Introduction
The emerging threat to the world’s food and water security is a crucial issue for the academic community. Access to clean and nourishing food and water is a requirement for any individual throughout the world; however, in the current age, some countries are struggling to provide their citizens with these necessities due to the lack of resources or finances. With many nations encountering problems with food and water security, the consequences of such events have become global, giving rise to multiple outcomes of food and water insecurity. Hunger, malnutrition, and decreased resource distribution frequently manifest in communities having issues with food and water security, which devastatingly decreases the well-being of such individuals. Of special concern are the ethical implications of this phenomenon, such as labor exploitation and social injustice, which arise due to the unequal distribution of food and water resources. The world’s governments must contribute additional efforts to improve food and water security in developing countries, identifying initiatives that can help resolve this complication.
Annotated Bibliography
Mishra, B. K., Kumar, P., Saraswat, C., Chakraborty, S., & Gautam, A. (2021). Water security in a changing environment: Concept, challenges and solutions. Water 2021(13).
The article by Mishra et al. (2021) discusses the prominent research on water and food security management, outlining how this complication could be resolved. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the current methodologies for addressing food and water security issues and propose sustainable solutions based on scholarly evidence. An overview of recent literature publications is conducted, with tracing the evolution of the concept of water security and the developments that are necessary for future growth in this area. After that, the authors also critically analyze the most promising resolution approaches, outlining three possible ideas that could significantly promote water security management initiatives throughout the world according to the available scholarly evidence. These approaches are the governance integrated water resource management, the combination of hard and soft methods, and nature-based solutions. Consistent with other discussed studies, the authors mention that the water security threat should be addressed first to successfully battle the difficulties with food security.
Wang, X. J., Zhang, J. Y., Gao, J., Shahid, S., Xia, X. H., Geng, Z., & Tang, L. (2018). The new concept of water resources management in China: Ensuring water security in changing environment. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 20(2), 897-909.
Another study on water resource management in presented by Wang et al. (2018), who aim to identify how the Chinese government is currently mitigating water security issues in the country. The main focus areas of the article are the water availability in China per capita, its uneven distributions, and challenges arising due to rapid population growth. It is highlighted that Chinese authorities are planning to introduce one of the strictest water security management methods, which is expected to yield beneficial results if implemented correctly. While the authors concur that this strategy might tremendously improve water access in the country, they also note that the lack of flexibility based on the emerging utilization issues might harm the measure’s success. Similar to other articles, the authors highlight the importance of resolving water security and scarcity complications in order to achieve food security, as food production is largely dependent on access to clean, unpolluted water.
Young, S. L., Frongillo, E. A., Jamaluddine, Z., Melgar-Quiñonez, H., Pérez-Escamilla, R., Ringler, C., & Rosinger, A. Y. (2021). Perspective: The importance of water security for ensuring food security, good nutrition, and well-being. Advances in Nutrition, 12(4), 1058-1073.
The research by Young et al. (2021) sheds light on the connection between water security and food security, integrating the previous evidence into a cohesive framework. The goal of this article is to review the measures implemented to assess food and water security and identify the main correlations between water scarcity and food insecurity. According to this publication, there are numerous interconnections between water contamination and the decrease in food resources, supported by scholarly investigations and data from underdeveloped countries. Based on the obtained evidence, the authors suggest four recommendations to increase the levels of water security, thus subsequently promoting food quality and access. Collecting more water insecurity data, utilizing appropriate measurement instruments, addressing both water and food insecurity in policy-making, and providing greater access to retrieved information is suggested. Consistent with other identified articles, the scholars argue that these activities will not only improve the research outcomes but offer an opportunity for gathering more reliable knowledge and implementing better legislation.
Rowe, H., Withers, P. J., Baas, P., Chan, N. I., Doody, D., Holiman, J., Jacobs, B., Li, H., MacDonald, G. K., McDowell, R., Sharpley, A. N., Shen, J., Taheri, W., Wallenstein, M., & Weintraub, M. N. (2016). Integrating legacy soil phosphorus into sustainable nutrient management strategies for future food, bioenergy and water security. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 104(3), 393-412.
A prominent publication by Rowe et al. (2016) offers a different perspective on the resolution of food and water insecurity, analyzing the integration of legacy phosphorus into the soil. The aim of this research was to uncover how legacy phosphorus may be used as a means of fertilizing and preserving soil, which, in turn, could mitigate food scarcity and help preserve phosphate resources. The authors adopt a distinct approach to solving this complication, proposing that legacy phosphorus could be utilized to address food security in various regions. It is emphasized that efficient farming is one of the key factors to ensuring water security and offering stable food production to the deprived populations. As such, based on the gathered evidence, legacy phosphorus resources are suggested as a beneficial option for farming, which might decrease the potential of water and food insecurity developing in the near future. Similar to the discussed studies in the area, this article also examines the consequences of food and water insecurity for the world’s population, outlining the negative ramifications that follow this issue.
Hameed, M., Moradkhani, H., Ahmadalipour, A., Moftakhari, H., Abbaszadeh, P., & Alipour, A. (2019). A review of the 21st century challenges in the food-energy-water security in the Middle East. Water, 2019(11).
The final research by Hameed et al. (2019) also evaluates the food and water security issue discussed in the mentioned articles; however, in this study, the Middle East is chosen as the geographical region for assessment. The authors aimed to examine the factors that drive food, water, and energy insecurity in the Middle East and how these difficulties can be overcome through the introduction of new policies. It appears that the majority of the countries that encounter food and water scarcity are not implementing the measures necessary to counter such developments, which further reduces their likelihood of overcoming the mentioned problems. According to the results, the primary elements contributing to the increase of food and water insecurity are water security, extreme events, economic growth, urbanization, growth of population, poverty, and lack of political stability. Similar to the discussed publication, the authors conclude that introducing relevant policies could tremendously improve the food and water security levels in the Middle East, decreasing the impact of food and water contamination.
Conclusion
To conclude, five articles on the global issue of food and water security have been discussed in this paper, highlighting the modern scholarly approaches to resolving this complication. Food and water insecurity can give rise to a multitude of negative consequences, which become especially evident upon the analysis of the affected population’s well-being. While some food and water security management methods are currently being implemented, the present research demonstrates that newer methods are needed to address the issue thoroughly. Mitigating water scarcity has been suggested as the most beneficial strategy, as food security is directly linked to the availability of clean water. As the food and water insecurity signs are evident throughout the world, it is imperative for the governments to continue devising and integrating measures, as well as contributing additional resources.