The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today marked the 30th anniversary of AQUASTAT, its flagship global water and agriculture database, during a high-level hybrid event at FAO Headquarters in Rome.
The celebration also included a joint FAO–UN-Water briefing on the newly endorsed UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, approved in 2024 by the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination.
In his opening address, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stressed the vital link between water and food systems.
“There can be no food security without water security,” he stated. “FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022–31 focuses on making agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, and water is elementary to this transformation.”
He further highlighted the need for “a package of actions based on robust, reliable, continuous and consistent data and information.”
The event featured high-level remarks from Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water, alongside representatives from South Africa, Morocco, and Peru.
Lario emphasized that agriculture, as the largest user of freshwater globally, is increasingly vulnerable to scarcity: “Accurate and accessible data systems like AQUASTAT are vital for informed decision-making and sustainable resource management.”
Technical sessions traced AQUASTAT’s evolution since its inception in the 1990s by FAO’s Land and Water Division.
Developed to meet the demand for reliable, policy-relevant data, AQUASTAT provides open-access information on water resources, irrigation, infrastructure, efficiency, and stress levels—critical metrics for guiding investment and international cooperation.
“Today, 2.5 billion people live in water-stressed countries, and 10% of the global population faces high or critical water stress. By tracking this information, AQUASTAT enables governments and organizations to take proactive measures,” QU Dongyu noted.
Over three decades, AQUASTAT has become a cornerstone of global water governance, supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) monitoring—particularly indicators 6.4.1(water use efficiency) and 6.4.2 (water stress).
Its continued success is rooted in collaboration with FAO Members, who contribute and validate data and build national capacities.
This anniversary event is part of FAO’s 80th anniversary “365 days of action”, reflecting the 2024–25 biennial theme: Water resources management for the Four Betters—better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life.
