Future water availability and global food production potential: Green water increasing resilience to global change

This research paper argues that green water is dominant in food production and that managing local green water resources can increase agricultural resilience to climate change and population growth, potentially allowing water-short countries to produce sufficient food.

• Agricultural water management has historically focused on blue water (irrigation), but green water is actually the dominant factor in food production.
• Analysis using the LPJmL dynamic vegetation and water balance model suggests that countries currently viewed as severely water short could produce enough food for their populations if green water is managed effectively.
• Under the HadCM2 A2 scenario for 2050, which accounts for population growth and climate change, 59% of the global population is projected to face blue water shortages, while 36% will face both green and blue water shortages.
• Water resilience can be improved without expanding cropland by managing local green water resources to mitigate the risks of agricultural droughts and dry spells.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2009). Future water availability and global food production potential: Green water increasing resilience to global change. https://www.sei.org/publications/future-water-availability-global-food-production-potential-green-water-increasing-resilience-global-change/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Future water availability and global food production potential: Green water increasing resilience to global change. 2009. https://www.sei.org/publications/future-water-availability-global-food-production-potential-green-water-increasing-resilience-global-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Future water availability and global food production potential: Green water increasing resilience to global change |date=7 October 2009 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/future-water-availability-global-food-production-potential-green-water-increasing-resilience-global-change/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2009future, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Future water availability and global food production potential: Green water increasing resilience to global change}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/future-water-availability-global-food-production-potential-green-water-increasing-resilience-global-change/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }