The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) Led by IWM

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)Led by IWMI

The challenges facing our global food production systems Food security . . . Exploitation of resources . . .

The challenges change . . . climatic, demographic, economic

We have exceeded three of the nine Planetary boundaries – danger of greater risks and

uncertainty emerging

Agriculture is the dominant contributing factor and the solution

How do we transform agriculture to meet human prosperity and global sustainability?

The Challenge:

We need to increase productivity in a sustainable manner that ensures the provision of ecosystems services with limited if any further lateral expansion of lands under crops and pastures.

This will ensure that we stay within the safe operating space.

How do we transform agriculture to meet human prosperity and global sustainability?

How will this be achieved?

Through a ‘paradigm shift’ that recognises that agricultural production systems are “a wholly owned subsidiary of the ecosystems and natural capital” they are dependent upon

Benefit sharing mechanisms in the AndesFuquene, Colombia

S

Annual net income:US$ 2,183/ha

Annual net income:US$ 1,870/ha

Conservation agriculture and paramo restoration supported by revolving fund

Revolving fund credit: +180 farmers /year

Potato cropping, grazing pressure, degradation of paramo

Another example here ?

• From rainfed SRP (termites, goats, or ?)• (See next slide the goats example that

could refer back to our CPWF side event)

A virtuous circle that triggers change to a more resilient state

S

SRecurrent droughts,increasing climatevariability, poor connection to markets

Local marketsProducers self-esteemImproved rangeland production replacing US$15 / goat of stock feed value

Improved livestock:US$ 50 per goatGoat mortality down to 10%

Rainfed maize cropping: US$16/haLivestock: US$10 per goat

Our vision:

A world in which agriculture thrives within vibrant ecosystems, where communities have higher incomes, improved food security and the ability to continuously improve their lives

The Game Changers for Sub-Saharan Africa……..

• What if smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa were able to grow crops all year round?

• What if we could prevent degradation and restore degraded lands?

• What if wastes and used water could have a second life in agriculture?

• What if excess water during floods could be stored in natural and man made systems and used during droughts?

4. Variability management

3. Addressing degradation

1. Eastern Gangetic Plains2. Business

models

. . . with targeted interventions in 6 - 7 focal regions.

Integrated Examples of WLE work in Africa

What if we could prevent degradation and restore degraded lands?

Now is an exciting time for renewed coordinated efforts towards a ‘land degradation neutral (or better!) world’

More than 95 million has of arable land, or 75% of the total in SSA has degraded or highly degraded soil and farmers lose eight million tons of soil nutrients each year, estimated to be worth $4 billion...

Land Degradation is a Classic ‘Wicked Problem”

1. Advances in research

Social ScienceCIRAD IWMI, CPWF, CIAT, WRI

Inclusion of the people’s voice within the scientific research framework at many scales Wet season Dry season

1. Advances in researchSoil Science RS/GISCIAT, ICRAF, CU, ISRIC, Purdue, FAO-GSP, countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America

Diagnosing, assessing and mapping

Erosion prevalence

Soil pH

Volta Basin

Soil CarbonDigital Soil Map

1. Advances in researchEcosystem ServicesTrade-off AnalysisEnvironmental EconomicsIFPRI, Bioversity, CIAT, IWMI, CPWF, ELD

Costs of Action vs. Cost of Inaction

InVEST Framework

Supply Demand

2. Alignment of global initiatives• Rio+20 ‘The future we want’ Land Degradation Neutral’• UN Sustainable Development Goals • FAO’s Global Soil Partnership

3. Drivers of change as opportunities• Public and Private Investment, CAADP and GrowAfrica • Urbanization, feminization of agriculture• Increased price of food • Investments in hydropower and mining

Study Landscapes in Focal Regions +/-10 Study Landscapes Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, El Salvador

Building on CPWF and other Programs

Working withFTACCAFSHumidtropicsDryland Systems

Partnership for Outcomes

LANDSCAPE

NATIONALREGIONAL

GLOBAL

DELIVER RESEARCH OUTCOMES – impact multiplies through partners

Potential beneficiaries 10’s of thousands

0 –

6 ye

ars

3 –

6 ye

ars

6 –

9 ye

ars

• Global initiatives informed and inspired by research, support national and landscape investments

• New investments made by IFAD, GIZ, GEF• Public and private• Policy, Regulation, Incentives support adoption

Strategies adopted that are site specific, gender & equity sensitive

FAO, GSP, UNCCD, ELD, GEF, UNEP, UNDP

National Agriculture and NRM policy CAADP, IFAD, GIZ, SDC

Communities, civil society, NGO’s, national extension, ARI’s, IFAD, SDC

100’s of thousands Millions

Gender, Poverty and Institutions

How?Content and structure• Equity triangle• Gender integration in SRPsand gender specific

Architecture:– Embedded: not just one approach– Budget - working towards full accounting– Voting member of the management committee– Growing with partners

Poverty

InstitutionsGender

What? Towards:• More equitable access to water, land and ecosystems services.• Improved decision making - inclusion in resource

managementResearch questions:• The African farmer and her husband: Feminization of

agriculture• Mother and earth: Replenishing and fostering agricultureDevelop:Investable options for women

Ecosystem Services and Resilience

Ecosystem Conservation as

a result of

poverty alleviation

Ecosystem Conservation as

means to

poverty alleviation

Principles

• People are fundamental• Human and Natural systems are tightly coupled.• Ecological processes in the portfolio of options.• Multifunctionality: Complex Adaptive Systems• Resilience: shocks will occur.• Recognize we might have to modify ecosystems• Large scale: basin as maximum extent (CPR)

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Flow

(m3 s

-1)

Daily flow with and without floodplain

Without floodplain (simulated) With floodplain (observed)

Flow Regulation in the Luswishi Floodplain

Understanding how ecosystems affect livelihoods

M. McCartney (IMWI)

Ecosystem Services by whom and for whom?

Rainfall less than 900 mmyr-1

Greater than 900 mmyr-1

F. Kizito (CIAT)

Thank you!