CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems: Annual Report for 2016

Annual report covering the final year of Phase 1 of the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE), submitted to the CGIAR System Management Office. Moving to the sustainable intensification of agriculture while sustaining critical natural resources and ecosystem services is an essential prerequisite to building resilience and sustainable growth. WLE was established to address this challenge and contribute directly to meeting our global commitments on sustainable food production1. WLE’s successes have been based on its strong partnerships with many diverse institutions along its entire impact pathway; its alignment with global policy initiatives; its strong gender and poverty focus; and on its ability to facilitate collaboration among numerous scientific and practical disciplines. This report is the last of Phase 1, and work is reported for 2016 as required by the CGIAR guidelines, but it also presents results realized in 2016 from the investments over the course of Phase 1. WLE has produced significant outputs and important outcomes in 2016, despite the serious challenge of unpredictable funding. Overall, WLE achieved 85% of its 34 targets across 22 indicators. Considering the 55% cut compared to the original budget for the year, this is a noteworthy achievement. On gender, 70% of all technologies and 56% of tools developed address gender-differentiated impacts, and 44% of our new databases contain datasets differentiated by gender. WLE is is increasingly recognized for the quality and critical importance of its work, and there is growing demand for its products and services. The Program is poised to make even greater contributions to the overall goals of the CGIAR over the next five years.