This study attempted to predict the likely impacts of a dam reservoir and flow regulation on riparian plant composition and diversity. The study was conducted around the Koga dam in the upper part of the Blue Nile basin in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. Floristic composition and diversity in the riverine and adjacent sites of the river was studied. The presence of plant species that would be affected by the storage of the Koga River water and the modification of the downstream river flow regime were assessed.

CGIAR-CPWF Project “International Training and Research Program on

Groundwater Governance in Asia: Theory and Practice” was designed and

implemented by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to address the

deficiencies in human capacity of managing groundwater in the two large basins of

the world- the Indus-Gangetic basin and the Yellow River basin. The basic premise of

the project was that proper groundwater management needs to be built on informed

knowledge of professionals from the region, with emphasis on inter-disciplinary

Watersheds, especially in the developing world, are increasingly being managed for both environmental conservation and poverty alleviation. How complementary are these objectives? In the context of a watershed, the actual and potential linkages between land and water management and poverty are complex and likely to be very site specific and scale dependent. This study analyses the importance of watershed resources in the livelihoods of the poor in two watersheds in the Colombian Andes.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the increasing competition for water between various sectors is aggravated by growing demands for water, climate change and environmental degradation. One of the major consumers of water is livestock keeping, which is an important livelihood strategy for smallholder farmers in Africa. The water consumption for livestock production is currently increasing with the growing demands for livestock products. On the other hand, current low returns from livestock, limit its contribution to livelihoods, threaten environmental health and aggravate local conflicts.

People living in arid areas with highly variable rainfall, experience droughts and floods and often have insecure livelihoods. Small multi-purpose reservoirs are a widely used form of infrastructure for the provision of water. They supply water for domestic use, livestock watering, small scale irrigation, and other beneficial uses. The reservoirs are hydrologically linked by the streams that have been dammed.

Since 1990 at least eighteen violent conflicts have been fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources. In fact, recent research suggests that over the last sixty years at least forty percent of all intrastate conflicts have a link to natural resources. Civil wars such as those in Liberia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo have centred on high-value resources like timber, diamonds, gold, minerals and oil. Other conflicts, including those in Darfur and the Middle East, have involved control of scarce resources such as fertile land and water.

La experiencia de los Paises Bajos en el manejo del territorio y de las aguas es extensa. Sus habitantes poseen conocimiento acabado de sus características, interactuando dinámicamente con su hábitat. Las necesidades medioambientales y económicas, sin embargo, han obligado a replantarse e incluso revertir este complejo sistema hidráulico.

Land and water institutions play a vital role in managing and sustaining land and water resources as well as enhancing economic development and poverty alleviation efforts. While a lot has been done in terms of understanding the micro-determinants of farmers’ decisions in land and water conservation, there is little attempt to understand the broad macro-institutional and organizational issues that influence land and water management decisions.

Report

CONTENTS:; Renewed Policy Action in South Asia; Strengthening Ties with the African Union; Millions Fed: Proven Successes in Agricultural Development; Interview with Fazle Hasan Abed; IFPRI Wins COM+ Communication Award; Strengthening Women’s Assets; A Winning Proposition

Tesis Maestría en ciencias sociales El Colegio de Sonora 2009 Desarrollo económico y exclusión social

This perspective document: 1 Provides examples of ‘no regrets’ approaches, applied in small island countries to cope with current climate variability and adapt to future climate change, at different levels ranging from communities, local administrations and national governments. 2 Demonstrates the need for a sound knowledge base and information system, as well as a better understanding of the relation between water resources, water and health, and climatic extremes.