The current debate on climate change, its impacts on socio-ecological systems and the role of agriculture has shifted from an emphasis on how to mitigate the effects of increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to how to prepare and adapt to the expected adverse impacts. This follows the recognition that the climate is already changing as a result of mankind’s activities and there is little that can be done to prevent further increases in atmospheric concentrations of GHG in the short term.

Climate change can affect water supply in Nepal by its impact on precipitation, glacier melting and increase in temperature. This study identifies the vulnerability of the water supply system in Kathmandu Valley to the impact of the worst case scenario of climate change and suggests adaptation strategies to deal with the situation. It finds that existing strategies are insufficient and more than five million people would be deprived of the minimum needed water by 2050 under the driest scenario.

This report highlights the potentially significant impacts on the hydrologic cycle and the importance of considering secondary effects, particularly with regard to water, resulting from the widespread adoption of global climate change mitigation measures. It is recommended that the implicit hydrologic dimensions of climate change mitigation should be more formally articulated within the international environmental conventions, and recognized within future UNFCCC negotiations on the CDM-AR provisions.

Across vast areas of the world, human activity has degraded once fertile and productive land. Deforestation, overgrazing, continuous farming and poor irrigation practices have affected almost 2 billion hectares worldwide, threatening the health and livelihoods of over one billion people. In this edition of New Agriculturist, a collection of articles explores some of the approaches and policies that can help to successfully rehabilitate degraded land.

Forests potentially contribute to global climate change through their influence on the global carbon (C) cycle. They store large quantities of C in vegetation and soil, exchange C with the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, are sources of atmospheric C when they are disturbed, become atmospheric C sinks during abandonment and regrowth after disturbance, and can be managed to alter their role in the C cycle. The world's forest contain about 830 Pg C (1015 g) in their vegetation and soil, with about 1.5 times as much in soil as in vegetation.

The study assessed the sensitivity of hydrology and water resources to climate variation in Kikuletwa Catchment, Pangani Basin, northern Tanzania using 30 years of river level and climate data as well as questionnaire, focused group discussion (FGD) and participant observation. It concludes that there is a significant association between mean annual river level for Kikuletwa River and mean annual rainfall over the tree decades.

Studies on the impact of climate change and sea level rise usually rake climate scenarios as their starting point. To support long-term water management planning int he Netherlands, this paper starts at the opposite end of the effect chain. The study refers to three aspects of water management:

flood defence
drinking water supply
protection of the Rotterdam harbour.

This book covers the whole Nile Basin and is based on the results of three major research projects supported by the Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). It provides unique and up-to-date insights on agriculture, water resources, governance, poverty, productivity, upstream–downstream linkages, innovations, future plans and their implications. Specifically, the book elaborates the history, and the major current and future challenges and opportunities, of the Nile River Basin.

This paper, which focuses on the Chinyanja Triangle (CT), an area inside the Zambezi River Basin, characterises three distinct farming subsystems across rainfall gradients, namely maize-beans-fish, sorghum-millet-livestock and the livestock-dominated subsystem. It presents the socioeconomic characteristics, historical drivers of change, resources use and management (water, land, forestry) and the institutional disincentives affecting agricultural production and productivity in the region.

Southern Africa Development Communality (SADC) through its Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) has set up an ambitious goal to double irrigation by 2015, which it sees as important component to sustain regional development and ensure food security. While the target timeline is questionable with year 2015 fast approaching, the goal to increase irrigated areas to 7% is certainly valid and has significant implications for regional food security and livelihood of rural population.

This synthesis report summarises research on how climate finance has been spent so far, and whether or not it has been spent on improving people’s water security.

The report highlights that the global community has committed to mobilise US $100 billion every year, from 2020 onwards. The study aims to identify the type and scale of national and subnational programmes and projects that have been funded by climate finance and how they relate to local water security. Findings are summarised from three case studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Zambia.

Despite the production of more food and extraction of more water globally, wetlands continue to decline and public health and living standards for many do not improve. Why is this – and what needs to change to improve the situation? If we manage wetlands better, can we improve the health and well-being of people? Indeed, why is this important? This report seeks to address these questions.

Originally Published In: Ramsar Technical Report No. 6. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; Gland, Switzerland: Ramsar Convention Secretariat