Unlocking the potential of Protected Agriculture in the GCC Countries: Saving Water and Improving Nutrition

Abstract

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, including the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is one of the driest regions in the world and has insufficient renewable freshwater supplies for its current population, estimated at 400 million people. With the population growing by 2 percent each year, by 2050 the region is expected to host around 650 million people – a difficult challenge for the governments of the 20 countries and territories that make up the NENA region. Steering equitable economic and social development with a natural resource base that, at best, will remain much the same, is a challenge. However, according to an accepted scientific analysis conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other institutions, the region’s natural resource base, especially freshwater supplies, will be affected by the negative impact of climate change. Whatever the changes, it is certain that per-capita access to resources will decline. Therefore, saving freshwater resources by reducing consumption is a must. In this context, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) has pooled the organizations’ knowledge, experience, and resources to prepare a technical paper that will serve as a reference for targeted interventions implemented by the public and private sectors. The document is intended to serve as a blueprint for the region and to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge regarding new protected agriculture technologies and practices that aim to reduce water consumption in crop production. The document takes stock of current knowledge and paves the way towards more specialized studies of agricultural water-saving technologies, including high-tech closed greenhouses that minimize water loss from evapotranspiration. This technical document was prepared as part of the Regional Water Scarcity Initiative in the Near East and North Africa (WSI), an initiative that seeks to facilitate the endeavors of governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to develop participatory and innovative policies for sustainable water resource governance and management, which is vital for food security in the Near East, the GCC, and North Africa. Based on an accurate assessment of the available water resources, strategic decisions must be made on how to use these resources sustainably, avoiding all possible losses and reaching the best possible level of food self-reliance. The GCC countries are looking to adopt various ways to enhance local agriculture. Switching, to some extent, from open field production to protected agriculture is expected to save a significant amount of water, which can then be used for other purposes. This approach will offset considerably the region’s constraints of limited farmland and water scarcity.