Shaping the future, today
Leading scientists, politicians and donor organizations will argue that innovative research is crucial in global efforts to tackle poverty, reduce malnutrition and protect the environment, at a high-level event in New York, USA, this week.
The CGIAR Development Dialogues 2014 aim to focus international attention on the vital role of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, landscapes and food systems in achieving sustainable development.
[pullquote type=”pullquote3″ content=”Of all our natural resources, water underpins sustainable development, perhaps more than any other” quote_icon=”yes” align=”right” textcolor=”#f9661a”]Of all our natural resources, water underpins sustainable development, perhaps more than any other[/pullquote]The intention is to link pioneering research in these areas to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an emerging set of ambitious 15-year targets for tackling poverty, hunger and improving livelihoods worldwide. The SDGs, which come into effect in 2015, will build on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Speakers at the event include Kanayo F. Nwanze, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as well as other representatives from the United Nations, government ministers, philanthropists and academics.
“This first Development Dialogues event demonstrates the importance of CGIAR research in tackling some of the world’s most pressing development challenges,” said Jeremy Bird, Director General, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), which leads the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).
“Of all our natural resources, water underpins sustainable development, perhaps more than any other, and it’s very encouraging to see this reflected in the way the SDGs are taking shape,” said Bird. “As well as contributing innovative research into sustainable water and land management, WLE can use its research expertise and networks to help the United Nations and member countries set specific targets outlined in the SDGs and monitor progress towards them.”
IWMI and WLE will be represented at the CGIAR Development Dialogues 2014 by Letitia Obeng, Member, IWMI Board of Governors, and Johan Rockström, Executive Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre, who is also Chair of the WLE Steering Committee.
They will be joined by around 250 delegates, including key partners, donors and scientific research organizations, to debate four themes related to the SDGs:
- prosperous, food-secure and resilient livelihoods
- healthier, innovative, capable and inclusive communities
- new partnerships for development impact
- climate change-resilient agroecosystems
WLE is helping to organize discussions on landscape approaches to sustainable development, and climate-smart agriculture.
The event will be streamed from Columbia University, New York, USA, here: www.dialogues.cgiar.org/program
Click the Live buttons on the page to watch the discussions as they happen. The times given are in EDT.
Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the