Water Quality and Agriculture
Meeting the Policy Challenge

Improving water quality is consistently ranked as a top environmental concern in OECD public opinion surveys. The key challenges for policy makers in addressing water quality issues in agriculture are to reduce water pollution while encourage benefits, such as maintaining aquatic life. This book examines linking policies, farm management and water quality. It looks at recent trends and prospects for water pollution from agriculture and the implications of climate change. It assesses the costs and benefits of agriculture's impact on water systems, and presents a series of case studies. Finally the report provides a set of recommendations for countries for meeting the challenge of improving agricultural water quality.
Also available in: French
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Foreword
This report examines the linkages between agriculture and water quality. It discusses the overall trends and outlook for agriculture and water quality in OECD countries; describes recent actions by policy makers to address water quality issues in agriculture; and provides a set of recommendations for countries to meet the challenge of improving agricultural water quality. In an earlier publication, as part of OECD work on agriculture and water, the linkages between agriculture and water resources were examined in OECD (2010) Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture.
Also available in: French
- Click to access:
-
Click to download PDF - 341.89KBPDF
-
Click to Read online and shareREAD