The case studies presented here have been developed through a set of training workshops in Nepal with engineers and managers from the Department of Irrigation (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) in 2003 and 2006.

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

The five training manuals on Simple methods for aquaculture and the Handbook on small-scale freshwater fish farming presented in this CD-ROM have been produced by the Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Service of the Fishery Resources Division, FAO Fisheries Department. These manuals are written in simple language and f ocus on the practical aspects of semi-intensive fish culture in fresh waters, from site selection and fish farm construction to the raising, final harvesting and marketing of the fish.

This paper represents part of an area of work which analyses the linkages between rights to land and water. An initial scoping paper explored the interface between land and water rights (LSP Working Paper 10: Hodgson, S. (2004). “Land and water – the rights interface”). It is complemented by two regional analyses: this Working Paper and LSP Working Paper 25: IIED. (2006). “Land and water rights in the Sahel: Tenure challenges of improving access to water for agriculture”.

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

This Project Brief provides key findings, lessons and policy implications drawn from the research programme entitled ‘Socio-Economic Analysis and Policy Implications of the Roles of Agriculture in Developing Countries’ (ROA Project) implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from 2000 to 2006.

Water for agriculture draws on a range of sources - from naturally available water bodies to water supply infrastructure. In sub-Saharan Africa, only a very small percentage of arable land is irrigated. Most farmers produce food under rainfed conditions. In 1995, for instance, 89 percent of cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa was delivered from rainfed agriculture, compared to 58 percent in the West Asia and Northern Africa region (InterAcademy Council, 2004). The situation in the Sahel is very much in line with this trend.

The First International Forum on Water and Food of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) was held in Vientiane, Laos from November 12 to 17, 2006. The Forum had two overarching objectives:

• to link people together to discover what they are doing within the CPWF and in the world of water and food beyond the Program;

• to articulate the links between research, policy and practice.

The year 2005 was an important milestone in the efforts of ICARDA and its partners in meeting the global challenges of agriculture in dry areas through the application of science. In an assessment of all 15 CGIAR Centers (based on science quality and relevance, impacts, partnerships, and financial and institutional health), conducted by the CGIAR in collaboration with the Science Council and the World Bank, ICARDA was rated outstanding" - one of only two centers to receive this rating.