Water demand and use.

Global freshwater use has increased by a factor of six over the past 100 years and continues to grow at a rate of roughly 1% per year since the 1980s. Much of this growth can be attributed to a combination of population growth, economic development and shifting consumption patterns. Agriculture currently accounts for 69% of global water withdrawals, which are mainly used for irrigation but also include water used for livestock and aquaculture. This ratio can reach up to 95% in some developing countries (FAO, 2011a)  Industry (including energy and power generation) accounts for 19%, while municipalities are responsible for the remaining 12%. Globally, agriculture accounts for only about 4% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with an average contribution per country of 10.39%, the trend being a decreasing share of GDP. Such figures suggest that the value added of water use in agriculture is very low. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates, based on a business-as-usual scenario, that the world will need about 60% more food by 2050, and thatIrrigated food production will increase by more than 50% over the same period. The necessary amounts of water for these developments are not available. FAO recognizes that the amounts of water withdrawn by agriculture can only increase by 10%. The 2030 Water Resources Group concluded that the world would face a 40% globalwater deficit by 2030 under a business-as-usual scenario