The large majority of water consumed by men is for food production, up to 95% if both rainfed and irrigated agriculture is considered. In 2050, three major factors will affect the food demand in comparison with today’s situation : (i) the increase in the World population from 7 billion today to more than 9 billion in 2050; (ii) changes in the food diet of a large fraction of the World, leading to more animal product consumption, requiring more water to be produced than a more vegetarian diet; the health effects of these changes will also be discussed, among which obesity; the current fraction of the human population which is undernourished, one out of seven, also needs to be drastically reduced; (iii) the anticipated effects of climate change on the distribution of rainfall on Earth and on the availability of arable land. The consequences on mankind of these three factors and the potential solutions to feed the World in 2050 will be discussed, with their consequences on water resources, soil resources, biodiversity conservation, and finally World trade.
Ghislain de Marsily, emeritus Professor at University Paris VI, France, is member of the French Academy of Sciences, Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering, and member of the Academia Europaea. He graduated as a mining engineer, taught Hydrology at the Paris School of Mines, and Applied Geology at University Paris VI. His research interests include groundwater resources and protection, waste disposal, global water resources and sustainable development.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Maria-Theresia Schafmeister