Poverty-reducing Policies for Shared River Basins in

Southern Africa

Status of two proposals to the Challenge Program on Water and Food

Doug Merrey4 September 2007, Lusaka

CPWF—What is it?

CGIAR-led multi-partner research program aiming simultaneously to: Increase productivity of water Reduce poverty Achieve food security Improve health Maintain environmental security

Works on 9 river basins internationally, largely through competitive processes

CPWF

FANRPAN—Two proposals submitted in response to calls

Limpopo Basin Water Quality Rights Interventions

Limpopo Basin Focal Project Co-lead with ARC South Africa

Both—multiple partners including institutions in 4 basin countries

Approximately 2 years eachIf successful, start in 4th quarter

2007

Limpopo Basin Water Quality Rights Interventions

Can an approach based on water rights empower rural communities to work effectively in partnership with government to improve the quality as well as quantity of water for productive and domestic purposes, and if so, how?

Limpopo Basin Focal Project

Identify opportunities for reducing poverty through water management interventions, and gaps in knowledge to be filled in future projects

Largely based on organization, integration, synthesis of existing data combined with modest field work

Sample of Project Partnerships

Global Water Partnership—Southern Africa

IWMI, IFPRI, ReSAKSS Agricultural Research Council

and IIAM (Mozambique) Universities: Botswana,

Zimbabwe, Pretoria, Eduardo Mondlane, Malawi

Why are we pursuing these projects? High transaction costs—tendering and

implementation, BUT Opportunity to make a significant

contribution to improved NRM policies Build Network capacities for multi-

disciplinary projects while taking advantage of its comparative advantage for multi-partner regional projects

Will activate the “NR” in FANRPAN CAADP Pillar One Contribution

Additional future opportunities

Policies for scaling up of micro-agricultural water management

technologies Implementing small project in Zimbabwe and

Zambia (USAID-OFDA) Invited to participate in Gates Foundation

workshop to shape its Agricultural Water Program

Improved access to and management Improved access to and management of water is critical for Southern of water is critical for Southern

African agricultural developmentAfrican agricultural development

Thank you!www.fanrpan.org