Water and Food Security Conference Brochure - ICARDA

Sound policies for food security and agricultural water management are critical for
national economies – and particularly for dryland areas, where water resources are
already scarce, and declining rapidly.
The development of such policies requires an assessment of the current state of
knowledge; the lessons learned from R&D programs in different countries; and a better
understanding of the inter-relationships between water policies, food security,
employment and the environment.
Objectives
The conference will examine the effectiveness of current and alternative water and food
policy options, and identify strategies to enhance land and water productivity, food
security, employment generation and livelihoods.
• Assess the opportunities and risks associated with current water policies and practices
• Identify trade-offs between different policy objectives (e.g. food security,
employment, poverty reduction, environment conservation)
• Examine the impacts of water policies on food security and employment in
agriculture, and identify ways to integrate water policies into programs for sustainable
development
Themes
The papers and discussions will cover four thematic areas.
Theme 1. Incentives for sustainable and efficient water allocation and management
Policies must improve efficiency in water allocation, and reduce financial and
environmental costs of water delivery and use. The conference will explore new
approaches (e.g. opportunity cost pricing, consumption-based charges) for creating
incentives for efficient use of water; cost-rationalization policies; and their impacts on
productivity, efficiency, food security and environmental sustainability.
• farm level incentives for the adoption of water-saving technologies
• water-costing policies, criteria for costing, impacts on water use, allocation and
sustainability
• measuring and valuating agricultural water productivity and its effect on food security
and employment
• economic and social feasibility of rainwater harvesting for crop and livestock
production
• institutional arrangements for water governance and allocation, performance of water
user associations in managing irrigation systems
• gender implications of water scarcity in dry areas, women’s role in water management
• institutional reforms to strengthen implementation of water costing schemes.
Theme 2. Interactions between water management, food security and employment
Appropriate water policies can encourage the sustainable expansion of irrigation, creating
employment and income opportunities in agriculture. For example, agricultural
intensification (e.g. higher yields, multiple cropping) increases demand for agricultural
labor. Irrigation development creates new demand for labor for construction and
maintenance of canals, wells, and pumps.
This theme will cover:
• investments in improved water management, effects on employment, livelihoods, and
food security
• water use, sustainable growth and development
• models exploring linkages between water, food security and employment
• the role of energy policies in water management in agriculture.
Theme 3. Coping with water scarcity: water and food security nexus policy dialogue
Sharing lessons across projects and activities with a strong land and water component.
Understanding knowledge gaps in project design and implementation and discussing
trends in land and water management across regions.
The session will discuss the weak linkage between available technical knowledge and its
effective application in the field and the growing concerns about scarce natural resources.
Theme 4. Policies for enhancing food security
Case studies of integrated research approaches, and large-scale food security and water
management projects:
• success stories on enhancing national food security
• improvements in water allocation and distribution
• water charges
• water user associations and their roles in systems maintenance and distribution
• improved management for environmental sustainability