A post on the CIGAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) blog by Environmental Journalist Russell Sticklor highlights the urgent need for effective canal modernization if the world is to meet the growing demand for food.
The article outlines many of the problems with existing canal systems (poor infrastructure maintenance, inefficient operation) and argues that while much of the focus of improving irrigation efficiency has been on micro-scale irrigation, the ubiquity and sheer volumes of water conveyed in large-scale surface irrigation schemes mean that canal modernization must be embraced if we are to meaningfully boost food security.
The full post can be read here.