Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security: Research and Innovation for Development [Hardcover]

This volume reviews the evolution of ten years learning and discovery about water scarcity, livelihoods, and food security within the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food. It draws on the experiences of over 100 projects conducted in ten river basins in the developing world. 

The book describes how the programs design evolved from an emphasis on water scarcity, water productivity, and water access to an emphasis on using water innovations to improve livelihoods and address development challenges in specific river basins. It shows how the research was used to foster change in stakeholder behavior, linking it to improved knowledge, attitudes, and skills, which were fostered by stakeholder participation, innovation, dialogue, and negotiation. 

The authors describe development challenges, their drivers and their political context, how to address them through technical, institutional, and policy innovations; and the consequences of change at different scales, time frames on equity, resilience, and ecosystem services. Overall, the work represents a major synthesis and landmark publication for all concerned with water resource management and sustainable development.

1. The Challenge Program on Water and Food: A New Paradigm for research in the CGIAR  Myles Fisher, Amanda Harding and Eric Kemp-Bennedict  2. Water Scarcity and Abundance, Water Productivity and their Relation to Poverty  Alain Vidal, Larry Harrington and Myles Fisher  3. Harnessing Research for Development to Tackle Wicked Problems   Michael Victor, Boru Douthwaite, Tonya Schuetz, Amanda Harding, Larry Harrington and Olufunke Cofie  4. The Institutional History of the Challenge Program on Water and Food  Ilse Pukinskis  5. Innovating in a lÓ,