Water
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
Smart pixels for smart phones in Africa – Water management for smallholder farmers (36)
Participants in this session will learn about the eLEAF global database of vegetation, water and climate using its innovative Pixel Intelligence Mapping technology. This geo-information tool is integrated with agricultural services and mobile technology to enable smallholder farmers to produce more crop per drop, reduce production risk and improve livelihoods. Participants will learn about the potential of integrating geo-information, agricultural services and mobile technology and will see how the application is being used in smallholder farming in Africa.
Patrick Sheridan, Wim Bastiaanssen and Ivo Miltenburg