Summary

About 80 countries inhabited by 40% of the world’s population were suffering from serious water shortages by 1990 and it is estimated that within 25 years two-thirds of the world population will suffer from water stress ( UNEP, 2002 ). Extrapolations under the “business as usual” scenario show that by 2020, water consumption is expected to increase by 40%, and 17% more water will be required for food production to meet the need of the growing human population. Agriculture accounts for consumption of more than 70%) of all water abstractions from rivers, lakes and ground water. Irrigated agriculture provides 40% of the world human food production. Despite the increased percentage of people served with safe drinking water supply from 79% in 1990 to 82% in 2000, 1.1 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water and 2.4 billion people have no access to sanitation services; most of them are in Africa and Asia ( UNEP, 2002 ). Sanitation coverage in rural areas is less than in urban settings. 80% of people lacking sanitation live in rural areas ( WHO and UNICEF, 2000 ). As a consequence, a clear need for extending sustainable and safe sanitation services to small towns and rural communities, has emerged in the last decade. The objective of national and international policies was to identify the options and requirements for initiating and accelerating expansion of such systems in small communities especially in water scarce countries. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation (UN) has drawn great attention to secure food for people with affordable prices now and in the future. The expected increase in water demand due to increase in human population and per capita domestic water consumption, will negatively affect irrigated agriculture. Also deterioration and lose of fertility of soil due to intensive use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides will negatively affect the productivity of irrigated lands as well. Discharge of municipal sewage and drainage water in water streams enhances eutrophication of water bodies with subsequent deterioration in water quality. Deterioration of the quality of surface water reduces natural stock of fish in rivers and lakes with severe impacts on people’s income and food security in the nearby societies. Intensive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides increase contamination of the ground water aquifers. Severe contamination of surface and ground water negatively affects efficiency of water treatment plants, which derive influent water from these contaminated sources. Better management of natural resources via implementing affordable wastewater treatment technology with nutrients recovery and water recycling could safeguard, water resources and soil fertility with subsequent increased food security for the society.