By Prossy Nandudu
Government should design policies to guide water management across sectors.
The call was made by the Food and Agriculture Country Representative Antonio Querido while officiating celebrations to mark World Food Day celebrations on Monday.
Celebrations were marked under the theme, Water is Life. Water is Food. Leave no one behind, and were held at the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Mukono district.
“We all need to stop taking water for granted. Each of us needs to make informed decisions about the products we buy, avoid wasting water and prevent flooding disasters and pollution,” Querido explained.
For the farming community, where 70% of all freshwater goes to agriculture, Querido called for a change in ways of food production as failure to act will lead to food insecurity.
Querido explained that an increase in extreme weather events, drought and flooding are already stressing food systems and that smallholder farmers, particularly the poor, women, youth, migrants and refugees, are the most vulnerable.
“While reconciling the competing water needs for various economic activities, we need to secure sufficient water for agriculture, especially in semi-arid and arid areas,” Querido added.
Officiating as chief guest at the event, Minister of agriculture Frank Tumwebaze hailed development partners for their support, especially in extending water for production technologies to water-stressed areas.
Working development partners such as FAO, Tumwebaze said they established different kinds of water for production facilities in at least 30 districts in central Uganda, Karamoja, Teso, West Nile and South-Western Uganda.
In Teso, specifically Katakwi and Kaberemaido districts, FAO is establishing hydrant irrigation systems to cover 100 acres of irrigated land.
Micro-level water for production facilities have been established in Karamoja, West Nile and Southwestern Uganda.
PHOTO CAPTION: Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze with delegates posing for a photo during the commemoration of the World Food Day. Photo by Agnes Nantambi
