Water is essential not only for maintaining ecological security, but also has a key role in ensuring food, feed and fibre security. Its domestic and industrial uses also cannot be underestimated. The ongoing global climate change has already begun casting its dark shadow on the availability of water resources. The director general of International Water Management Institute (IWMI), COLIN J CHARTRES in an exclusive interview to ASHOK B SHARMA called for efficient management and use of this essential resource with a view avoid the impending crisis of food and feed security. IWMI is one of the 15 affiliated institutes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Here are the excerpts of the interview ---
 
Q : Water is likely to become scarce in the days to come and some believe that the next major conflict in the world will be on water rights. What do you feel ?
 
A : I think there may be small regional controversies  around water resources. We can avoid major conflicts through careful planning, management and efficient use. Productive use of water can be ensured if we aim at higher crop yield per unit of water, efficient use of water in homes and industry, recycling of water, preventing pollution of water bodies and ground water, artificial recharging of ground water. Improving storage may range from solutions such as large dams, medium size reservoirs to revitalizing the tank systems.
 
Q : What can be the possible impact of the ongoing global climate change on water resources ?
 
A : Climate change is likely to have adverse impact on most of the developing countries and emerging economies located in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Some of areas may witness short-duration monsoon season and higher intensity storms. Other areas may have more climate variability and greater drought frequency. Areas dependent on snow melt may have significant decreases in water availability in the long term. All these issues will require adaptive strategies with a view to maintain food security. IWMI has developed a Strategic Plan 2009-13 to meet these challenges.
 
Q : What are the possible ways for maintaining food security ?
 
A : Globally we expect there will be 2.5 billion more mouths to feed by 2050. We need to double grain production to meet the needs of food and animal feed. This will need twice the amount of water we presently use in agriculture. Optimal use of water should be promoted through policy. Institutional and regulatory reforms. If possible incentives should be given to farmers to grown crops that require less water like oilseeds and coarse cereals in water scarce regions. Rice and sugarcane and paddy that require more water should be grown in areas that have abundance of rain and water. The surplus of water intensive crops grown in these regions can be transported to water deficient areas to meet their requirement. This is called “the virtual export of water”. Governments of rain deficient region should also resort to importing water intensive crops instead growing them under strain.
 
Q : Do you support actual export of water by way linking river basins ?
 
A ; River linking should be the last resort. It is feasible from an engineering but we need to look very closely at the socio-economic and environmental costs of the region losing water and the economic benefits of the regions gaining water