Mia Signs

A new study shows how integrating fisheries into irrigation modernization can help meet the various needs of communities and nations, and help achieve the SDGs.

The lowlands of Afar, Ethiopia are characterized by alternating floods and droughts, making agricultural production difficult and putting local communities at risk. A deceptively simple solution is turning arid plains into green croplands.

Africa is rapidly developing, but this growth is uneven and has come at great cost to critical ecosystems and social stability. If African nations are going to reach their SDG targets by 2030 and their African Union Agenda by 2063, what has to change to ensure more ecologically sound, equitable development?

How can decision analysis help save biodiversity hot spots while improving the livelihoods of people in East Africa? Thrive talks to two researchers from ICRAF to find out.

Severe flooding and drought caused by extreme weather patterns lead to about 10,000 deaths and US$40 billion in damage a year, with the number and extremity of the events is slated to increase in the future. The agricultural sector is particularly vulnerable.

Land use planning is seen in many circles as a technical and neutral approach to dividing up land. The reality is quite different, with a great deal of competition and politics coming into play.

The Indus Basin is a system that supports a great number of people within and beyond its borders, but it is a system under considerable biophysical, social, economic and political stress. Planning for the future of this ever-changing, over-stretched system requires an open dialogue between scientists and policy makers.

Private and public sector players met at FAO in Rome to discuss the many facets of solar technology use for irrigation and other uses on small and medium scale farms, including financing, application, and innovations.

What tools and knowledge can be shared with young farmers in drylands to manage and reduce risks from a changing climate while protecting and improving their livelihoods in these rural areas?

Resettlement schemes are meant to improve the lives of those who are resettled, but sometimes this change brings about livelihood problems for relocated villagers. Considering the gender dynamics of the groups being relocated may help.

Wastewater recovery is a hot topic, but there's much more work to be done. This dispatch from SWWW identifies some of the strategies that can help mainstream wastewater recovery and make it a globally implemented and universally accepted practice.

When resettlement of villagers is planned and carried out, local power dynamics and relationships can have a huge effect on the outcome and lived experiences and perceptions of resettled individuals.

Gender equality is very important, but actually achieving it can be quite complicated. A look at women's empowerment can help us understand the why and put us on the right track to achieving a meaningful '50-50' for International Woman's Day.

Most people working in sustainable development are familiar with the ‘tragedy of the commons’ referring to when a group of individuals, all acting independently to deplete common resources, in this case degrading landscapes. But what if someone told you that the real tragedy  was that these land has to be either taken over by the state or privatized in order to be sustainable?

How do you incorporate local communities in research? Thaibaan Research is supporting villagers to design and carry out projects that they find important to their daily lives. 

Managing transboundary river basins is a huge challenge. Even if there are no overt tensions between countries, local communities and national governments tend to act out of self-interest. 

Droughts and floods cost us hundreds of billions of dollars each year in food loss and property damage. What’s worse? The costs stand to rise as water variability increases in many parts of the world. 

Most people have played some kind of game in their lifetime. Be it cards, monopoly, or Farmville, this unique form of entertainment allows us to escape reality and spend time focusing on inconsequential goals. But a new realistic game provides a platform for engaging in difficult conversation about cooperative water and land management.

In the Mekong River Basin, hydropower has great potential to bring economic prosperity and electrification to many rural communities while meeting the growing power demands of urban centers. Which measures can we implement to prevent any one part of society from carrying the brunt of the costs, be they monetary, social, or environmental?

A persistent problem in the Mekong is that misplaced and resettled river communities from hydropower development are unable to continue their original way of living. How can new sustainable options be created for these communities?

Water is perceived to be a women’s business but the business of water lacks women, said Sonomi Tanaka of ADB at a recent conference on Women in Water Leadership.