The study was conducted in three watersheds (Dapo, Meja and Mizewa) in the Ethiopian part of the Blue Nile Basin to estimate the on-site cost of soil erosion using the productivity change approach, in which crop yield reduction due to plant nutrients lost with the sediment and runoff has been analysed. For this purpose, runoff measurement and sampling was conducted during the main rainy season of 2011 at the outlet of two to three sub-watersheds in each watershed. The sediment concentration of the runoff, and N and P contents in runoff and sediment were determined.

Agricultural landscapes presently cover about 46 % of earth terrestrial surface. This cultivated area is decreasing, whereas the global food demand is projected to increase up to 70 % in 2050. The intensification of agriculture is not a solution to this food issue because intensive agriculture has often resulted in pollution and loss of biodiversity. On the other hand, mechanistic models with optimization algorithms can be used to design alternative land uses for sustainable agriculture.

Land and Water Productivity: Technical report.

Irrational water use and mismanagement are at the root of several environmental problems in the Aral Sea Basin, including secondary salinization. Pre-season leaching (February-March) is a common practice of farmers to manage soil salinity challenges. For example, farmers in the Khorezm region tend applying up to 600 mm of leaching volume to prevent accumulation of salts in the root-zone. However, excessive leaching volume causes the water tables to rise at 1-1.5 m depth which are dangerous depths.

We aim at increasing the impact of poverty-reduction strategies on poor smallholder farmers through investments in water, by recognizing the diversity and complexity of their conditions and tailoring interventions accordingly.

The project “CP/INT/231/SWI: Strengthening Agricultural Water Efficiency and Productivity on the African and Global Level” aims at reducing hunger and poverty in three African countries (Burkina Faso, Morocco and Uganda) by focusing on the improvement of Agriculture Water Management (AWM) and mainstreaming AWM in national frameworks and processes. One of the main outputs of the project is to enhance capacity for improved crop water productivity in small-scale agriculture in Burkina Faso, Morocco and Uganda (Output 1).

En la presente guía se describe la aplicación práctica del modelo de la FAO de intensificación sostenible de la producción agrícola “Ahorrar para crecer” en los cultivos fundamentales para la seguridad alimentaria mundial, esto es, el maíz, el arroz y el trigo. Con ejemplos de África, América Latina y Asia, se muestra cómo los sistemas agrícolas basados en los ecosistemas están ayudando a los pequeños agricultores a incrementar los rendimientos de los cereales, fortalecer sus medios de vida, reducir la presión sobre el medio ambiente y aumentar la resiliencia frente al cambio climático.