The world knows little about Monsoon Asia's agriculture even though it feeds 54% of the world's population but uses only 14% of the world's land. Within 30 years from when the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) were established in Manila, most Asian countries had achieved self-sufficiency in rice by using the green revolution technologies of irrigation management, high-yielding seeds and fertilisers. It also built up the foundation of the 'East Asian Miracle' in early 1990s, through integration of agricultural processing and marketing. Irrigated rice is an engine of life, which sustains high-yield, abundant, high-nutritional elements and a long history of cultivation. The networks of irrigation and drainage provide life-supporting water to every kind of creature and so contributes to biodiversity and environmental protection. However, different rainfall and soil conditions have led to unique and efficient water management systems to meet the local people's traditional socioeconomic choices. This paper highlights seven such examples in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Syria. After successfully increasing food production, Monsoon Asian countries are now challenging much broader targets for human welfare through crop diversification and agro-industries for higher income and sustainable rural development. At the beginning of the 21st Century, one of the most difficult problems is how to sustain efficient irrigation management. 'Participating Irrigation Management (PIM)' initiated by the World Bank in 1995 has encountered a vicious circle. It appears that this now needs to be extended to 'Community Owned Management (COM)' which will give stronger incentives to farmers and, at least, land cultivation and water use rights. Finally, the tragic event in the USA on 11 September 2001 demonstrated that 'narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor' is more important than simple 'Poverty alleviation'. The United Nations is asked to seriously consider this aspect and initiate a comprehensive study leading to global structural reform, beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
展开▼
