Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Nii Quaye-Kumah is the representative to China of the International Fund for Agricultural Development and head of the Regional South-South and Triangular Cooperation Center for Asia and the Pacific. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
编者按：决策者是一个全球平台，供决策者分享他们对影响当今世界之事件的见解。倪华（Nii Quaye-Kumah）是国际农业发展基金（IFAD）驻华代表，同时也是亚太区域南南合作与三方合作中心负责人。文章仅代表作者的观点，而非本台观点。
There is an adage – "water is life." That is indeed true considering that about 60 percent of the adult human being’s body is made up of water and about 71 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water. Access to water is a human right. Would you believe that some 2.2 billion people live without safely managed drinking water services with devastating impacts on their lives and wider society? So, as the world grapples with the growing threat of water insecurity, it is obvious that all regions are impacted – none are spared. Water resources are increasingly being stretched due to the impact of climate change as evidenced in erratic rainfall patterns and rising sea levels. The impact on every sector of society is jarring.
常言道：“水是生命之源。”这话确实不假。水不仅是维持生命的基本要素，占人体成分的约60%，更覆盖了地球表面约71%。获取水资源是人类的基本权利。但你是否知道，全球仍有约22亿人无法获得安全的饮用水？这不仅影响他们的日常生活，更严重阻碍了社会发展。当今世界，全球水安全正面临严峻挑战，几乎所有地区都受到波及。极端天气频发：不是暴雨成灾，就是干旱少雨，海平面不断上升，水资源的时空分布愈发不均，对社会各个领域带来了前所未有的冲击。
In agriculture, where water is both a lifeline and a fragile resource, the situation has assumed an alarming dimension. According to the Netherlands-based Wageningen University and Research, a global leader in agriculture education and research, the glaciers of the Himalayas and Alps are melting, and this will have consequences for agriculture in the future. It goes on to cite that one third of all rice is grown around the Himalayas, and countries depend on meltwater to grow this water-consuming crop. Europe is also feeling the impact as it has started to notice the effects of reduced snowfall and melting glaciers in the Alps. One of the challenges posed to agriculture is the fast rate of melting of these glaciers and the alteration in the balance of the quantity of water released. With about 70 percent of the earth’s fresh water existing in the form of snow or ice, preserving glaciers to slow down the melting rate and thus preserve more water from these sources over a longer period has become critical for all stakeholders.
在农业领域，水既是农业发展的命脉，也是极其脆弱的资源。其形势之严峻，令人忧心。根据全球领先的农业教学科研机构荷兰瓦赫宁根大学的一项研究，喜马拉雅山和阿尔卑斯山的冰川正加速融化，这将对未来农业发展产生深远影响。研究指出，全球三分之一的稻米种植区域位于喜马拉雅山地区，而这些国家的农业生产高度依赖冰川融水。欧洲也面临同样挑战。阿尔卑斯山区降雪减少、冰川消融，已开始影响当地农业。冰川快速融化导致水资源释放量失衡，给农业带来巨大挑战。目前，地球上约70%的淡水以雪或冰的形式存在，因此，保护冰川、减缓其融化速度，从而实现该部分水资源的长期稳定供应，已成为亟待全球共同重视的重要课题。
The preservation of global glaciers, and indeed other water sources starts with countries. Therefore, on this occasion as the world observes World Water Day, I want to highlight the critical role of sustainable water management and the role of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in supporting rural communities to ensure water security, food security, and climate resilience in China.
保护全球冰川乃至所有水资源，必须从国家层面做起。因此，值此“世界水日”之际，我希望强调可持续水资源管理的重要性，并分享国际农业发展基金如何支持农村社区实现水安全、粮食安全和气候韧性，尤其是在中国的探索实践。
国际农业发展基金资助湖南省凤凰县雄龙村的灌溉渠道改造工程，该工程于2023年竣工。图片来源：国际农业发展基金
China Water Week, March 22 to 28, is observed with a host of promotional activities to highlight the commemoration of World Water Day. This year's theme for China Water Week, "Promoting High-quality Development in the Water Sector for National Water Security" could not be more timely. This is against the background that globally, 72 percent of the population lives in water-insecure regions, and 8 percent of the world's population faces critical water shortages. This is important because in a country where agricultural production is tied closely to water availability, securing reliable and sustainable water resources is vital for both rural livelihoods and national food security.
每年3月22日至28日是“中国水周”，期间全国各地会举办一系列宣传活动，以呼应“世界水日”。今年“中国水周”的主题——“推动水利高质量发展，保障我国水安全”——既应时，也应势。全球范围内，有72%的人口生活在水资源短缺地区，8%的人口正面临着极为严重的缺水问题。在中国，农业生产对水资源的依赖尤为突出。保障水资源的可持续性和稳定性，既关乎农村居民的生计，也关系到国家粮食安全的大局。
National statistics show that though China has the sixth-largest water resources globally, its per capita water availability is only 35 percent of the global average with nearly two-thirds of its cities experiencing water shortages. This imbalance is further exacerbated by agricultural consumption taking up about 60 percent of total national consumption. Yet, agriculture remains one of the most vulnerable sectors to water insecurity. The vulnerability of the sector to water insecurity is amply demonstrated by the fact that the majority of smallholder farmers rely on rainfall for their crops, making them particularly susceptible to shifting precipitation patterns and indeed water from other sources such as glaciers. Glaciers in particular are known to provide a more stable water supply that sustain river flows. Their loss thus threatens crucial agricultural water supplies.
国家统计数据显示，尽管中国的水资源总量位居世界第六，但人均水资源却仅为全球平均水平的35%。全国近三分之二的城市长期面临水资源短缺。这一矛盾在农业领域尤为突出：农业用水占全国总用水量的约60%，但农业本身却是对水资源最为敏感和脆弱的领域之一。农业对用水安全的高度依赖，体现在中国广大中小农户种地“靠天吃饭”，主要依赖自然降水。一旦降水模式发生变化，或者冰川等稳定水源减少，农民就容易陷入“旱涝急转”的被动局面。冰川作为维持河流流量的重要水源，其稳定的补给功能对农业生产至关重要。一旦冰川加速消融，不仅威胁河流水量的稳定，也将进一步冲击农业灌溉生产。
Recognizing these challenges, China has intensified policy efforts to enhance water conservation and improve water-use efficiency. The National Water-Saving Action Plan (2019) aims to limit total water consumption to 700 billion cubic meters by 2035.
面对这些严峻挑战，中国近年来持续加大节水政策的实施力度，致力于提升水资源利用效率。早在2019年，中国就出台了《国家节水行动方案》，明确提出到2035年，全国用水总量要控制在7000亿立方米以内。
IFAD's work in China aligns well with such a vision by integrating sustainable agricultural practices and building rural climate resilience. To mitigate the impacts of both floods and droughts, IFAD is investing in climate-proofed infrastructure that strengthens rural resilience. In central China's Hunan Province, IFAD has supported the construction of irrigation facilities, including canals, water pipelines, ponds, pumping stations, and water source facilities, along with retaining dams and drainage ditches. These investments support the government's efforts to regulate water resources, mitigate flood risks, ensure reliable irrigation supplies, and maintain river ecosystems. By integrating such infrastructure with sustainable agricultural practices, IFAD is ensuring rural communities are better equipped to face climate extremes.
农发基金在中国的工作与这一战略目标高度契合。通过推动可持续农业实践，农发基金帮助农村地区提升应对气候变化的能力，强化基础设施建设，从而增强乡村地区抵御洪涝和干旱的能力。以中部的湖南省为例，在农发基金的支持下，当地建设了包括渠道、水管、水塘、抽水站和水源点在内的多种灌溉设施，并配套修建蓄水坝和排水沟。这些基础设施不仅助力地方政府更科学地调控水资源、降低洪涝风险，有效保障了灌溉用水的稳定供应，同时也兼顾了河流生态系统的保护。通过将基础设施建设与可持续农业生产方式相结合，农发基金正助力中国广大农村社区更好地应对气候变化带来的极端天气挑战。
Beyond infrastructure, IFAD is also promoting smart and sustainable irrigation systems to enhance agricultural productivity – particularly for small-scale farmers who form the backbone of China's rural economy. A shift in focus from large-scale to small-scale, well-planned irrigation schemes offers cost-effective and efficient solutions. For instance, in Suijiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, IFAD has supported a young entrepreneur in renovating nine reservoirs and developing a smart irrigation system. These reservoirs have created a drip irrigation network that connects to each fruit tree. Additionally, the intelligent water-fertilizer integration system precisely irrigates and nourishes a 600-mu (about 40 hectares) orchard with a simple stroke on a smartphone. Drip and precision irrigation technologies like this ensure minimal water wastage while maximizing efficiency.
除了基础设施建设，农发基金还积极推广智能化、可持续的节水灌溉系统，以提升农业生产效率，助力以小农户为主体的中国农村经济实现高质量发展。相较于传统的大规模灌溉工程，农发基金将目光投向“小而精”的灌溉模式，不仅成本更低、效率更高，也更符合农村实际需求。以中国西南部云南省绥江县为例，农发基金曾支持一位当地的青年创业者改造了九座小型水库，并建设了一套智能灌溉系统。这些水库通过滴灌网络精准连接到每一棵果树，配套的水肥一体化系统更是实现了“手机一点、全园灌溉”的高效管理模式。如今，这套系统已覆盖约600亩果园，不仅精准施水施肥，大幅减少浪费，还显著提高了水果产量和质量。
The lessons and innovations from the implementation of these projects have become sources of knowledge exchange, especially with other Global South countries. For example, in Rwanda where the severity of droughts impacts rural households, IFAD is funding a project that has introduced downsized, affordable, and easy-to-use solar-powered irrigation systems to combat water scarcity. The project has a technology transfer and capacity building component in which Chinese agricultural machinery companies train local youths to assemble, maintain, and service the irrigation equipment, creating jobs and fostering self-sufficiency. The impact has been swift, as farmers who adopted this technology have reported a three-fold increase in yield, and their success has inspired knowledge-sharing initiatives with counterparts in Kenya.
这类项目的实践经验和创新成果，也在不断向全球南方国家推广。例如，在经常遭遇干旱的非洲卢旺达，农发基金正在资助一项灌溉项目，通过引入体积小、价格亲民、操作简便的太阳能灌溉设备，帮助当地农户缓解水资源短缺问题。该项目还特别设有技术转移和能力建设模块，邀请中国农业机械企业为当地青年提供设备组装、维修和维护培训，既带动了就业，也提升了当地的自我发展能力。这项技术推广收效显著。采用该系统的农户普遍反映，产量提升了三倍，农民尝到了“科技种田”的甜头。如今，这一成功经验已推广至肯尼亚等其他非洲国家，推动更多知识交流与合作。
By investing in a green and efficient water infrastructure, sustainable technologies, and climate-smart practices, IFAD supports efforts to preserve key water sources such as glaciers. As we observe World Water Day 2025 and the 38th China Water Week, we are reminded that water security is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity for the survival and prosperity of rural communities, agriculture, and economies alike. By working together and investing in sustainable, climate-resilient water management practices, we can ensure that good quality water continues to flow freely and sustainably for future generations.
通过投资绿色高效的水利基础设施、推广可持续技术和气候友好型农业实践，农发基金不仅在帮助农村社区应对极端天气，也在积极参与冰川等全球重要水源的保护工作。在2025年“世界水日”与第38届“中国水周”到来之际，我们更应深刻意识到：水安全不再是可有可无的“附加题”，而是事关农村生存、农业发展乃至国民经济命脉的“必答题”。只有携手合作，坚持可持续且具韧性的水资源管理之路，才能确保优质水源长久流淌，泽被后代、惠及千秋。
