Addressing climate change impacts through better agricultural water management
November 6-17, 2017 Bonn, Germany
Water is the chief medium through which global climate change translates into impacts on societies, economies and the environment. Research conducted in Africa and Asia by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has demonstrated multiple ways to address climate change, helping develop sound policies and effective measures based on scientific knowledge. A key focus of this work is improved water management in agriculture, which is critical for coping with climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts.
One of our tasks at COP 23 – the 23rd Convention to the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – is to seek a higher profile for agricultural water management, reflecting the priority this issue receives in most of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), prepared in connection with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
To help build on these commitments, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has organized in collaboration with various partners a side-event series titled Agriculture Advantage at COP 23. The central objective is to make a strong collective case for investment in agricultural transformation as part of tackling climate change challenges.
CCAFS has also published a working paper titled Ten best-bet innovations for adaptation in agriculture, which is intended to serve as a supplement to the UNFCCC technical guidelines for national adaptation plans. Two of the ten innovations – solar-powered irrigation and weather index-based agricultural insurance – pertain directly to IWMI’s work through both CCAFS and the IWMI-led CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).
In the events listed below, IWMI researchers will present and discuss these innovations and other research we conduct on migration, gender and governance, reflecting the multidisciplinary character of our research-for-development portfolio, which we pursue at different scales across Africa and Asia. Central aims of this agenda are to help developing countries build resilience and pathways to sustainable growth.
Wednesday, November 8, 13:15 – 14: 45
Official side event (Meeting room 9, Bonn Zone)
The Land and Water Advantage
Welcome and introduction
Giriraj Amarnath, Leader, Water Risks Research Group
Presentation – Innovations in water management for agriculture: New pathways, future challenges
Alan Nicol, Leader, Sustainable Growth Strategic Program
Thursday, November 9, 12:00 – 13:30
Parallel event at Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn
It’s getting hot in here: Biodiversity and ecosystems in climate change
Panelist and presentation – Ecosystem-based adaptation planning and implementation
Luna Bharati, Principal Researcher – Hydrology and Water Resources
Friday, November 10, 13:30 – 15:30
Parallel event at ZEF
Presentation – Migration, jobs and growth: What’s water got to do with it?
Alan Nicol, Leader, Sustainable Growth Strategic Program
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 theÂ