Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
-
Book (stand-alone)Technical studyArsenic contamination of irrigation water, soil and crops in Bangladesh: risk implications for sustainable agriculture and food safety in Asia 2006
Also available in:
No results found.Arsenic in groundwater is a major health concern in Asia and the risks from using shallow tubewells for drinking-water are well known. At present, 12 countries in the region have reported high arsenic levels in parts of their groundwater and recent studies have documented the potential risks from arsenic in irrigation water. The most well known concern is arsenic contamination entering the food chain, affecting food safety. This poses a potential dietary risk to human health in addition to the r isk from drinking contaminated groundwater. Less well known but potentially more serious is the risk to crop production. Continuous build up of arsenic in the soil from arsenic contaminated irrigation water may reduce crop yields, thus affecting the nutritional status and incomes of rural farming communities. As part of the green revolution, millions of shallow tubewells were installed throughout Asia over the last three decades. This resulted in a sharp increase of groundwater extraction for ir rigation. Considering the high number of arsenic contaminated tubewells, the amount of contaminated irrigation water entering the soil and its effects on crop yields and toxity to plants as well as to livestock and freshwater fisheries are of urgent concern. This must-read technical report for those involved with the issue of arsenic in irrigation water examines the available knowledge to date, focusing on Bangladesh where most studies on arsenic contaminated irrigation water have been carried o ut. Specific attention is given to rice owing to its importance in Asia and because it is one of the crops most sensitive to arsenic contamination. The report identifies knowledge gaps, the risks to food safety and crop production and the possible threat to sustainable development in the region. The author provides recommendations to key stakeholders concerned and advocates an integrated regional programme covering both crop production and food safety aspects within the framework of land degrada tion. Most importantly, the scale of the problem needs to be quantified and appropriate management options developed and disseminated. -
Poster, bannerPoster / banner / roll-up / folderThe bioavailability of cadmium and lead in soil and bioaccumulation in barley from a contaminated soil 2018
Also available in:
No results found. -
DocumentOther document
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
-
Book (series)FlagshipThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020
Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets
2020Updates for many countries have made it possible to estimate hunger in the world with greater accuracy this year. In particular, newly accessible data enabled the revision of the entire series of undernourishment estimates for China back to 2000, resulting in a substantial downward shift of the series of the number of undernourished in the world. Nevertheless, the revision confirms the trend reported in past editions: the number of people affected by hunger globally has been slowly on the rise since 2014. The report also shows that the burden of malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a challenge. There has been some progress for child stunting, low birthweight and exclusive breastfeeding, but at a pace that is still too slow. Childhood overweight is not improving and adult obesity is on the rise in all regions.The report complements the usual assessment of food security and nutrition with projections of what the world may look like in 2030, if trends of the last decade continue. Projections show that the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and, despite some progress, most indicators are also not on track to meet global nutrition targets. The food security and nutritional status of the most vulnerable population groups is likely to deteriorate further due to the health and socio economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.The report puts a spotlight on diet quality as a critical link between food security and nutrition. Meeting SDG 2 targets will only be possible if people have enough food to eat and if what they are eating is nutritious and affordable. The report also introduces new analysis of the cost and affordability of healthy diets around the world, by region and in different development contexts. It presents valuations of the health and climate-change costs associated with current food consumption patterns, as well as the potential cost savings if food consumption patterns were to shift towards healthy diets that include sustainability considerations. The report then concludes with a discussion of the policies and strategies to transform food systems to ensure affordable healthy diets, as part of the required efforts to end both hunger and all forms of malnutrition. -
Book (stand-alone)Technical bookSoil erosion: the greatest challenge for sustainable soil management 2019
Also available in:
Despite almost a century of research and extension efforts, soil erosion by water, wind and tillage continues to be the greatest threat to soil health and soil ecosystem services in many regions of the world. Our understanding of the physical processes of erosion and the controls on those processes has been firmly established. Nevertheless, some elements remain controversial. It is often these controversial questions that hamper efforts to implement sound erosion control measures in many areas of the world. This book, released in the framework of the Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (15-17 May 2019) reviews the state-of-the-art information related to all topics related to soil erosion. -
Book (stand-alone)High-profileStatus of the World's Soil Resources: Main Report 2015
Also available in:
No results found.The SWSR is a reference document on the status of global soil resources that provides regional assessments of soil change. The information is based on peer-reviewed scientific literature, complemented with expert knowledge and project outputs. It provides a description and a ranking of ten major soil threats that endanger ecosystem functions, goods and services globally and in each region separately. Additionally, it describes direct and indirect pressures on soils and ways and means to combat s oil degradation. The report contains a Synthesis report for policy makers that summarizes its findings, conclusions and recommendations.The full report has been divided into sections and individual chapters for ease of downloading: