Secure access by rural poor people to water is central to the achievement ofthe Millennium Development Goals, inparticular the target of reducing by halfthe proportion of people living inextreme poverty and hunger by 2015.Most of these people depend onagriculture for their livelihoods. In mostdeveloping countries, agriculture usesmore than 80 per cent of mobilizedwater resources. But more thanhalf the water diverted for agriculturedoes not contribute directly tofood production as intended.

With an increasing number ofcountries facing severe watershortages, efficient use of water byagriculture to reduce poverty andhunger is a significant issue. Join thisinteresting debate and attend the manysessions on this theme to learn about:

• different agricultural solutions towater scarcity challenges
• how technology is helpingsmallholder farmers to bettermanage water resources
• diverse rain harvesting methods

Competition for water among different users is increasing in many regions of the world, particularly in semi-arid and arid environments. Decisions made by one sector of users have major effects on other sectors, but these impacts are often poorly understood. Many users do not understand the integrated water resources planning and management process. Participants in this session will ‘role play’ to learn about the interactions and impacts of various strategies employed by river basin water authorities. They will also learn about developing plausible strategies for integrated planning and management of water resources.

Ilyas Masih
UNESCO-IHE Institute For Water Education