International Conference: Policies for Water and Food Security in the Dry Areas

Dry areas cover more than 40% of the world’s land surface and are home to 2.5 billion people, including some of the poorest on the globe. While these dry areas have to make do with less than 8% of the world’s renewable water resources, they are further challenged by extreme temperatures, frequent drought, land degradation and desertification.    

Far from being in isolation, the issue of water security in drylands has far reaching impacts – the way water is managed is interlocked with food security, employment, livelihoods of the rural people and the environment sustainability in general.

In a nutshell, adoption of strategic water policies is of paramount importance to the nation’s economy for countries in the dryland regions.      

The International Conference on Policies for Water and Food Securityin the Dry Areas aims to drive the agenda of effective water policies to the forefront. According to the conference organizer, Dr. Aden Aw Hassan, Director of Social, Economic and Policy Research Program at ICARDA, investment in water technologies pays handsome returns in so many ways, reaching smallholders in dryland areas, cutting water losses in usage and irrigation, and minimizing pollution of valuable water. He points out that agriculture is taking 90% of available water in many areas for food production. And the biggest prize from the investment is food security!  

Through the discussions at the conference, Dr. Aden hopes to achieve a clear commitment from the participating organizations toward quantifiable improvements to water usage, which can be closely monitored by all those involved in the land and water sector in the coming years.   To take action, a much better understanding of the inter-relationships between water policies, food security, employment and the wider environment is critical. This is where the conference is delivering through dialogue, discussion and debate. -

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Highlights from Day 1

The three-day dialogue and discussion at the conference kicked off yesterday with some 150 policymakers, development experts and researchers convening from 30 countries. During their first day together, the attending delegates explored common approaches that can be adopted among dryland countries and regions to improve water and food security and rural livelihoods.

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What to expect as a tangible takeaway

As the conference kicks off today, some 200 delegates from 30 countries will learn and understand over the next three day the deep nexus between water management, food security and socio-economic development. The big question however is, how will it translate into concrete action on ground back home?

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Setting the stage for a fruitful forum

Developing sound policies for food security and agricultural water management will require taking stock of the current state of knowledge and more importantly, sharing lessons learned from a vast cross-section of stakeholders. With senior policy-makers and water and agriculture experts participating from 30 countries across the African and Asian drylands, the International Conference on Policies for Food and Water Security is set to provide a robust forum for discussions, debate and a roadmap for action.

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The call for action on water and food policies in dry areas

In conversation with Dr. Mahmoud El-Solh, Director General, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

How do you assess the urgency of action on water security as we grapple with food security and development in today’s world?
Water security is at the heart of food security and sustainable development particularly in dry areas. And today ...

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Why is the conference important to development in drylands

Dry areas cover more than 40% of the world’s land surface and are home to 2.5 billion people, including some of the poorest on the globe. While these dry areas have to make do with less than 8% of the world’s renewable water resources, they are further challenged by extreme temperatures, frequent drought, land degradation and desertification.

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