GUEST COLOMN : LESTER R BROWN

Low prices of water and drop in productivity

Posted: Monday, Dec 01, 2008 at 0125 hrs IST
Updated: Monday, Dec 01, 2008 at 0125 hrs IST

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: a reduction would cut grain use by 30 million tonne and irrigation water use by 30 billion tonne.

Reducing water use to the sustainable yield of aquifers and rivers worldwide involves a wide range of measures not only in agriculture but throughout the economy. The more obvious steps, in addition to those mentioned here, include adopting more water-efficient industrial processes and using more water-efficient household appliances. Recycling urban water supplies is another obvious step to consider in countries facing acute water shortages.

—The author is founder of the Earth Policy Institute. Adapted from Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester Brown (WW Norton & Company, 2008). For more, visit www.earthpolicy. org/Books/PB3/index.htm...

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