http://www.ifs.se/Programme/Announcements/Call_for_applications_GreenWater_2008.pdf
The majority of countries in need of increasing food security are
located in Sub‐Saharan Africa and South‐East Asia. The farmers in many
of these countries, especially in semi‐arid areas, have to cope with
highly variable and unpredictable rainfall, short rainy seasons,
recurrent drought all exacerbated by high evaporation rates. Yet,
agriculture in these areas is essentially rain‐fed. There is of course
scope for using "blue water" (i.e. runoff water, water from rivers,
ground waters, lakes) in these challenged countries but as these
resources are finite and often over‐committed, the exploitation of
other water sources needs to be optimised. Green water is an important
part of the solution to the problem.
More research on green water is necessary
Water from rain suffers losses through run‐off, low infiltration, poor
conditions of root development and soil erosion. Efforts need to be
made to improve the efficiency of rainwater use to deliver more green
water for use by the plants, especially for the benefit of small
farmers in arid and semi‐arid countries. To contribute to achieving
this goal, IFS is making a call for research proposals in this area.