Resumen
- Increasing population and accelerated human activities are putting unprecedented pressure on water resources management practices in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Agriculture currently accounts for some 65 percent of all water used on a global basis. While the demands for agricultural water are increasing steadily with time, the percentage available to this sector has been declining steadily in recent years. These trends are likely to continue in the coming decade. Thus, agricultural water use must become increasingly efficient in the future. A primary objective of the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation (IICA) is to promote sustainable agricultural development in the region. A constraint to fully achieving this objective in the 21st Century is likely to be increasing good quality water. This paper outlines the roles IICA could play in promoting water management in the Latin American and Caribbean countries in the 21st century.