Reuse of wastewater in agriculture and food sovereignty

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/fesa.29928273e.2025.11.97

Keywords:

Scarcity, food security, water security, climate change, Valle del Mezquital.

Abstract

Population and economic growth are increasing the demand for water in all sectors, including agriculture. The aim of this research is to analyze the use of wastewater in agriculture; how it helps reduce drinking water shortages, mitigate climate change, and ensure food sovereignty, as well as the varieties of crops that can be produced. México is one of the main countries utilizing treated and untreated water; for example, in the Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo, more than 90,000 hectares per year are irrigated. The process saves energy, production costs, and fertilizers, and reduces the environmental impact. For the study, AQUASTAT statistics were consulted for the main countries that use wastewater in their agricultural production; and CONAGUA statistics for the three districts of the Valle del Mezquital, Hidalgo. Besides, bibliographic review was conducted on the topic.

References

Almutawa, A. A. (2022). Date production in the Al-Hassa region, Saudi Arabia in the face of climate change. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 13(7), 2627-2647. https://doi.org/10.2166/WCC.2022.461

AQUASTAT. (2022). Sistema mundial de información de la FAO sobre el agua y la agricultura. https://www.fao.org/aquastat/en/databases/maindatabase/

Aznar, J. A., Belmonte, L. J., Velasco, J. F., & Valera, D. L. (2021). Farmers’ profiles and behaviours toward desalinated seawater for irrigation: Insights from South-east Spain. Journal of Cleaner Production, 296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126568

Bdour, A. N., Hamdi, M. R., & Tarawneh, Z. (2009). Perspectives on sustainable wastewater treatment technologies and reuse options in the urban areas of the Mediterranean region. Desalination, 237(1-3), 162-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DESAL.2007.12.030

Bo, Y., & Wen, W. (2022). Treatment and technology of domestic sewage for improvement of rural environment in China. Journal of King Saud University - Science, 34(7), 102181. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JKSUS.2022.102181

Cao, C., Zhang, P., Ma, Z. P., Ma, Z. B., Wang, J. J., Tang, Y. Y., & Chen, H. (2021). Coupling sprinkler freshwater irrigation with vegetable species selection as a sustainable approach for agricultural production in farmlands with a history of 50-year wastewater irrigation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 414, 125576. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JHAZMAT.2021.125576

Chen, Z., Ngo, H. H., & Guo, W. (2013). A critical review on the end uses of recycled water. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 43(14), 1446–1516. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2011.647788

CONAGUA. (2023). Estadísticas agrícolas de los distritos de riego. https://www.gob.mx/conagua/documentos/estadisticas-agricolas-de-los-distritos-de-riego

Contreras, J. D., Meza, R., Siebe, C., Rodríguez-Dozal, S., López-Vidal, Y. A., Castillo-Rojas, G., Amieva, R. I., Solano-Gálvez, S. G., Mazari-Hiriart, M., Silva-Magaña, M. A., Vázquez-Salvador, N., Rosas Pérez, I., Martínez Romero, L., Salinas Cortez, E., Riojas-Rodríguez, H., & Eisenberg, J. N. S. (2017). Health risks from exposure to untreated wastewater used for irrigation in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico: A 25-year update. Water Research, 123, 834-850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.06.058

Dawoud, M. A., Ewea, H. A., & Alaswad, S. O. (2022). The future of wastewater treatment and reuse in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Desalination and Water Treatment, 263, 127-138. https://doi.org/10.5004/DWT.2022.28217

De Anda, J., & Shear, H. (2021). Sustainable wastewater management to reduce freshwater contamination and water depletion in Mexico. Water (Switzerland), 13(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162307

Fagundes, T. S., & Marques, R. C. (2023). Challenges of recycled water pricing. Utilities Policy, 82, 101569. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JUP.2023.101569

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2013). Afrontar la escasez de agua. Un marco de acción para la agricultura y la seguridad alimentaria. www.fao.org/publications

Ghanem, A. M., Al-Ruwis, K. N., Alqahtani, S. H., Al-Nashwan, O. S., Al-Duwais, A. A. M., Alnafissa, M. A., Alhashem, J., Kamara, S. A., Alaagib, S. B., & Aldawdahi, N. M. (2021). The economic dimension of directing treated wastewater to the production of green fodder in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(8), 4825-4832. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SJBS.2021.05.012

González, M. I. G., & Rubalcaba, S. C. (2011). Uso seguro y riesgos microbiológicos del agua residual para la agricultura. Revista Cubana de Salud Pública, 37(1), 61-73. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=21417788007

Hamed, Y., Ayadi, Y., Khalil, R., Al-Omran, A., Lebdi, F., & Dhaouadi, L. (2024). Wastewater resources, agricultural practices management strategies, soil salinity predictions and artificial recharge in the Middle East-Saudi Arabia: A review. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, 23(8), 569-584. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSSAS.2024.08.003

Hanjra, M. A., Blackwell, J., Carr, G., Zhang, F., & Jackson, T. M. (2012). Wastewater irrigation and environmental health: Implications for water governance and public policy. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 215(3), 255-269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2011.10.003

Haruvy, N., Offer, R., Hadas, A., & Ravina, I. (1999). Wastewater irrigation-economic concerns regarding beneficiary and hazardous effects of nutrients. Water Resources Management, 13(5), 303-314. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008114225469

Icekson-Tal, N., Avraham, O., Sack, J., & Cikurel, H. (2003). Water reuse in Israel-the Dan Region Project: evaluation of water quality and reliability of plant’s operation. Water Supply, 3(4), 231-237. https://doi.org/10.2166/WS.2003.0067

Lazaridou, D., Michailidis, A., & Mattas, K. (2019). Evaluating the willingness to pay for using recycled water for irrigation. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(19), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195220

Manikandan, S. K., Jenifer. A, D., Gowda, N. K., Nair, V., Al-Ruzouq, R., Gibril, M. B. A., Lamghari, F., Klironomos, J., Hmoudi, M. Al, Sheteiwy, M., & El-Keblawy, A. (2025). Advancing date palm cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula and beyond: Addressing stress tolerance, genetic diversity, and sustainable practices. Agricultural Water Management, 307, 109242. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGWAT.2024.109242

Myburgh, S., Kosatica, E., Pfister, S., Kissinger, M., Fridman, D., & Koellner, T. (2024). An integrated biophysical-ecological assessment of embedded virtual water flows linked to Israel’s consumption of agricultural crops. Science of The Total Environment, 955, 177195. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2024.177195

Narayanan, D., Bhat, M., Samuel Paul, N. R., Khatri, N., & Saroliya, A. (2024). Artificial intelligence driven advances in wastewater treatment: Evaluating techniques for sustainability and efficacy in global facilities. Desalination and Water Treatment, 320, 100618. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DWT.2024.100618

Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). (2024). Saneamiento. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation

Pedrero, F., Grattan, S. R., Ben-Gal, A., & Vivaldi, G. A. (2020). Opportunities for expanding the use of wastewaters for irrigation of olives. Agricultural Water Management, 241, 106333. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGWAT.2020.106333

Qadir, M., Wichelns, D., Raschid-Sally, L., McCornick, P. G., Drechsel, P., Bahri, A., & Minhas, P. S. (2010). The challenges of wastewater irrigation in developing countries. Agricultural Water Management, 97(4), 561-568. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AGWAT.2008.11.004

Quipuzco, L. E. (2004). Valoración de las aguas residuales en Israel como un recurso agrícola: consideraciones a tomar en cuenta para la gestión del agua en el Perú. Revista Del Instituto de Investigación FIGMMG, 7(13), 64-72. https://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/bibvirtualdata/publicaciones/geologia/vol7_n13/pdf/a09.pdf

Resende, M., Freitas, F. C., Anibal, B., Martins, J., Duarte, A., Urban, A., Moreira Da Silva, M., (2022). Urban Wastewater Reuse for Citrus Irrigation in Algarve, Portugal-Environmental Benefits and Carbon Fluxes. Sustainability, 14(17), 10715. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU141710715

Silva, J., Torres, P., & Madera, C. (2008). Reúso de aguas residuales domésticas en agricultura. Una revisión. Agronomía Colombiana, 26(2), 347-359. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=180314732020

Tarhule, A. (2016). The Future of Water: Prospects and Challenges for Water Management in the 21st Century. In Competition for Water Resources: Experiences and Management Approaches in the US and Europe (pp. 442–454). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803237-4.00025-2

Ting, W. H. T., Tan, I. A. W., Salleh, S. F., Abdul Wahab, N., Atan, M. F., Abdul Raman, A. A., Kong, S. L., & Lam, L. S. (2024). Sustainable saline wastewater treatment using eutectic freeze crystallization: Recent advances, challenges and future prospects. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 12(3), 112919. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JECE.2024.112919

World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). (2017). Informe Mundial de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Desarrollo de los Recursos Hídricos 2017. Aguas residuales: El recurso desaprovechado (202 pp.). Unesco. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247647

Published

2025-05-01

How to Cite

Jonathan, & Tapia García, T. X. (2025). Reuse of wastewater in agriculture and food sovereignty. Revista Digital De Posgrado, (11), 102–111. https://doi.org/10.22201/fesa.29928273e.2025.11.97

Issue

Section

Articles

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.