Petterik Wiggers, Panos Pictures UK.

Buckling down for a sourcebook on water smart agriculture

To consolidate best practices, research methods, and tools into a sourcebook on Water Smart Agriculture (WASA), experts recently gathered at a writeshop in Woliso, Ethiopia, Oct. 27-31st. Writeshop participants included experts from government, academic and research institutions and non-governmental organizations in addition to editors and artists. The participants shared their specialized knowledge and learned how to repackage materials to deliver science-based solutions.

Developing ‘water smart agriculture’ is critical for the development of Ethiopia and East Africa. WASA encourages smallholder farmers to use water resources efficiently and effectively for better crop production and healthy ecosystems. The sourcebook, once completed, will feature short, instructive articles on successful approaches to research and implementation. By creating the sourcebook, those interested in WASA, ecosystem services and food security can build upon these approaches and tools and adjust them to their local context.