Governance and policy blog posts

Researchers and policy makers need to collaborate to better understand the social, economic and political changes caused by climate-induced migration.

Policy and action research by the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems to improve rural energy access for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs shows full alignment with the UNFCCC Race to Zero global campaign for decarbonizing economies.

An evaluation of CGIAR's work on 'solar power as a remunerative crop' finds that it has contributed to the adoption of a more inclusive and sustainable approach in major Indian government programs

Two seminars convened by WorldFish, IWMI and IRRI at World Water Week focused on the importance of integrating fisheries in rice-dominated landscapes and reconsidering irrigation schemes in Asia.

Lessons learned from water productivity interventions worldwide have been distilled into a new White Paper which sets out six key principles to guide policy makers’ efforts to strengthen water and food security.

Scientists warn that restoration action is at risk of failure if it doesn't address social and political considerations.

A new special issue of the journal Ecological Restoration stresses that social inclusion must be at the heart of the ecological restoration agenda, and not just on the periphery.

Challenges to water resources and nutrition security require new approaches, and a recent online workshop brought together communities from the two closely intertwined sectors to discuss the key linkages and identify a sustainable way forward.

In Nepal, the legal quota for women’s participation in official community water management groups marks an important step towards gender equality. For meaningful change however, there also needs to be structural transformation. 

For years, farmers in the coastal zone of Bangladesh have continually braced for a multitude of challenges. And the solution lies in working with farmers, communities and local institutions, combining low-tech water management innovations with better coordination and new crop varieties.

Agriculture is critical to the economies of developing countries.  But there is a cost. Today, agricultural water pollution undermines economic growth and threatens the environmental and physical health of millions of people around the world. The annual social and economic costs of agricultural water pollution could reach trillions of dollars.Yet the issue receives scant attention in global research and debate.  

Small reservoirs are a lifeline to smallholders and livestock herders and facing multiple threats. Research suggests that the answers may lie in a smarter and more holistic approach.