A new book synthesizing the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food‘s (CPWF) twelve years of research and learning is now available.
'Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security: Research and Innovation for Development' draws on the Program’s experiences conducting over 120 projects in partnership with more than 400 organizations in ten river basins around the world.
The book describes how CPWF’s design evolved from an emphasis on water scarcity, water productivity, and water access to an emphasis on using water innovations to improve livelihoods and address development challenges in specific river basins. It shows how the research was used to foster change in stakeholder behavior, linking it to improved knowledge, attitudes, and skills, which were fostered by stakeholder participation, innovation, dialogue, and negotiation.
The authors describe development challenges, their drivers and their political context, how to address them through technical, institutional, and policy innovations; and the consequences of change at different scales, time frames on equity, resilience, and ecosystem services. Overall, the work represents a major synthesis and landmark publication for all concerned with water resource management and sustainable development. It is one of the defining outputs of the program.
