Summary
A report by Rabobank and the World Resources Institute analyzing the drivers of global water scarcity and the potential for private investment in agricultural water-use efficiency technologies.
Key insights
- Global water scarcity is expected to increase due to population growth, rising incomes, lifestyle changes, pollution, and climate change, with agriculture serving as the primary consumer, utilizing over 70% of global water withdrawals.
- To meet the rising demand for food, feed, fuel, and fibre crops despite limited resources, agricultural water productivity must be improved through irrigation efficiency at the farm or system level.
- Private investment in water-use efficiency is becoming viable because technologies (such as low-pressure drip irrigation, remote-sensing for soil moisture, automated 'on-demand' irrigation, and drought-resistant crops) are mature, policy incentives like rising water prices and formalized water rights are emerging, and market signals—including higher commodity prices and farmer incomes—are favorable.
Cite the original document
- APA
- World Resources Institute (2008). Watering Scarcity. https://www.wri.org/research/watering-scarcity
- Chicago
- World Resources Institute. Watering Scarcity. 2008. https://www.wri.org/research/watering-scarcity.
- Wikipedia
- {{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Watering Scarcity |date=2008 |url=https://www.wri.org/research/watering-scarcity |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}
- BibTeX
- @techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2008watering, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Watering Scarcity}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2008}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/watering-scarcity}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }
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