Water, poverty and agriculture -A cross basin comparison

Water, poverty and agriculture - A cross basin comparison S.E. Cook1, L. Harrington2, M. Rajasekharan1 and M.J. Fisher3 Challenge Program on water and Food (CPWF)1, Cornell University, USA2, and International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)3 The Basin Focal Projects (BFPs) BFPs provide strategic research that links project and basin activities and provide insights on water, agriculture and poverty in 10 diverse basins over three continents BFPs questions • What links water, food and poverty? • How well is water used? • What are the foreseeable risks and opportunities for change in basins? Mekong - The wettest basin in the world where the poorest rely on sensitive aquatic ecosystems such as the Tonle Sap. Volta- 50% live below poverty line and the performance of rainfed agriculture is only a small fraction of its potential. São Francisco - Commercial agriculture forms a strong driver of change. Karkheh - A water-short basin with added pressure from the strategic policy goals of the government for self-sufficiency of food grain staples (e.g wheat). Nile - One of the largest river basins in the World and 99% of its flow is shared amongst 10 riparian countries. Huge evaporation losses in the Aswan Dam. Limpopo - A basin with highly variable rainfall with frequent extreme events (both floods and droughts). Niger - More than 70 percent of the people in the riparian countries are below the poverty line. Andes - Economies transforming the lives of many while marginalizing some. Indo-Ganges - Lifeline of more than 700 million people of which the majority are rural. Yellow River - Pressure on water from high economic growth. Rainfall M m3/ km2/ year Yellow River Volta São Francisco Nile Conclusions Mekong Limpopo Karkheh Indus Ganges Linkages between water-food-poverty are 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 complex! Not all water-poor people are poor and not all the poor are water poor. Per capita watersupply: m3/ person/ year Irrigation and livestock are important in ‘dry’ Yellow Volta basins and fish are important in ‘wet’ basins. São Nile Generally water productivity (WPr) is well below Mekong Limpopo its potential and there is considerable scope for Indus Ganges increase. For example, in Volta current WPr is 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 <10% of its potential & in Sao Francisco it is <20% of its potential. Basin water uses Yellow River Rainfed agriculture Options for increasing water productivity differs Volta São Francisco Nile Irrigated agriculture between the basins and depends on Mekong Limpopo environment, market, policies and Institutions. Karkheh Grassland, woodland Indus and other Ganges Discharge and losses 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100 % Acknowledgements: This poster represents the combined effort of many people and Institutions involved in the Basin Focal Projects. We cannot acknowledge individually the valued and unique contributions to this collaborative initiative. We thank all those contributed to this project. BFPs were funded by the Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF) and we thank the CPWF and its donors.

Water, poverty and agriculture -A cross basin comparison

by Water, food and livelihoods in River Basins: Basin Focal Projects on Jun 18, 2009

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Water, poverty and agriculture -A cross basin comparison Document Transcript