Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region
The Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region is one of the most water scarce regions in the world, with a regional annual average of 1,200 cubic meters per person (world average is close to 7,000). Water, not land, is now the limiting factor for i...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC : World Bank
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/446831468299061864/Water-food-security-and-agricultural-policy-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa-region http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37139 |
| id |
okr-10986-37139 |
|---|---|
| recordtype |
oai_dc |
| spelling |
okr-10986-371392022-03-17T05:10:40Z Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region Shetty, Shobha WATER RESOURCES FOOD SECURITY AGRICULTURE POVERTY PRODUCTIVITY TRADE REFORM FUTURE IMPLICATIONS ACTIVE POPULATION NATIONAL POVERTY LINE IRRIGATION WATER RATES AND TARIFFS RENEWABLE RESOURCES AVAILABILITY AND DEMAND DROUGHT MITIGATION PLANNING GROUNDWATER USE AGRICULTURAL LIBERALIZATION The Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region is one of the most water scarce regions in the world, with a regional annual average of 1,200 cubic meters per person (world average is close to 7,000). Water, not land, is now the limiting factor for improving agricultural production in the MNA region. Maximizing water productivity, not yield per unit of land, is, therefore, a better strategy for on-farm water management under such conditions. Raising water productivity requires integrated attention to improving technical, agronomic and management measures. Water User Associations greatly facilitate the implementation of integrated measures. Using satellite remote sensing technologies, planners and policy makers can make more effective decisions to ensure a stable supply of water for food and the environment. All MNA countries with the exception of Morocco are net importers of agricultural products. The greatest benefits for MNA will be generated by comprehensive domestic agricultural reforms, in tandem with higher market access in European and world markets. MNA governments will face issues relating to timing and sequencing of reforms. Given its current resources endowments and growth prospects, it is in the best interest for MNA countries to push towards proceeding with the liberalization of markets in developed countries. At the same time, they could ask for some sort of compensation for higher prices and lost preferences in the form of non-trade distorting financial schemes or even cash grants for those countries facing significant losses as a result. Countries will have to pay a particular attention to the implications of this gradual approach for government revenues, adjustment costs and credibility of reforms. 2022-03-16T18:16:00Z 2022-03-16T18:16:00Z 2006-07 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/446831468299061864/Water-food-security-and-agricultural-policy-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa-region http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37139 English en_US Middle East and North Africa Working Paper Series;No. 47 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank Washington, DC : World Bank Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Working Paper Middle East and North Africa Europe, Middle East and North Africa |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
WATER RESOURCES FOOD SECURITY AGRICULTURE POVERTY PRODUCTIVITY TRADE REFORM FUTURE IMPLICATIONS ACTIVE POPULATION NATIONAL POVERTY LINE IRRIGATION WATER RATES AND TARIFFS RENEWABLE RESOURCES AVAILABILITY AND DEMAND DROUGHT MITIGATION PLANNING GROUNDWATER USE AGRICULTURAL LIBERALIZATION |
| spellingShingle |
WATER RESOURCES FOOD SECURITY AGRICULTURE POVERTY PRODUCTIVITY TRADE REFORM FUTURE IMPLICATIONS ACTIVE POPULATION NATIONAL POVERTY LINE IRRIGATION WATER RATES AND TARIFFS RENEWABLE RESOURCES AVAILABILITY AND DEMAND DROUGHT MITIGATION PLANNING GROUNDWATER USE AGRICULTURAL LIBERALIZATION Shetty, Shobha Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| geographic_facet |
Middle East and North Africa Europe, Middle East and North Africa |
| relation |
Middle East and North Africa Working Paper Series;No. 47 |
| description |
The Middle East and North Africa (MNA)
region is one of the most water scarce regions in the world,
with a regional annual average of 1,200 cubic meters per
person (world average is close to 7,000). Water, not land,
is now the limiting factor for improving agricultural
production in the MNA region. Maximizing water productivity,
not yield per unit of land, is, therefore, a better strategy
for on-farm water management under such conditions. Raising
water productivity requires integrated attention to
improving technical, agronomic and management measures.
Water User Associations greatly facilitate the
implementation of integrated measures. Using satellite
remote sensing technologies, planners and policy makers can
make more effective decisions to ensure a stable supply of
water for food and the environment. All MNA countries with
the exception of Morocco are net importers of agricultural
products. The greatest benefits for MNA will be generated by
comprehensive domestic agricultural reforms, in tandem with
higher market access in European and world markets. MNA
governments will face issues relating to timing and
sequencing of reforms. Given its current resources
endowments and growth prospects, it is in the best interest
for MNA countries to push towards proceeding with the
liberalization of markets in developed countries. At the
same time, they could ask for some sort of compensation for
higher prices and lost preferences in the form of non-trade
distorting financial schemes or even cash grants for those
countries facing significant losses as a result. Countries
will have to pay a particular attention to the implications
of this gradual approach for government revenues, adjustment
costs and credibility of reforms. |
| format |
Working Paper |
| author |
Shetty, Shobha |
| author_facet |
Shetty, Shobha |
| author_sort |
Shetty, Shobha |
| title |
Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| title_short |
Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| title_full |
Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| title_fullStr |
Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Water, Food Security and Agricultural Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
| title_sort |
water, food security and agricultural policy in the middle east and north africa region |
| publisher |
Washington, DC : World Bank |
| publishDate |
2022 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/446831468299061864/Water-food-security-and-agricultural-policy-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa-region http://hdl.handle.net/10986/37139 |
| _version_ |
1764484588209438720 |