Impacts of population growth and climate change on food production and irrigation and drainage needs: A world‐wide view^*

Abstract The world population is expected to grow from 7.8 billion at present to 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.9 billion by the end of the century. The growth is especially expected in urban areas of the countries with a low, medium, and high human development index (HDI) in Africa and Asia. Especially because of the on‐going increase in farm sizes in the rural areas of the countries with a medium, high, and very high HDI, a reduction in population in these areas may be expected. In the countries with a low HDI, this reduction is expected to start at a later stage. Globally, prospects of increasing the gross cultivated area are limited by the decrease of suitable sites for land reclamation or large‐scale irrigation and drainage projects. Therefore, increase in food production will largely rely on a more accurate application of the crop water requirements and modernization or improved operation and maintenance of irrigation and drainage systems. These issues have to be analysed in light of the expected impacts of climate change and environmental sustainability. This paper presents the relevant impacts of these issues on the need to increase food production and for sustainable irrigation and drainage system development and management. In light of this, the goals and objectives of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) Strategic Action Plan are presented.