Water scarcity, climate change, and food security: challenges for the future

"Water scarcity is nowadays one of main world issues, and according to climate change projections, it will be more important in future. Since water availability is the most significant limiting factor for crop yields, addressing this issue is essential for countries affected by water scarcity. As a result of the increased of water scarcity and drought, due to climate change, an extensive water use for irrigation is expected to happen in a context of increasing competition between agriculture and other sectors of the economy. Moreover, the projected increase of the world population growth rate suggests that a higher food demand shall be expected in the future, with a direct effect on agricultural water usage. In agriculture, assessing the irrigation requirement is indispensable for water resource planning. Thus, this paper reviews current and future issues related to “water scarcity” in order to denote the necessity of a more sustainable approach to water resource management. The application of adaptation strategies may reduce water usage, and help avoiding excessive water consumption."