ABSTRACT
Substantial investments in agriculture are needed, particularly in developing countries, to achieve the increases in crop and livestock production required by 2050. In many regions, land and water resources must be used more effectively, while minimising the potentially negative off-farm impacts of agricultural production. Investments must be tailored to local conditions, while recognising global demands for agricultural products. In this chapter, we describe investments in irrigation and wastewater use, given the critical role that water plays in crop and livestock production, the increasing demands for water across sectors, and the likely impacts of climate change on water supplies and demands in many regions. We take a landscape perspective, given that most investments in irrigated and rainfed settings involve upstream-downstream interactions. A landscape perspective is also helpful in describing the need to close the nutrient loop involving food production and consumption in largely rural and urban areas, respectively.
