Water plays a vital role in global food security as 50% of agricultural production is seen to increase to feed nine billion population by 2050. A holistic management on water resources is deemed necessary as the population increase puts more pressure to water resources. In response to this, a collaborative workshop on Program Development of Sustainable Water Resource Management for Food Security in Southeast Asia was conducted by SEAMEO Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and UPLB Inter-disciplinary Center for Water (IdSC Water) at Los Baños Laguna from June 26-28, 2019.

Representatives of the ASEAN working group on Water Resource Management (AWGWRM) member countries together with SEA country representatives (Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR, Indonesia), ICHARM, Tohoku University, Philippine National Agencies, Academe, Local Government Units, International Non-Government Organizations and Civil Society Organizations attended the workshop in crafting the Sustainable Water Resource Management for Food Security in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, emphasized the food security challenges due to diminishing water resources. Water scarcity has been prominent as demand for competing users arise raising water security concerns, not just in Philippines, but in the whole SEA region.

The workshop was conceptualized to establish the important link between food security and water security. The 3-day workshop distilled needs and gaps to be addressed in research and development, capacity building, and knowledge management focusing on current initiatives on sustainable water resource management for food security in SEA.

With this, SEARCA seeks to develop an umbrella program focusing on research convergence towards sustainable water resource management in Southeast Asia, which will be included in SEARCA’s 11th 5-year plan. (C.B.Gigantone and J.O.Aquino)