Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI) for the Near East and North Africa Region (NENA)

About

The main research objective of this project is scale out the evidence-based integrated solutions to poor-resources farmers in rural communities to improve their livelihood through sustainable management of natural resources in MENA countries. The Project has a strong focus on dissemination of proven agriculture production systems’ packages including, mechanized raisedbed technology, greywater treatment, conservation agriculture and deficit supplemental irrigation.

Impact

Goals

The expected outcomes of this collaboration include improved packages and methodologies that are widely adopted by farmers to sustainably increase crop-water-land productivities. This will result in increasing farmer income and improve stakeholders’ livelihood.

Objectives

To disseminate and accelerate wide-scale adoption of deficit supplemental irrigation techniques, affordable greywater systems for Irrigation and associated agronomic practices (incl. Conservation Agriculture) through farmers' participation and field demonstrations; To mainstream gender into contextually relevant approaches for broad uptake in order to enhance household productivity and consumption through greater profitability and improved access to public and private goods and services.

Impact pathways

The project contributes to the CGIAR Global Research Priorities that align with the CGIAR SRF. The SLOs which form the overall focus of the project align with WLE. The first outcome of this project is to improve national water planners skills to be able to manage water resources in a sustainable manner and prioritize interventions using evidence-based proven and scientifically sound research outputs. This outcome will contribute to the sub-IDO D.1.1: “Enhanced institutional capacity of partner research organizations”, IDO D.1 “National partner and beneficiaries enabled”, SLO D “Capacity development”. It will also contribute to the sub-IDO C.1.1: “Increased capacity of beneficiaries to adopt research outputs”, IDO C.1 “Enabling environment improved”, SLO C “Policies and institutions”. The second outcome of the project is the adoption of proposed technology packages for small-scale farming systems in NENA region. This outcome will contribute to the sub. IDO 3.3.1 “Increased resilience of agro-ecosystems and communities, especially those including smallholders” thereby contributing to IDO 3.3 “More sustainably managed agro-ecosystems” and SLO 3 “Improved natural resources systems and ecosystems services”. It will also contribute to the sub-IDO 1.3.2: “Increased livelihood opportunities”, the IDO 1.3: “Increased incomes and employment” and the SLO1: “Reduced Poverty”.