Facing up to the future

Photo credit: IWMI – http://g9jzk5cmc71uxhvd44wsj7zyx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Farmer-in-Gujarat-looks-on-as-irrigation-pumps-and-pipes-pull-water-from-the-canal-for-farms.jpg

 

Water for agriculture in an era of climate uncertainty

Globally, the negative impacts of future climate change on freshwater systems are expected to outweigh the benefits

As negotiators in Paris finalize the latest global treaty to tackle climate change, a timely new book explores the likely future for water in agriculture. Under current trends, the demand for food will double over the next half century. About 70% of all freshwater withdrawals are used to produce food, so the impacts of climate change on rainfall, river flow and groundwater will translate into impacts on agricultural production. As a result, say the book’s editors, significant improvements are necessary in agricultural water management now to reduce the vulnerability of the world’s poorest people.

“Globally, the negative impacts of future climate change on freshwater systems are expected to outweigh the benefits,” says IWMI’s Vladimir Smakhtin, one of the books editors. “By the 2050s, the area of land subject to increasing water stress is projected to be more than double that with decreasing water stress. In particular, the frequency of short droughts is likely to increase in the presently dry regions.”

The amount of land suitable for farming will also be hit. Under some computer models, the area deemed ‘highly suitable’ for crops is likely to shrink by a fifth. Similarly, more land will be classified as ‘marginally suitable’ or ‘moderately suitable’, with increases of 3.8 million km2 and 1.6 million km2, respectively.

Resources are sufficient – if managed smartly

The prospects sound alarming, but with careful resource management, say the editors, many of the worst effects of climate change can be mitigated.

Read the full article: IWMI

Save water and feed millions

Photo credit: IWMI

Photo: Hamish John Appelby / IWMI

How urban farming can save water and feed millions

By: Carolyn Fry

Agriculture is primarily perceived as a rural occupation that takes place far from the urban centres that consume many of its products. However, with more than half the world’s population now living in cities, farming is increasingly being practised within and around conurbations. The first-ever global assessment of the extent of urban and peri-urban agriculture, conducted jointly by IWMI (under the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems [WLE]), the University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University, found that land equivalent in extent to the size of the European Union is now being farmed within 20 kilometres of cities. Some 67 million hectares of this farmland, around 14%, comprises open spaces lying within urban heartlands.

The release this month of the book Cities and agriculture: Developing resilient urban food systems, is therefore timely. Published by Earthscan and edited by Henk de Zeeuw, Senior Advisor at the Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) Foundation, and Pay Drechsel, Principal Researcher at IWMI, the book reviews the state-of-the-art of urban and peri-urban agriculture.

International experts present their findings on everything from the inclusion of agriculture in urban planning, to the role of women in developing urban food strategies, and the safe use of organic wastes and wastewater within food production.

“Many different academic disciplines are working on urban agriculture, from experts in architecture to those concerned with climate change or human health,” explains Drechsel. “The purpose of the book was to summarize the growing body of literature on the subject and to make it available in a one-stop-shop.”

Read the full article: IWMI

Groundwater should be taken into account

 

Time for transboundary groundwater issues to be taken seriously

IWMI’s Karen Villholth argues that groundwater should be taken into account when African transboundary water agreements are negotiated.

VIDEO

https://youtu.be/CA8DLebK8Gs

Tree planting in Sri Lanka

Photo credit: IWMI

Ranjith Ratnayake, Country Co-ordinator, Sri Lanka Water Partnership, plants a tree at the Biodiversity Study Park in Talawatugoda (photo: Renuka Jeya Raj/IWMI).

SLWP celebrates World Environment Day with tree planting campaigns

The Sri Lanka Water Partnership (SLWP) celebrated World Environment Day 2015 on Friday 5 June with a tree planting ceremony at the Biodiversity Study Park in Talawatugoda.

About 15 fruit trees including mango, kumbuk and mee, were planted as an initial step. SLWP was partnered by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation in this event, in which IWMI also participated. “We strongly support catchment and river bank conservation. World Environment Day gave us the opportunity to actively promote this commitment,” said Ranjith Ratnayake, Country Coordinator, SLWP.

Read the full article: IWMI

Getting that ‘real time’ flow in Pakistan

Photo credit: IWMI-CGIAR

Farmer taking excess water out from the fields near 3R canal, Haron Abad, Pakistan. Photo: Faseeh Shams/IWMI

A better way to collect, send and share water information in Pakistan

A group of researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pakistan are investigating whether water flow information that is clear, credible and timely can improve the management of public irrigation systems and lead to more equitable water distribution. The team is using new technology, which automatically measures canal flows, groundwater and weather, and transmits this information to water managers through a mobile phone network. This is the first attempt at using such technology for flow monitoring at this level of canal irrigation in the country.

Currently, Pakistan’s Indus Basin Irrigation System supports 300 million people and a quarter of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) through agriculture. However, this system cannot meet the rising demand for water from farmers. According to predictions, Pakistan will have the world’s fifth largest population by 2050. This, alongside trends of increasing land fragmentation and a transition towards the cultivation of cash crops, is putting pressure on water distribution.

The current system also faces challenges of inequity due to water rationing. During the summer months, farmers need additional water to compensate for higher rates of evapotranspiration, but the demand for water exceeds the supply. Depending on farmers’ location along the canal system, some have better access to water and receive different quantities even though they pay the same water fees per unit of land. IWMI is piloting a new way of collecting, processing and monitoring data, and researchers hope that this will help water managers clearly identify areas in need. Eventually, this could support the development of policies for more equitable and sustainable water use.

Read the full article: IWMI-CGIAR

East Africa’s farmers get water smart

 

New book provides practical advice for farmers to make the most of their farm in climate and water uncertain times

Farmer Tom Acuma is a water smart pioneer. On his 24 hectare plot in Uganda’s Otuke district he harvests runoff water into a pond that he can then use for supplementary irrigation. He also incorporates mulch and manure into his carefully tended planting ridges; a combination that encourages the infiltration of rainwater and conserves soil fertility and moisture. As a result he can grow a huge range of crops all year round – enough to feed his large family and sell the excess in local markets.

Simple techniques like these could benefit many more East African Farmers like Tom, if only they were more widely known and adopted. Now a new book, produced by the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (led by IWMI) in partnership with Care and the Global Water Initiative East Africa (GWI EA) aims to address this gap.

The Sourcebook on Water-Smart Agriculture in East Africa is a collection of case studies that clearly show how farmers can improve their own water management and increase yields, often with very little outlay. The approaches featured in the book range from soil conservation to the planting of drought tolerant crops.

Read the full article: IWMI

A major water crisis in South Asia

Photo credit: Google

India’s thirst for groundwater is threatening a major water crisis, and adding to global sea level rise, says a report.

(http://www.impactlab.net/2009/10/04/indias-thirst-for-groundwater-raising-global-sea-levels/)

South Asia running out of groundwater

[NEW DELHI] India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan along with China account for nearly half of the world’s total groundwater use and these regions are expected to  experience serious deficits, says the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR 2015), Water for a Sustainable World 2015 released ahead of  World Water Day on 22 March.

WWDR 2015 explains the complex relationship between access to water and economic development using India as an example.  Between 1960 and 2000 India’s mechanised tube wells increased from one million to 19 million.

India has 26 million groundwater structures; Bangladesh and Pakistan each have around 5 million.

Read the full article: SciDevNet

Serious water deficits in South Asia

See : IWMI

South Asia running out of groundwater

India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan along with China account for nearly half of the world’s total groundwater use and these regions are expected to  experience serious deficits, says the UN World Water Development Report (WWDR 2015), Water for a Sustainable World 2015 released ahead of  World Water Day on 22 March.

Home gardens are promoted as the backbone of poor rural households, but …

Photo credit: IWMI

A bag garden in Kenya
Photo credit: Neil Palmer/CIAT

Why work to promote home gardens in Africa needs a rethink

Research on home gardens in Africa must rewind and refocus on the grassroots, according to a new report published today by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). It explores the available knowledge and lessons learned from past experiences in promoting home gardens in Africa, with a special emphasis on water management.

Onions on a bag – Photo Ville Farm – 1381604_213004272206571_304135207_n.jpg

The report, which is part of the USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small-Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) project, highlights the lack of research directly involving the rural home gardeners at the grassroots level. It points out that research needs to be framed around actual home garden practices, as well as issues and opinions of the gardeners.

It also emphasizes the need for researchers to focus on more inclusive assessments. In this respect, the report urges fellow researchers to break away from the conventional approach of treating home gardens in isolation. Instead, they should be viewed as part of a bigger picture that takes into account agriculture, water supplies and prevailing health, social and economic systems. Follow-up of research results is seen as the critical missing link in actually making use of research results.

Read the full article: IWMI-CGIAR

 

Raising the stakes in Ghana

Photo credit: IWMI

Abdullah, a Fulani crop and livestock farmer, at home on the farm near the village of Jimli

Why fences, crop rotation and water storage mean one farmer is no longer losing the plot in Northern Ghana

EXCERPT

Abdullah practices a livestock/crop rotation system. He keeps livestock on a designated piece of land for a period of time ensuring a build-up of manure in one specific area. He achieves this by using simple fencing made from sticks and branches. After moving the livestock on to another site on his farm he grows crops there for three years. After that the soil fertility begins to drop and he brings the livestock back to the same site again.

Abdullah Ahjedi and Chief Issahaku Jesiwuni inspect Abdullah’s simple but effective livestock fences made from branches – http://i1.wp.com/www.iwmi.cgiar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Abdullah-Ahjedi-and-Chief-Issahaku-Jesiwuni.jpg?resize=509%2C339

Fencing is an unusual technology for a Fulani to embrace. Yet it is a strategy that has the potential to improve his crop yields and also play a role in reducing conflict between different communities. Conflict between predominantly semi-nomadic, pastoralists and more sedentary crop farmers is a regular occurrence in the north of Ghana sometimes leading to violence and death of one or more of the parties involved.

Collecting water for household use every day takes a lot of time and effort. This activity is mostly done by women and children. – http://i0.wp.com/www.iwmi.cgiar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Collecting-water-for-household-use.jpg?resize=325%2C227

Trouble invariably arises when a pastoralist’s livestock (generally cattle) have crossed over into someone else’s crop fields and eaten or otherwise destroyed them, and along with it their owner’s livelihood. Increasing the use of fencing in the region to keep livestock in certain areas and, equally importantly, out of others will help to remove a key catalyst that pits one community against the other.

Climate change is linked to social structures and gender

Photo credit: IWMI

Photo: Neil Palmer (CIAT)

International Women’s Day

Ganges women to bear the brunt of Climate Change

Poor women and vulnerable groups will “bear the brunt” of climate change in parts of India, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to a new report published by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

http://wle.cgiar.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/faseeh-98-IWMI-Water-2-cropped.jpg

The Ganges River Basin is already experiencing increases in unpredictable weather patterns, droughts, floods, cyclones and other natural disasters. However, scientists predict that average temperatures in the region will increase by around 0.4 °C over the next two decades, which could cause even greater environmental and social disruption.

This poses serious challenges to a region where the majority of its 655 million inhabitants rely directly on agriculture and access to natural resources for their livelihoods.

The report focuses on three key countries that depend on the Ganges River Basin: India, Nepal and Bangladesh. By reviewing extensive studies from the region, it argues that vulnerability to climate change is “intricately linked” to social structures such as gender, class, caste and ethnicity. It makes the case that those at the bottom of the social ladder have less power and fewer resources to adapt to the possible effects of climate change.

“This is the first time that such a broad range of studies has been brought together and analyzed as a whole,” said Fraser Sugden, Researcher – Social Science, IWMI, and lead author of the report. “The research results clearly show that women face considerable vulnerability to climate change and that this is also a complex process, with vulnerability being economic, social and psychological and shaped by intersecting divisions of class and caste. There is a need to rethink policies and methods of engagement with marginalized groups, so as to address the social structures which cause vulnerability in the first place.”

Read the full article: IWMI

Up and down a canal

Photo credit: IWMI

Farmers cultivating lettuce, while another farmer digs a small canal (marwa) with a donkey, Egypt.
Photo: Hamish John Appleby/IWMI

How Egyptian farmers are adapting to water scarcity up and down a canal

Heads or Tails : At first glance, it might seem like these farmers are foolishly growing the wrong crop in the wrong place.

Read the research report:

Ghazouani, Wafa; Molle, Francois; Swelam, A.; Rap, Edwin; Abdo, A. 2014. Understanding farmers’ adaptation to water scarcity: a case study from the western Nile Delta, Egypt. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 31p. (IWMI Research Report 160) [DOI]

If you wander up and down one of the many irrigation canals in Egypt’s Nile Delta, you’ll see a wide range of crops being grown. Fields of swelling water melons sit alongside leafy greens. Twirling grape vines back on to rows of cucumbers. But why have the farmers chosen to grow one crop rather than another? Is it simply because they have differing access to water? A new study undertaken by IWMI and partners* sought to better understand the reasons for crop choice, and has come up with some surprising conclusions.

Farmer preparing his land for cultivation. Egypt. Hamish John Appleby. IWMI – http://i2.wp.com/www.iwmi.cgiar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Farmer-preparing-his-land-for-cultivation.jpg?resize=625%2C416

The study investigated how a group of Egyptian farmers were adapting to water scarcity along the al-Bayda secondary canal in the northwestern Nile Delta. While predictable differences in irrigation use were observed (e.g. night irrigation, reusing drainage water), the study reveals some unexpected crop choice; this challenges the assumption that farmers choose which crops to grow based only on water availability and profit maximization. These findings show the limitations of oversimplified recommendations and policies, which do not explore the numerous factors that influence farmer behavior.

Read the full article: IWMI