Water is becoming increasingly scarce due to extended droughts in the American West, intensifying the importance of irrigation. The Colorado River, a vital resource, supplies irrigation water to nearly six million acres of farmland across seven western states and Mexico. This river system, crucial for sustaining agricultural productivity, faces severe challenges as water levels in major reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell continue to decline under record drought conditions. The impending federally declared water shortage on the Colorado River will enforce mandatory cuts, significantly impacting irrigation allocations, with Arizona facing a nearly twenty percent reduction in its water quota. The strain on water resources threatens the agricultural backbone of the region, highlighting the critical role of irrigation in maintaining food production amidst growing scarcity.

Water scarcity is a critical element of famine, threatening food production, environmental balance, and social and political stability. Agriculture, which uses about 65 percent of all water from rivers, lakes, and aquifers, is indispensable to food production, yet insufficient irrigation during droughts can halt crop growth. Governments often prioritize urban areas over farms when rationing water, leading to reduced food production as farmers struggle with inadequate supplies. Additionally, over-pumping and subsidizing water prices create a false sense of abundance, worsening the crisis as water tables drop, becoming too costly, salty, or depleted for irrigation. In Israel, decades of over-pumping have allowed seawater to invade the coastal aquifer, a vital freshwater source, potentially forcing the closure of 20 percent of coastal wells. Globally, more than 10 percent of irrigated land suffers from salt buildup severe enough to lower crop yields. Man's reliance on irrigation to compensate for the lack of rainfall has harmed the environment and diminished the ability to grow food.

In the ancient land of Israel, irrigation held a vital yet contrasting significance compared to the abundant river systems of other regions like Egypt. Unlike Egypt, where the Nile River provided a vast network of irrigation ditches, flooding annually to deposit nutrient-rich silt and sustain fields through mechanisms operated by foot, Israel lacked such a reliable water source. The Promised Land depended heavily on rainfall, which was seen as a direct provision from God. Without a major river like the Nile, the Israelites relied on seasonal rains and springs, which often emerged from mountain rock formations acting as reservoirs, only to dry up during droughts. This scarcity made the few rivers and streams in Israel, such as the Jordan, Kishon, and others that often turned into dry wadis outside the rainy season, symbols of life, growth, abundance, and divine blessing. The dependence on rainfall underscored their reliance on God's providence for survival, crops, and grazing lands, highlighting the profound importance of water in a dry and dusty land.