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Section 4: Looking Forward
Water-energy-food interactions are dynamic, taking place in the context of demographic, economic, political, social, technological
and environmental change in the region. Understanding future trends in these areas and the likely impacts on trade-offs and
synergies between water, energy and food identiied in section 3 is vital in informing national planning and potential policy responses.
4.1 POPULATION GROWTH AND URBANISATION
The region’s population increased from 161 million in 1950 to 547 million in 2005, and is projected to increase to 763 million
by 2050
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. Population distribution has also shifted signiicantly due to rapid urbanisation. The percentage of the population
living in cities has doubled to 80 since 1950 and is predicted to continue to rise. The rapid pace of change and the emergence of
mega-cities across the continent has far outpaced urban planning capacity. A high percentage 23 of the urban population
live in slums without affordable access to basic services and infrastructure such as housing, potable water, sanitation, and
electricity
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. This increases the vulnerability of cities to growing threats from climate change and extreme events, including loods,
landslides and sea-level rise. In many cases, urban centres have developed from sites originally founded to suit colonial needs and
are not well-aligned with water resources. As a result some of the region’s largest cities are now facing water scarcity issues, with a
number including Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Lima and Caracas transferring water from neighbouring water basins
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.
Water distribution and sanitation
Urgent investment is required in water provisioning, treatment and sanitation services. Poor sanitation has major impacts on
the environment as untreated waste contaminates water bodies. Poor quality infrastructure leads to large water losses across the
distribution network, for example in Brazil, the Cities Ministry Agency estimates that these losses reach 37
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. Key challenges include weak and fragmented governance, poor management
of utilities and water pricing, and low quality infrastructure.
Urban and peri-urban agriculture
Urban and peri-urban agriculture can be important for local food security, both where there are high levels of urban poverty
and in the Caribbean where dependence on food imports makes populations vulnerable to global price shocks. A survey conducted
by FAO showed that urban and peri-urban agriculture was widespread in the region, including larger urban farming areas
such as in Mexico City where 15,000 tonnes of vegetables are produced from 22,800 ha annually
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. Peri-urban agriculture is threatened from urban sprawl, water competition, and intensive
use of agrochemicals.
Urban nexus
Pilot initiatives demonstrate that a nexus approach can provide low-cost solutions in integrated urban planning. For example,
waste management issues can be addressed by using waste both for biogas production for electricity or public transport and
fertiliser for urban agriculture. Treated waste water is being re-used for urban agriculture irrigation in Lima and Mexico
reducing health issues from untreated water, and could also supply household grey water use. Agricultural spaces also help
build resilience against loods by increasing permeable space for water to drain. Cities are also looking to their wider environment
and recognising the role of natural infrastructure in regulating and purifying their water sources; major cities including Bogota,
Lima and Quito have established water funds to compensate watershed protection services by upstream farmers.
4.2 MARKETS
