Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
-
Book (stand-alone)Plan of action for Malawi 2012-2016 2012
Also available in:
No results found.The Republic of Malawi is among the poorest countries in the world. The country is frequently hit by disasters, with many people affected by shocks such as dry spells, flooding, crop and livestock diseases, high input prices, and unstable markets. These often result in the loss of lives, assets and support systems. According to the Malawi National Disaster Risk Management Policy document, the intensity and frequency of disasters has been increasing, in large part owing to climate change, population growth, urbanization and environmental degradation. The recurrence of rapid and slow-onset disasters in areas such as the Lower Shire makes recovery progressively more difficult for communities whose livelihoods are already weakened by poverty and other underlying socio-economic constraints. Although – for over five years – Malawi has been producing surplus staple food, some communities remain food and nutrition insecure owing to the impacts of various shocks. In addition, most smallholder farmers are yet to generate meaningful incomes from farming. This is in part due to the narrow range of enterprises they pursue, low productivity levels and poor market access. There is an urgent need to address vulnerability and disaster threats and impacts in Malawi, taking into account the underlying challenges faced by the affected and at-risk communities. A more coordinated and holistic approach is required to help them transition from emergency and relief assistanc e to longer-term development. The Government of Malawi, with support from development and other partners, is focusing on socio-economic development through strategies that include supporting the increased performance of the agriculture sector. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a key partner in Malawi’s growth and development objectives. As part of its Strategic Framework 2010–2019, FAO aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and improve linkages and transitions between emergency, rehabilitation and development. FAO uses the Plan of Action (PoA) as a tool to promote more integrated planning and coordination, and to guide a smooth transition from relief to development in disaster-prone and -affected countries. The current document provides details of the proposed PoA for Malawi. It describes FAO’s strategy to “bridge” emergency interventions to more medium- and long-term national development priorities and programmes for the next five years (2012–2016) in support of the Government and in partnership with key stakeholders. -
DocumentPakistan Floods. Rapid Response Plan September 2011 2011
Also available in:
No results found.Torrential monsoon rains have triggered severe flooding in Pakistan, primarily in Sindh Province. Before the monsoon season began, forecasts predicted 10% below normal rains for Sindh and the southern parts of the country for the 2011 monsoon season. However, by 10 August, heavy rains began affecting districts of southern Sindh and extended to the northern regions of the province and adjoining areas of south Punjab and north-eastern Balochistan. While this spell lasted till mid-August, anothe r more debilitating and sustained rain spell heavily affected areas across the entire Sindh Province from the end of August until 14 September. Concurrent impact in adjoining vast areas of Balochistan has resulted in serious humanitarian consequences including in South Punjab. In Sindh, the central and southern districts have been the worst affectedF1F. These rains caused widespread breaches in the agricultural and saline water canals, particularly in the Left Bank Outfall Drain, which exa cerbated flood impact in Badin, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar districts, among others. Continued rains have seriously impeded delivery of emergency services and flood impacted mitigation works. Outflow of the draining flood water is compromised due to poor infrastructure and lack of maintenance of the drainage routes. Some parts of Karachi and Hyderabad have also experienced urban flooding. Flood waters are likely to stagnate in most of the affected regions for the foreseeable future. As the monsoon season continues, the impact upon the population is intensifying with 5.4 million people affected to date. In Sindh, in particular, the concentration is most severe and all 23 districts have been affected to some degree. It is expected that the population will continue to be uprooted from their homes to seek refuge in the short term as more areas are affected. While some are housed in Government appointed shelters, more seek higher ground along bunds and roads. In Balochistan, five districts are affected and notified (considered seriously affected by the national authorities).F2 The Government of Pakistan, through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and utilising the Armed Forces‟ logistical capacity, has taken the lead in responding to the disaster with the deployment of rescue and life-saving relief operations. Responses are being adapted to the emerging situation as rains across Sindh and the southern part of the country are exceptional in their quantum and spatial impact. Vast tracts which include traditional camp sites are flooded. Utilizing the preparations made through the contingency planning process, shelter locations were identified, search and rescue capacities reinforced and mass communication schemes devised. These contingency plans were activated to alert population of potential flooding and to enable some to move to shelters in advance of the floods.F3F While the authorities are continuing to mobilize relief items for the af fected population, access issues due to damaged infrastructure and continuing heavy rain are hampering the delivery of aid. Over the medium to long-term relief, the food security situation in the country is likely to be affected by the significant loss of crops, agricultural land, and livestock. While the Government (NDMA and the Provincial Disaster Management Authorities) will lead the relief and recovery activities in flood-affected areas, the humanitarian community has been asked to suppo rt the response by covering gaps where the needs exceed the government‟s response capacity. In response to the Government‟s request for assistance on 6 September 2011, the Humanitarian Country Team has developed this Rapid Response Plan as a strategic plan to address the needs of the population in support to the Government‟s relief interventions. This plan will follow two phases: • The first phase focuses on critical needs of the severely affected families in the areas of food security, safe d rinking water and purification materials, sanitation and hygiene, emergency health services, tents and shelter kits, cooking sets, mosquito nets, and other non-food items along with critical early recovery, community restoration and capacity building needs. • The second phase will provide a revised plan based on data collected from needs assessments. This Rapid Response Plan seeks US$F4F356.7 million to enable United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the International Org anization for Migration to support the Government of Pakistan in addressing the needs of flood-affected families for six months. The plan will be revised within 30 days to more accurately reflect humanitarian needs as the situation evolves and additional assessments are completed which include early recovery strategies for helping people recover and rebuild their lives. -
Book (stand-alone)Pulse crops for sustainable farms in Sub-Saharan Africa 2018
Also available in:
Food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is a problem affecting 153 million individuals (ca. 25%). This problem could be worsen by the ongoing soil degradation, being cause by the reduction of soil organic matter and insufficient nutrient supply. Over 75% of the agricultural land in Africa could be classified as degraded by 2020. This situation can compromise food production in sub-Saharan Africa, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and the sustainability of existing agricultural production systems. The use of fertilizer could revert this situation; however, Africa has almost no capacity to produce fertilizers (African fertilizers production facilities work mainly in blending fertilizers) and therefore fertilizers are produced elsewhere outside Africa and transported from long distances at great expenses. This situation grants to sub-Saharan Africa farmers only a very limited access to fertilizers, thus increasing the risk of soil degradation. Pulses have a long history in sub-Saharan Africa due to their multiple benefits. Pulses, and legumes in general, can play an important role in agriculture because their ability to biologically fix atmospheric nitrogen and to enhance the biological turnover of phosphorous; thus they could become the cornerstone of sustainable agriculture in Africa. In this sense, there is a body of literature that points to diversification of existing production systems; particularly legumes species, which provides critical environmental services, including soil erosion control and soil nutrient recapitalization. This publication is a review of some of the promising strategies to support pulses cultivation and utilization on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. The review is part of the legacy of the International Year of Pulses (IYP), which sought to recognize the contribution that pulses make to human well-being and the environment. One challenge faced worldwide is that the diversity of pulses are not captured well in statistics. There is not a clear picture of what is grown and where, and this leads to an under-estimation of their importance for sub-Saharan Africa and consequently reduce research investment in pulses. Existing agricultural production systems are dominated by cereals, and represent opportunities for enhanced crop diversification, through promoting local and novel pulse varieties. Mixed-maize is a system that is rapidly growing and poses one such opportunity, particularly for beans. This is due in part to the large number of bean varieties that have been developed to meet local and regional market requirements, through decades long partnerships foster by Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA). Bean research has included pioneering participatory plant breeding, extension linked to participatory community organizations and value chains, as well as attention to informal seed systems. This example shows how pulse research can make a different on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa, by broadening the range of genetic options and supporting innovation. There are many such farmerx approved varieties available that deserve greater promotion, as do technologies such as doubled up legume system innovation recently released by the Malawi government. At the same time, this review has highlighted that variety release has lagged for some pulse crops, and that there is urgent need for more research on adoption, barriers to adoption, and on impact of adoption. Research priorities suggested include greater recognition and attention to expanding properties associated with multipurpose types of pulses, which are popular in sub-Saharan Africa. Different types of pulses are needed for different functions and in general, multipurpose pulses are the best to respond to the diverse needs of farmers, including food, fuel and fodder, and ecosystem services such as pollination. There is a trade-off between the harvest index and other functions, which have too often been overlooked by researchers and decision makers who tend to focus almost exclusively on increasing grain yields. Pest tolerance, as well as extension of educational approaches and agronomic advice to strengthen integrated pest management (IPM) is another area urgently needing attention. Finally, the role of specific legumes and associated biochemical properties in promoting ecosystem health, community health – this is a crucial area for research that will provide urgently needed options for women farmers – and for sustainability of communities.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
No results found.