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This technical brief provides information to inform Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and wastewater elements within multi-sectoral antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plans (NAPs). It includes a summary of evidence and the co-benefits rationale for action in each sector and presents a menu of actions for consideration and refinement in each country context. The technical brief also identifies sector specific policy options and to additional information, including knowledge gaps and research needs, as well as additional technical resources to support planning and implementation.

This policy brief reviews on going challenges and proposes recommendations on integrated water resources management approach that embraces the value of water in all its forms and recognizes the intrinsic role of water in protecting human, animal and ecosystem health. This multi-sectoral approach to integrated water resources management under the One Water One Health concept of water recognizes that decisions regarding land and water use have real implications for health. Less-resilient ecosystems, shifts in patterns of disease emergence and spreading, manifest themselves when we fail to recognize this relationship.

It is projected that climate change will affect rainfall patterns in South Asia and will contribute to a decline in water availability for rice cultivation in the region. In Sri Lanka, where rice is both the staple food and the primary crop grown by farmers, reductions in water availability for rice cultivation has serious impacts on farmers’ welfare and national food security. The Overarching Agricultural Policy in Sri Lanka recognizes the importance of adapting and building resilience to climate change in order to achieve national development and food security objectives. A key policy thrust of the agricultural policy framework is to [...]

Countries have acknowledged the inter-dependency of land and water management and the multiple benefits of reversing land degradation for sustainable development, water security and resilience to natural hazards such as drought. Achieving LDN contributes towards the achievement of several SDGs, particularly SDG 6 on water. To ensure that countries reach their LDN objectives, improve synergies between LDN, water security and drought mitigation and achieve the SDGs through LDN approaches, this brifing note presents recommendations for countries, with the support of their national and international partners.

Why does mountain agriculture deserve special attention in a Zero Hunger context? Firstly, because hunger remains common in many mountainous areas. While on a global scale, food insecurity has tended to go down, mountain dwellers have fared worse than people living in plains. Secondly, because mountains cover a large part of the world, especially in Asia: the continent hosts more than one-third of the world’s mountains. Many Asian countries are dominated by mountains: for instance, nearly the entire land area in Bhutan is mountainous, and Lao PDR has 89 percent of its land area classified as mountainous or upland – [...]

The demand of society on forests has continuously changed. Initially, forests were mainly seen as resources for timber. Overtime, the role of forests has expanded as our society expects various economic, social and environmental products and services from the forests. Forests now are seen as a component of broader landscapes. The interconnectedness of forests to other sectors has become much more understood. Also, there is a better appreciation of the environmental and cultural role of forests. Looking into the future, it is very important for governments, organizations, private sector and other stakeholders to understand the roles of forests and forestry [...]

This policy guide is drawn from the results of the FAO Project “Strengthening Agricultural Water Efficiency and Productivity at the African and Global Level” funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and cooperation (SDC). The long term vision of the project was that the in-country findings and processes which are of common nature can be synthesized and scaled up to other countries in a regional cooperation process and globally. This will eventually lead to the increase of investment in Agricultural Water Management (AWM) in the targeted countries – and beyond – that is socially equitable, profitable at the farm level, [...]

Salinization is the most severe threat to soils in the NENA region after soil erosion. Indeed, more than 11 percent of the region’s soils are affected by various levels of soil salinization Salinity has direct effects on the growth and development of plants. Sodic conditions may cause important deterioration of the soil physical properties, indirectly affecting crop growth via increased surface crusting, poor water infiltration, and reduced root zone aeration. The Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM) provide recommendations on how to prevent the development of salt-affected soils. If soils are already degraded and prevention is no longer an [...]

This paper presents current approaches to building proactive policies that support drought-stricken populations and activities, reduce vulnerability, and strengthen resilience to droughts. The paper analyses challenges and options for countries to adopt proactive drought preparedness policies, and addresses opportunities for enhancing the role of international organizations. The first section presents an overview of the regions and countries that are most affected by drought. The following sections present the context for drought, the main approaches to drought management, and the process to build a proactive drought policy that was started by the High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policies (HMNDP), including some [...]

This publication gathers the scientific and policy information and outcomes of the regional conference for wider distribution. The long abstracts were written by the invited speakers. These proceedings are intended as a useful collection of information focusing on river habitat restoration and inland fisheries of the European continent, with specific examples from the Danube river basin. It makes a significant contribution to existing knowledge of these issues. This document has been prepared by the International Organisation for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe (EUROFISH) for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the FAO Regional [...]