Water food and poverty:Global view from 10 river basins Simon Cook Coordinator, Basin focal projects of the CPWF The International Forum on Water and Food (IFWF) is the premier gathering of water and food scientists working on improving water management for agricultural production in developing countries. The CGIAR Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF) represents one of the most comprehensive investments in the world on water, food and environment research.The Forum explores how the CPWF research-for-development (R4D) approach can address water and food challenges through a combination of process, institutional and technical innovations.

1. Water food and poverty:
Global view from 10 river
basins
Simon Cook
Coordinator, Basin focal projects of the
CPWF

2. Global food & water crisis
Conventional view: World faces an inevitable crisis of
water and food
 Some places already showing water scaricty
 Global population increasing
 Food consumes 70% of available water
 Other demand increasing….
 …therefore a future crisis is inevitable
 Poverty, hunger environmental crises…
…or is it?

3. Generalities not so helpful

4. Basin focal project
10 river basins
 4 Africa; 4 Asia; 2 Latin America
Over 30 national and international research
organizations
Range of specialists:
 hydrologists, agriculturalists, social and political scientists
Produced detailed yet comprehensive picture …
 …linking water, food and development

5. Conclusions in brief
Globally, river basins can support populations to
2050
 IF natural resources are used and shared more effectively
Link between water scarcity and poverty not simple
 Scarcity is an issue in some places (e.g. Limpopo, Indus)..
 …but not the only factor that explain
 Sharing and access to resources (Nile, Volta…)
 Protection from hazards (Limpopo, Nile…)
 Ability to improve productivity (Volta, Niger, Nile…)
 ..scarcity seems to be induced by unbalanced development

6. Conclusions in brief
A diversity of people use a diversity of resources
provided by river basins
 Different people can develop these together
 Improving rainfed agriculture has low overhead
Generally, water productivity is very low
 Rainfed agriculture often 10% or less of potential
 Massive scope for improvement
 Can Africa help feed the world in 2050?

7. Global implications
Improve water productivity
 Major potential to help solve global food crisis
More balanced development
 Consider multiple users of river basins, even while
developing one of them
Long-term and collective politics essential
 Dreaming? Plenty of supporting evidence

8. Implications for African basins
Widespread potential to improve productivity
 Could have major implications globally
Collaborative politics will underpin sustainable
development
 Sharing resources locally, internationally.
 Many examples already…LIMCON, VBA, Nile
Long-termism essential to develop agriculture in the
face of stresses
 GCC in the Limpopo, Sahel…
 Population pressure in most basins
 Long-term vision for the Nile, Volta?

9. Thank you