Meeting symbol/code: FAO-RNE--ALAWUC/NE/06
Session: Sess. 4

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.

Un des plus grands handicaps au développement de la pisciculture à Madagascar est l'absence de documents techniques de base en langues française et/ou malgache. En effet, la plupart des quelques documents techniques sur l'aquaculture disponibles en Afrique et Madagascar sont, de nos jours, en langue anglaise.

En este número nos proponemos estudiar la Asociación Mundial de la Bioenergía y la importante labor llevada a cabo por esta entidad en colaboración con gobiernos y organizaciones internacionales para establecer unos indicadores de sostenibilidad destinados a los proyectos bioenergéticos. También informaremos sobre «Alimentos para las ciudades», una iniciativa integrativa orientada a coordinar las actividades de la FAO en zonas urbanas y periurbanas, y a compartir con otras organizaciones internacionales y de la sociedad civil las mejores prácticas realizadas en este ámbito.

Groundwater development and use have proceeded rapidly in recent years, often outside of governance frameworks. As a result, unrestricted pumping and pollution have led to threats to the sustainability of aquifers, and the allocation and use of groundwater have often been poorly aligned with society’s goals for equity, sustainability and efficiency.

Based on the FAO-ESCAP project to develop 'national water visions' in the Asia-Pacific region that would set out each country's goals for sound water management to meet the needs of all for this vital natural resource over the next two decades. Contains four Southeast Asia case studies (Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam), which were carried out as part of the project and looks at water use in these countries and how they plan to fulfil their water visions.

Water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Agriculture is both a cause and a casualty of water scarcity. It accounts for an estimated 70 percent of global water withdrawals, with freshwater resources heavily stressed by irrigation and food production. While demand for water for agriculture and other uses are increasing rapidly, climate change also affects fresh water resources negatively both in terms of quantity and quality.

As this book shows, farmer field schools have proven to be a very useful approach for helping African farmers to improve how they manage their land and water. Numerous projects throughout Africa have shown that they result in improved soils, better yields and higher incomes for farmers. The document summarizes some of these experiences, points out successes, and – equally important – shows constraints and gaps that need to be addressed.

The second meeting of Biodiversity, Habitat and Water Quality, subject of this report, was organized in Banjul (The Gambia) from 12 to 14 March 2013. All representatives of the countries (except from Morocco) as well as the RCU URC and the project partners were able to participate.

This AQUASTAT report presents the most recent information available on water resources and their use in the 22 countries in the Southern and Eastern Asia region. Clearly it has an emphasis on agricultural water use and management. But in addition it contains the relevant tables and maps, and a regional synopsis emphasizing the particular characteristics of this large and diverse region. It also analyses the changes that have occurred since the first survey in 1999.

A partir del conocimiento científico y los avances tecnológicos desarrollados en las últimas décadas y con la colaboración de una red de diversas instituciones científicas, la FAO ha recopilado un conjunto de herramientas en este Estudio de Riego y Drenaje, para evaluar de mejor manera y mejorar la respuesta del rendimiento de los cultivos al agua.