MAJOR rice and water crises await Asian countries in the next 30
years, the
International Rice Research Institute (iARi) reports. It predicts
acute shortages of rice
unless anti-pollution and conservation attempts are exercised in
the area. iARi forewes social problems being triggered off by competition for
declining water supplies
and tillable land among industries, farmers and urban consumers.
The population of
Asia - fast approaching three billion - is shrinking the water and
agricultural land
rmources to the point of food shortages and social unrest. The
easy way out, that is,
development of new varieties of rice for increasing production will not help, and proper crop management and
resource conservation is the only solution. This is
because chemicals used as fertilisers and pesticides for
high yielding rice cultivation have often contaminated
7 the water sources. Future rice production will depend on
devising techniques producing more rice with less
water. The shortage of freshwater supplies in Asian
countries is largely due to uneven distribution of rainfall
and seasonal rains. More than half the rice produced in
ia are in the rain-dependent areas. Asian governments
need to plan the allocation of water resources properly as
problems regarding population and economic develop
F ment intensify, says IARI.
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