Abstract
The availability of water resources has a direct impact on the economy of a country and the development of the main production processes, from agriculture, irrigation, and food production, to energy generation and water supply. The regional economic and social development is influenced by an adequate management of water resources because it stimulates the economy by expanding and ability to provide water for multiple uses, directly impacting on the generation of employment the improving the quality of life of the population. Venezuela has abundant surface water resources in the large basins. The northern part of Venezuela, where the highest percentage of the population and the main economic activities are based, face a severe water scarcity. Irrigation systems under public sector administration are characterized by large budgetary restrictions, with works for rehabilitation, operation, and maintenance generally carried out with inefficient results, due to lack of adequate technical supervision. There is a gap of official information that allows highlight the crisis that the agricultural sector has faced in the last decade. Another, very important aspect is Venezuela's severe energy crisis which began to present a deficit of electric power generation that has been alarmingly evident since 2009, which has worsened for more than a decade, causing the lack of electricity supply in large regions of the country for periods of time exceeding 100 h, contributing to aggravate the country's economic crisis. Due to the situation described, Venezuelan food systems have been seriously affected mainly by the advanced deterioration of irrigation infrastructure and the water availability on production processes. This paper explores and analyses the influence of water management on production Venezuelan economics and society, focus in three pillars representing the qualitative and quantitative relationships of water management and its impact on the system considering the aspects related to the sustainability of Venezuelan agri-food systems, analyzing the fundamental aspects for food production, main indicators related to the national economy, addressing the challenges to ensure food security.
Highlights
To ensure the food of the world’s population, agricultural production has accelerated, leading to water resource shortages in some regions, with environmental deterioration (FAO, 2020; Ibrahiem and Hanafy, 2020; Yang et al, 2020)
Challenges in the use of water resources include: Development of plans and projects that can generate reliable information and each on Venezuelan reservoir systems and associated irrigation works; submit projects to international funding agencies as a reinvestment of the required studies; Development and implementation of an integrated water resource management plan; implementation of measures to solve eutrophication problems, loaded–colmatation; decrease in water flow and conflicts of use, as well as raising awareness of users for sustainable water management; improve the efficiency of water use in the agricultural, urban and industrial sectors
As a result of the proposed studies determine the progress of the rehabilitation of irrigation systems and construction of new ones
Summary
To ensure the food of the world’s population, agricultural production has accelerated, leading to water resource shortages in some regions, with environmental deterioration (FAO, 2020; Ibrahiem and Hanafy, 2020; Yang et al, 2020). During the period 1960– 2005, the basins provided to the large Venezuelan reservoirs were exposed to recurrent droughts with varying degrees of intensity and persistence This situation suggests that the sectors most vulnerable to these events (especially agriculture and hydroelectric), probably did not develop adequate policies to adapt to the climate variability of the environment where they carry out their activities. In any case, this hypothesis should be evaluated to the extent that new rainfall information is available in the watersheds (Paredes Trejo et al, 2016; Paredes-Trejo et al, 2020; Quiroz-Ruiz et al, 2016). The following diagram focuses on water management in production, economics, and social aspects, considering its interrelationship between the quantity and quality of this vital resource (Figure 1)
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