A workshop held in Midrand, South Africa, in May 2011 brought together policy and decision-makers, researchers and practitioners to discuss water security issues in eastern and southern Africa. This proceedings document summarises the workshop's outcomes with the aim of:

improving the understanding of water security
identifying opportunities to better address challenges faced by individual countries and sectors
highlighting areas for further research
identifying immediate opportunities for development projects.

This discussion paper seeks to explore alternative investment options with the aim of enhancing resilience in the Horn of Africa. Climate change, conflict, drought and increasing populations are leading many to pessimistic conclusions regarding the future viability of pastoral farming, arguing that these livelihoods should be sedentarised and diversified. Simultaneously, others argue for their wholesale protection.

South Asia (SA), including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, is one of the most populous regions in the world. Agriculture is the backbone of the economies of SA nations and is the main source of livelihood for many rural poor households. While parts of SA have experienced considerable agricultural sector growth in the last half-century, many other regions, including large parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, have lagged behind. Many farmers face water scarcity due to both physical constraints as well as lack of adequate water storage and management.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.

South Asia (SA), including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, is one of the most populous regions in the world. Agriculture is the backbone of the economies of SA nations and is the main source of livelihood for many rural poor households. While parts of SA have experienced considerable agricultural sector growth in the last half-century, other areas, including large parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, have lagged behind. Many farmers face water scarcity due to both physical constraints as well as lack of adequate water storage and management.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.

Agriculture is vitally important to poor and vulnerable people in developing countries, the majority of whom live in rural areas and depend on the land as a source of both food and income. Unpredictable weather, unstable markets, fragile natural resources, energy scarcity, rising population pressures, a swiftly changing climate, and poor policies and investments further compound the vulnerability of the world’s 800 million people who already face regular food insecurity.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.

South Asia (SA), including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, is one of the most populous regions in the world. Agriculture is the backbone of the economies of SA nations and is the main source of livelihood for many rural poor households. While parts of SA have experienced considerable agricultural sector growth in the last half-century, many other regions, including large parts of eastern India and Bangladesh, have lagged behind. Many farmers face water scarcity due to both physical constraints as well as lack of adequate water storage and management

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces great challenges in development, including the highest poverty rate in the world, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Given that agriculture is the single most important source of rural livelihood in Africa, an agricultural growth strategy will go a long way to reducing hunger and poverty on the subcontinent. Among the numerous challenges to enhancing agricultural production in SSA is the large spatial and temporal variability and availability of water resources. Currently, agriculture in SSA is predominantly rainfed.