for evaluating water challenges and water risk, such as the use of relevant mapping software and promotion of citizen science through participatory monitoring. They call for evaluating water challenges and water-related risk, so as to better integrate these considerations into landscape management. [Publication: Water for Productive and Multifunctional Landscapes] [SIWI Report Webpage]