This document discusses gaps in policies around the water and food security nexus in dry areas. It identifies three key gaps: (1) the weakness in scaling up successful case studies, (2) incentives that impact water efficiency lie outside the water domain requiring multidisciplinary action, and (3) the absence of explicit food security strategies to guide water interventions given different country pathways. It emphasizes improving competitiveness and inclusiveness for small farmers through access to technology, credit, and markets. Demand management and improving productive and allocative efficiency are also highlighted as important for future policy reforms around agriculture and water scarcity issues.