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Thursday, 22 March 2007, 09:40 GMT

In pictures: Watering hope

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Some 1bn people lack clean drinking water, the UN says on World Water Day. "Water is life," says Halima Mala, a farmer in Niger, one of the driest countries on earth.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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But in Keita, a village in the heart of dust-ridden Niger, having enough water is not that easy, especially during the long, dry season stretching from October until May.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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But Halima's bucket is full. The wells in the gardens developed in the region mean that she, like 75 other women, can grow cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes and squash.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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Similar gardens have been set up by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the EU across Niger to help women grow food throughout the year.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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One third of the world's population lives in a country affected by water scarcity. In Niger in 2005, poor rains and an invasion of locusts led to serious food shortages.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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Some 3.6 million people, including 800,000 children, out of an entire population of 12 million, went hungry.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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Agriculture is by far the largest consumer of the earth's freshwater, making producing more food using less water a major global challenge.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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As well as small-scale irrigation, the gardens in Niger also use improved seeds to bolster yields.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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Keeping children in school is a major challenge in villages such as Keita. Irrigation can help farmers stay settled, and help their children remain in school.

(Image: FAO/Giulio Napolitano)

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Rabi, a 28-year-old mother of three, hopes that her own harvest will mean she will never again have to take her children to a nutritional centre. Photos: FAO/Giulio Napolitano.

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