FAO promotes regional dialogue on water tenure as a strategic pillar for food security and climate resilience

Representatives from 20 countries across the Americas met on 10–11 February in Panama City to address the strategic importance of water tenure and governance. The dialogue took place in a context marked by climate change, increasing demand for water resources, and persistent inequalities and weaknesses in water planning and management.

Latin America and the Caribbean holds nearly 30 percent of the world’s renewable freshwater, yet faces growing local water scarcity. Droughts and watershed degradation—intensified by climate change—currently affect more than 100 million people, particularly in rural areas, Indigenous territories and arid and semi-arid regions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) led the dialogue as part of the global process it has been advancing since 2022 to develop non-binding principles for the responsible governance of water tenure.

“Family farming accounts for more than 80 percent of agricultural production units and is key to food security and rural livelihoods. Without secure water tenure, these production systems face greater risks and uncertainty,” said René Orellana Halkyer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“These impacts disproportionately affect women, small-scale producers and communities that depend directly on water for their livelihoods. This situation is compounded by inequitable water allocation systems, limited technical and scientific support, and fragmented institutional frameworks,” explained Amparo Cerrato, FAO Land and Natural Resources Tenure Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Participants highlighted water tenure as a structural and strategic challenge for advancing more equitable, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, underscoring its direct link to food security, social justice and climate change adaptation.

FAO reaffirmed its role as a key regional actor, connecting national, regional and global levels, engaging key stakeholders and projecting the priorities of Latin America and the Caribbean in international discussions on responsible water governance.

“Water tenure is emerging as a key factor in determining who accesses water, under what conditions and with what level of legal and social security, particularly in agriculture, which accounts for 72 percent of global water withdrawals,” said Benjamin Kiersch, FAO Senior Water Specialist and Global Coordinator of ScaleWat.

More frequent and intense droughts, conflicts over water use and declining water quality were identified as growing threats to food security, rural and urban livelihoods and territorial resilience.

The regional meeting convened representatives from governments, regional organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector to consolidate inputs from Latin America and the Caribbean, validate consensus, showcase territorial experiences and strengthen the region’s voice in the global agenda on water governance.