Third International Salinity Forum 2014

Increased demands on freshwater supplies in arid regions threaten the future sustained availability of fresh water for irrigation and crop production. The need to increase food production in arid regions can only be achieved by increased productivity of irrigated lands and/or increased acreage under irrigation. Alternative water supplies as well as more efficient use of existing water supplies are essential in avoiding a food crisis in regions such as the Middle East and North Africa, and to sustain the food production and local economies in the southwestern U.S., among others. Also, increased use of marginal water such as brackish and treated wastewater increases the risk of reduced water productivity due to higher salinity levels.