Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi
Agriculture accounts for most of the renewable freshwater resource withdrawals in Malawi, yet food insecurity and water scarcity remain as major challenges. Despite Malawi’s vast water resources, climate change, coupled with increasing population and urbanisation are contributing to increasing water...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
MDPI
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78494 |
| _version_ | 1855543256429887488 |
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| author | Nhamo, Luxon Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe Magombeyi, Manuel Simba |
| author_browse | Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe Magombeyi, Manuel Simba Nhamo, Luxon |
| author_facet | Nhamo, Luxon Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe Magombeyi, Manuel Simba |
| author_sort | Nhamo, Luxon |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Agriculture accounts for most of the renewable freshwater resource withdrawals in Malawi, yet food insecurity and water scarcity remain as major challenges. Despite Malawi’s vast water resources, climate change, coupled with increasing population and urbanisation are contributing to increasing water scarcity. Improving crop water productivity has been identified as a possible solution to water and food insecurity, by producing more food with less water, that is, to produce “more crop per drop”. This study evaluated crop water productivity from 2000 to 2013 by assessing crop evapotranspiration, crop production and agricultural gross domestic product (Ag GDP) contribution for Malawi. Improvements in crop water productivity were evidenced through improved crop production and productivity. These improvements were supported by increased irrigated area, along with improved agronomic practices. Crop water productivity increased by 33% overall from 2000 to 2013, resulting in an increase in maize production from 1.2 million metric tons to 3.6 million metric tons, translating to an average food surplus of 1.1 million metric tons. These developments have contributed to sustainable improved food and nutrition security in Malawi, which also avails more water for ecosystem functions and other competing economic sectors. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace78494 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| publisherStr | MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace784942025-03-11T09:50:20Z Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi Nhamo, Luxon Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe Magombeyi, Manuel Simba food security water management water productivity water scarcity water use freshwater crop production sustainability agricultural production evapotranspiration population growth urbanization maize rainfed farming irrigation systems smallholders Agriculture accounts for most of the renewable freshwater resource withdrawals in Malawi, yet food insecurity and water scarcity remain as major challenges. Despite Malawi’s vast water resources, climate change, coupled with increasing population and urbanisation are contributing to increasing water scarcity. Improving crop water productivity has been identified as a possible solution to water and food insecurity, by producing more food with less water, that is, to produce “more crop per drop”. This study evaluated crop water productivity from 2000 to 2013 by assessing crop evapotranspiration, crop production and agricultural gross domestic product (Ag GDP) contribution for Malawi. Improvements in crop water productivity were evidenced through improved crop production and productivity. These improvements were supported by increased irrigated area, along with improved agronomic practices. Crop water productivity increased by 33% overall from 2000 to 2013, resulting in an increase in maize production from 1.2 million metric tons to 3.6 million metric tons, translating to an average food surplus of 1.1 million metric tons. These developments have contributed to sustainable improved food and nutrition security in Malawi, which also avails more water for ecosystem functions and other competing economic sectors. 2016 2016-12-23T05:22:11Z 2016-12-23T05:22:11Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78494 en Open Access MDPI Nhamo, Luxon; Mabhaudhi, T.; Magombeyi, Manuel. 2016. Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi. Water, 8(9):1-12. doi: 10.3390/w8090411 |
| spellingShingle | food security water management water productivity water scarcity water use freshwater crop production sustainability agricultural production evapotranspiration population growth urbanization maize rainfed farming irrigation systems smallholders Nhamo, Luxon Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe Magombeyi, Manuel Simba Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title | Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title_full | Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title_short | Improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in Malawi |
| title_sort | improving water sustainability and food security through increased crop water productivity in malawi |
| topic | food security water management water productivity water scarcity water use freshwater crop production sustainability agricultural production evapotranspiration population growth urbanization maize rainfed farming irrigation systems smallholders |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78494 |
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