Water Scarcity, Livelihoods and Food Security Research and Innovation for Development Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management Series

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 program?s 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 Dynamic Technical Context Larry Harrington and Martin van Brakel 6. Research on Institutions for Agricultural Water Management under the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food Nancy Johnson, Brent Swallow and Ruth Meinzen-Dick 7. Partnerships, Platforms and Power Amy Sullivan, Terry Clayton, Amanda Harding and Larry Harrington 8. From Research Outputs to Development Outcomes: Selected Stories Terry Clayton and Michael Victor 9. Messages and Meaning Larry Harrington and Alain Vidal

Larry Harrington is Research Director, Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), based at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

Myles Fisher is Emeritus Scientist, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Cali, Colombia.