The MENA Grand Challenge: Enhancing Agricultural Water Productivity under a Changing Climate

Abstract

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a region highly vulnerable to climate change which in turn drives increasing socio-economic challenges. Here, a greater share of water resources (70 to 85%, depending on the country) is used for food production than in any other region globally. Agriculture and agri-food systems remain fragile and a radical transformation is necessary to meet future needs under a changing climate. Because MENA is already an arid region with extreme water scarcity and increased probability of heat stress, water-related needed great attention to make the region climate-smart. There is a consensus in the region that water is the critical thing for making MENA’s agri-food sector climate-smart. There has been an increased push in the region to greatly focus on both water accounting and assessment activities (at large scales) and on-farm water management and strategies to enhance climate smartness by increasing water productivity on the other. Thus, in the context of MENA, water remains as a pivotal element of enhancing climate smartness.

This special event in the CWW2020 aims to have a regional dialogue with the stakeholders that may lead to effective partnerships in the MENA on water-related topics in the agrifood sector. Down the lane, this partnership can take leadership in various R4D activities that address various issues related to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and pro-resilience activities in the AgriFood systems in the region. The aim is to deliberate with the regional stakeholders in the MENA region on issues of Water Accounting, Assessment, and Management to ensure sustainable use, management, and governance of water in MENA to minimize vulnerability under a changing and variable climate and socioeconomic pressures from farm-scheme-basin-national levels. It will discuss the current situation, hurdles, and prospects, strategic partnerships needed for implementation, finance, and funding mechanisms needed for startups for various climate-smart ventures related to the agricultural water resource. Furthermore, it will also highlight the prospects of digital advisories and early warning systems, policies, and socioeconomics as well as the need for capacity development in MENA’s water sector. Prospects of scalability of climate-smart ventures across the region using example case studies and impact analysis as far as possible to develop effective partnerships in the MENA. The ultimate goal is to establish an effective partnership on this topic, to take leadership in selected R4D activities addressing the development of climate-proof, robust, and resilient agri-food systems in the region. Specifically, we will discuss current challenges, key entry points and priorities for improvement, and strategic partnerships in terms of implementation and funding.