Publications

Falkenmark, M., A. Jägerskog, K. Schneider. 2014. Overcoming the land-water disconnect in water-scarce regions: Time for IWRM to go contemporary. International Journal of Water Resources Development 30(3): 391-408.

This article aims to analyze the relationships between water and land. It posits that there is a disconnect between land and water management that needs to be rectified. To address the major challenges the world is facing in terms of feeding itself and securing adequate access to water there is a need to revisit the integrated water resources management (IWRM) paradigm. While IWRM incorporates the link between land and water i...

Falkenmark, M. 2013. Water security – The multiform water scarcity. In: Lankford, B., Zeitoun, M. (Eds.) Water security - principles, perspctives and practise. Earthscan Water Text, Routledge

This chapter is part of a book which presents an overview of the latest research, policy, practitioner, academic and international thinking on water security—an issue that, like water governance a few years ago, has developed much policy awareness and momentum with a wide range of stakeholders. As a concept it is open to multiple interpretations, and the authors here set out the various approaches to the topic from different p...

Rockström, J., M. Falkenmark, M. Lannerstad, and L. Karlberg (2012), The planetary water drama: Dual task of feeding humanity and curbing climate change, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L14403, doi:10.1029/2012GL051688

This paper analyses the potential conflict between resilience of the Earth system and global freshwater requirements for the dual task of carbon sequestration to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, and food production to feed humanity by 2050. It makes an attempt to assess the order of magnitude of the increased consumptive water use involved and analyses the implications as seen from two parallel perspectives; the global perspectiv...

Malin Falkenmark (2012): Adapting to climate change: towards societal water security in dry-climate countries, International Journal of Water Resources Development, DOI:10.1080/07900627.2012.721714

Water security needs priority in adaptation to global change. Most vulnerable will be the semi-arid tropics and subtropics, home of the majority of poor and undernourished populations. Policies have to distinguish between dry spells, interannual droughts and long-term climate aridification. Four contrasting situations are distinguished with different water-scarcity dilemmas to cope with. Some countries, where the climate is ...

Falkenmark. M. 2011. Water-A Reflection of Land Use: Understanding of Water Pathways and Quality Genesis. International Journal of Water Resources Development. Volume: 27. Issue: 1. Special Issue: SI. Pages: 13-32.

Publication review The paper aims at a scientifically based synthesis of water quality genesis and pollution problems arising from human interventions in the landscape, physical as well as chemical. First, water quality genesis is explained in terms of sources, water pathways and some time scales involved. It goes on to look closer at chemical reactions along water pathways down a landscape catena, using the simple percept...

Falkenmark, M. and J. Rockström (2010). Building Water Resilience in the Face of Global Change: From a Blue-Only to a Green-Blue Water Approach to Land-Water Management. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 136(6): 606-610. doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000118

Falkenmark, M. and C. Folke. 2010. Ecohydrosolidarity: a new ethics for stewardship of value-adding rainfall. Pages 247-264 in Brown, P.G., and J.J. Schmidt, editors. Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals. Island Press, Washington D.C.

Deutsch, L., Falkenmark, M., Gordon, L.J., Rockström, J., Folke, C. Water-mediated ecological consequences of intensive livestock production. Chapter in: Livestock in a Changing Landscape: Drivers, Consequences and Responses. H. Steinfeld, H. Mooney, F. Schneider (eds.). Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative — LEAD at FAO, SCOPE program on Consequences of Industrialized Animal Production Systems, and the Swiss College of Agriculture.

Publication review Increasing need for water in livestock production requires new thinking. It´s a tall order: if the world is to achieve its Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger, a doubling of food production over the coming 20-30 years is required. But for the agriculture sector to produce more food, more water is needed, and the world is running out of it. A framework to understand water In livestock prod...

Gordon, L.J., Finlayson, C.M., Falkenmark, M. (2009). Managing water in agriculture for food production and other ecosystem services. Agricultural Water Management, doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2009.03.017

Publication review Important trade-offs need to be addressed between food production and preserving ecosystems. No economic sector consumes as much freshwater as agriculture and researchers are now calling for a paradigm shift to curb this trend. While agriculture has increased provisioning ecosystem services such as food, fiber and timber production, it has also substantially impacted the very ecosystems agriculture rel...

Karlberg, L., Rockström, J., Falkenmark, M., 2009. Water resource implications of upgrading rainfed agriculture – focus on green and blue water trade-offs. In Rainfed Agriculture – Unlocking the Potential. S. Wani, J. Rockström, T. Oweis, T. (eds.). Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. Series Vol. 7. CABI Publication, Wallingford, U.K., pp. 44-57

Publication review This chapter is part of a book done by a team of leading scientists from 10 global organizations. Chapters consider the potential of rainfed agriculture on the basis of case studies for different regions in Asia and Africa with the aim to assess the need of water for achieving food security and reducing poverty. Yield gaps for major rainfed crops are analysed globally and possible ways and means includin...