Thumbnail Image

More people, more food… worse water? - Water Pollution from Agriculture: a global review

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 225 p.

Author Mateo-Sagasta, J. ; Marjani Zadeh, S. ; Turral, H.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-130729-8

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Current patterns of agricultural expansion and intensification are bringing unprecedented environmental externalities, including impacts on water quality. While water pollution is slowly starting to receive the attention it deserves, the contribution of agriculture to this problem has not yet received sufficient consideration. We need a much better understanding of the causes and effects of agricultural water pollution as well as effective means to prevent and remedy the problem. In the existing literature, information on water pollution from agriculture is highly dispersed. This repost is a comprehensive review and covers different agricultural sectors (including crops, livestock and aquaculture), and examines the drivers of water pollution in these sectors as well as the resulting pressures and changes in water bodies, the associated impacts on human health and the environment, and the responses needed to prevent pollution and mitigate its risks.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Water Quality Management and Control of Water Pollution 2000
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    In its recent examination of global water scarcity (1997) the United Nations system identified water quality as one of the key concerns in Asia in the next century. This concern is based on the fact that water quality degradation is so severe in many Asian countries that it is placing serious constraints on economic growth; it continues to be a serious problem for human health and it is causing widespread negative environmental effects. The problem of future management of water quality in Asia i s a complex one, and requires re-examination of a number of key areas – including technical, institutional, legal and governance issues. Within this context, FAO organized a Regional Workshop on Water Quality Management and Control of Water Pollution which took place in Bangkok, Thailand from 26 to 30 October 1999. This publication contains the report and recommendations of the Workshop and the edited versions of 18 papers presented and discussed during the meeting.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Reducing Water Pollution from Agrochemicals in Litani River and Qaraoun Lake, Governorate of Bekaa - UTF/LEB/028/LEB 2023
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Water pollution in the LitaniRiver and Lake Qaraoun, in the Governorate of Bekaa, poses a serious problem for human health and the environment. The source of pollution, originating from the agricultural sector, is mainly due to the excessive and indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers. In particular, the runoff from agriculture contributes to poor water quality, as farmers do not employ good agricultural practices (GAP) for preserving natural resources in soil or irrigation water management, pest and crop management, and often overuse agrochemical applications. Against this background, the main objective of the project was to reduce underground, LitaniRiver and Lake Qaraounwater pollution through the promotion and application of GAP, including integrated pest management (IPM), by farmers in the Upper LitaniRiver Basin and Lake Qaraoun.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Potential of drinking water alliances to address nitrate pollution – Experiences from Germany
    SOLAW21 Technical background report
    2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This paper provides background to the State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture Report, Edition 2021 (SOLAW 21) with an innovative governance approach to addressing non-point pollution sources originating from agricultural activities: alliances between water utilities and farmers in designated water protection areas and drinking water extraction areas. The alliances revolve around the idea of balancing diverging targets such as maintaining drinking water standards and the viability and profitability of agricultural businesses. While farmers can achieve high food production levels by using mineral and organic fertilizers and pesticides, these may have enormous side effects: nitrate and phosphate are transferred into surface and groundwater, impairing water quality and aquatic life. It may also result in the water no longer being usable as drinking water without special, costly treatment. These negative effects led to the establishment of voluntary alliances between water utilities and farmers (hereafter called ‘drinking water alliances’ or ‘alliances’) in the 1980s when the German government strengthened the threshold values for nitrate in drinking water from 90 mg/l to 50 mg/l. Water utilities, together with the regional (Laender) governments, initiated alliances with farmers to adopt fertilization and land management practices in order to protect drinking water resources from nitrate pollution.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.