The problem of water shortages and irregular rainfall patterns is daunting in many places. In areas that rely on rain-fed agriculture, these problems are especially acute. In Salamieh, Syria, limited water resources, combined with over-pumping and poor water management, has led to persistent problems of water scarcity. Arable farmland has decreased from 40,000 hectares in 1960 to an estimated 9,000 hectares in 2007. Of the approximate 5,000 ground water wells identified in 2003, almost 3,500 were dry.

To address these chronic issues, the Aga Khan Foundation’s (AKF) rural development programmes have worked with farmers, local governments and communities to promote better management of water resources and develop more water efficient methods of agricultural production. Activities include the improvement of irrigation systems, especially through drip and sprinkler systems in combination with land use practices that are environmentally sound.

AKF also works to bridge the gap between national research centres and small farmers by disseminating drought-tolerant barley varieties, demonstrating the importance and benefit of water harvesting techniques for orchards and initiating research on optimal cropping patterns that maximise production per unit of water used.

“No one can dispute, I think, that a large number of the world’s recent problems have been born in the countrysides of the poorest continents... We will need to address these problems with a much stronger sense of urgency. What we may have been content to achieve in 25 years, we must now aim to do in 10 years.” His Highness the Aga Khan at the Global Philanthropy Forum (Washington DC, USA) - 23 April 2009