KUALA LUMPUR: Irrigation must be formally recognised as critical infrastructure for ensuring food security, peace and global prosperity amid climate challenges.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu stated that irrigation remains indispensable despite rising water demands and environmental changes.
“Consider this fact, just 20 per cent of the world’s cultivated land is irrigated, yet it produces 40 per cent of the world’s food.”
He referenced Islamic teachings by noting “And we made from water every living thing” from the Quran to emphasise water’s foundational role in life and security.
Mohamad delivered these remarks while opening the 4th World Irrigation Forum alongside high-level international meetings in the capital.
He urged ASEAN nations to strengthen cross-border water management cooperation and invest in climate-smart irrigation research.
“Food security is a shared destiny. With a population of over 600 million people, our region faces rising food demand, water challenges in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins and the growing threat of climate shocks.”
Mohamad highlighted Malaysia’s National Agrofood Policy 2021–2030 which includes modernising 200,000 hectares of irrigated land with digital systems.
The strategy also aims to reduce non-revenue water losses by 15% by 2030 while implementing IoT-based monitoring and drone technology.
Irrigation plays a central role in achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals regarding hunger, water sanitation and climate action.
Malaysia commits to collaborating with the FAO, World Bank and International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage to advance irrigation infrastructure.
Hosting the World Irrigation Forum demonstrates Malaysia’s dedication to positioning irrigation as strategic infrastructure for future security.
The week-long event at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur gathers international experts and policymakers to discuss sustainable irrigation practices. – Bernama