Agriculture can be a tool to solve water crisis globally – Mustapha at Borlaug Dialogue

– says governments, private sector must work on solutions

Agriculture can be a tool to solve the water crisis that has hit various countries and regions across the Americas in recent years – a point that was emphasised by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha at the 2023 Borlaug Dialogue.
The Guyanese Agriculture Minister is currently attending the annual event in the United States, where he appeared on a high-level panel organised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
There, Mustapha warned that it is imperative that governments and the private sector work on solutions to mitigate the water crisis, noting that the problem affects some countries much more than others.
“The relationship between water and agriculture is undeniable. But there is a part of the world that can freely produce food, enjoying different sources of water. And in other parts we see droughts, which lead to poverty and hunger,” he noted.
Mustapha said Guyana is a country that benefited from an abundance of water and while it is referred to as the “Land of Many Waters”, this has not deterred efforts to ensure the availability of water in periods of drought, based on harvesting and storage systems.
Regarding projects aimed at resilience, he gave details of the development of a new variety of rice that is being carried out, which guarantees less water use in cultivation.
“We have the political will to place the issue of water at the heart of our agricultural policies and we are demonstrating it with projects that can be replicated in our countries. Water is a precious resource and is not only linked to agriculture but also to social inclusion and poverty reduction,” Mustapha said.
The Borlaug Dialogue brings together global leaders, agricultural producers, academics, scientists, educators, and students each year from various countries to discuss ideas and projects to achieve more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive agri-food systems.
The event is organised by the World Prize Foundation (WFP), a prestigious institution that promotes innovation and sustainability in food production. The foundation also awards the World Food Prize, which recognises those who make the most notable contributions to food and nutritional security in the world.

El Nino
Following months of extremely dry weather conditions, Guyana is expected to experience increased rainfall next month, according to forecasts from the local Hydromet Office.
Earlier this month, President Dr Irfaan Ali issued a call for citizens to conserve water, in light of the El Nino conditions.
“What we have seen as a result of the prolonged dry season, the extremely dry season, is that a lot of persons are also going to pipe water for gardens, for farming, for agriculture. They are going to pipe water also for construction purposes…so, I wanted to ask communities, members of the population to be careful with the consumption of water,” the President had expressed.
Despite the prevailing El Nino conditions, water levels in conservancy stood at 56.60 GD – satisfying the irrigation needs in farming areas served by the reservoir.
This week, the People’s Republic of China generously donated a total of $20.7 million in items to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).
Communities along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway that are particularly vulnerable to El Niño would be immediate beneficiaries of the donation. Essential resources, including water tanks, pumps, containers, dispensers, and fire extinguishers, will be provided to address challenges identified during the CDC’s drought outreach programme.