2nd WASAG International Forum
Making agriculture resilient for climate change: Water scarcity, an opportunity for action and collaboration
Praia, Cabo Verde, West Africa, 7-10 February 2023
Background
Following its launch during the UNFCCC’s COP 21 in Marrakech Morocco in November 2016, the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) has steadily received recognition and mandate to support countries in finding solutions to cope with climate change in agriculture in the face of climate change.
In April 2017, a meeting of Partners agreed to establish a WASAG partnership to be hosted by FAO to advance the mandate of the Framework.
Emerging from its foundational years, WASAG held its first international forum with the theme Leaving no one behind from 19 to 22 March 2019 in Praia, Cabo Verde, where the partners – under the leadership of the six WASAG working groups – developed and adopted the Praia Commitments.
With the contribution of its 70 partners, WASAG has since developed its strategy for 2021-2024. WASAG is set to further play a greater role in developing collaborative actions as solutions to the increasing challenges posed by climate change and the resulting water scarcity, in order to make agriculture more resilient. The second WASAG international forum, which is again hosted by the Government of Cabo Verde provided the setting for this step.
Objectives of the forum:
- To mobilize political commitment to accelerate strategic actions, including policies and investments for addressing water scarcity in agriculture
- To formulate messages that will raise the profile of water scarcity in agriculture in the climate change dialogues at the forthcoming at the UN Water Conference in March 2023 and UNFCCC COP 28 in November 2023
- To discuss ways of making the partnership more effective and impactful for the implementation of the new WASAG Strategy 2021-2024 and involving all Partners
- To share relevant knowledge and information on key issues and to network and to foster collaboration among partners
- To showcase latest technologies, practices and products in agriculture (through the fair)
Outcomes from the forum
The forum aimed to promote and position agriculture at the core of climate change discussions in view of the forthcoming events and beyond:
- UN Water conference (New York, 22-24 March 2023) – Comprehensive mid-term review of the implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, 'Water for Sustainable Development', 2018-2028.
- UNFCCC COP 28 (United Arab Emirates, 6-17 November 2023) – Climate Change
The forum also aimed to define the actions and review the modus operandi of WASAG in order to accelerate the delivery of the Framework and its Partnership on its mandate.
The Praia Call for Action
During the 2nd WASAG International Forum, the participants endorsed the Praia Call for Action as a second step towards decisive and concrete actions to be taken. This follows the Praia Commitment, adopted during the 1st WASAG International Forum in March 2019.
AGENDA
Day 1 – Tuesday 7 February 2023 (CVT/UTC -1)
9:00 – 10:30 – OPENING CEREMONY (Plenary)
9:00 – 10:30 – OPENING CEREMONY (Plenary)
Moderator: Ruhiza Jean Boroto, Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
Cultural exhibition
QU Dongyu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (by delegation Lifeng Li)
Master of ceremony: Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Welcome remarks: H. E. Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde
- José Arlindo Barreto, Rector of University of Cabo Verde
- Ana Touza, FAO Representative in Cabo Verde
- Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
- H. E. Pio Wennubst, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Organizations in Rome
Concluding remarks: H. E. José Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of the Government of Cabo Verde
Video on Water Scarcity
11:00 – 12:30 – SPECIAL SESSION – CABO VERDE
11:00 – 12:30 – SPECIAL SESSION – CABO VERDE
Chairman: Miguel Ângelo Barreto da Moura, State Secretary for Agricultural Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Cabo Verde
Keynote: H. E. Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde
- Eneida Rodrigues, Directorate General for Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock, DGASP
- Nora Helena Ramos Silva, President of Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário (INIDA)
- Cláudio Lopes dos Santos, President of Agência Nacional de Água e Saneamento (ANAS)
- Angela Moreno, President of Aguas de Rega (AdR)
- Damià Pujol, Águas de Ponta Preta (APP)
- Nilton Duarte, Águas de Santiago, Lda (AdS, Private Sector)
Q&A
Concluding remarks: Miguel Ângelo Barreto da Moura, State Secretary for Agricultural Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Cabo Verde
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 1.a: Water and Nutrition
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 1.a: Water and Nutrition
Chairman: Paulo Dias, Land and Water Division, FAO
Moderator: Jennie Baron, Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Keynote: Stineke Oenema, Executive Secretary, UN Nutrition (TBC)
- Capture and carrying forward WASAG Working Group Water & Nutrition key messages, Jennie Baron
- Evaluation of the removal of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater. Case study: Santa Cruz and Santa Catarina Wastewater Treatment Plants, Maria doc Anjos Lopez, Universidade de Cabo Verde (TBC)
Interactive part with session participants:
Moderator: Jennie Baron
What do we need to do better on SDG 2 and nutrition to achieve SDG 6?
What can WASAG network contribute to?
Concluding remarks: Lifeng Li, Land and Water Division, FAO
Closing: Paulo Dias, Land and Water Division, FAO
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 1.b: Saline agriculture
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 1.b: Saline agriculture
- Development of sustainable agricultural production systems in the face of climate change in Cape Verde, focusing on community and resilient agriculture in areas with propensity to salinity – Nora Silva, President of INIDA, Cabo Verde
- Salinization of soils and water in Santlago Island-Cape Verde - Antonio Pedro Pina, Hydrogeologist of ANAS, Cabo Verde
- Irrigation management in Saline Agriculture: trends and perspectives – Marco Arcieri, Vice-President of ICID, Italy
- Introducing International Network of Salt-Affected Soils, Katarzyna Negacz, Vrije Universiteit, Institute for Environmental Studies, The Netherlands
- Saline Agriculture in hot desert regions: a roadmap for a sustainable Farm-to-Fork approach – Dionysia Lyra, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), United Arab Emirates
13:30 – 15:00 – Side event 1: Achieving SDG6 in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
13:30 – 15:00 – Side event 1: Achieving SDG6 in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Moderator: Katya Neves, FAO Cabo Verde
Welcome and presentation of the objectives of the side event – Katya Neves, FAO Cabo Verde
- SDG 6.4 monitoring in SIDS at global level – Patricia Mejias, AQUASTAT Coordinator, FAO
- The SDG 6 IWRM Support Programme – Valentin Aich, Senior Water and Climate Specialist, Global Water Partnership (GWP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- SDG 6 progress in Cabo Verde: priorities and challenges – Marize Gominho, Executive Administrator and Engineer, National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANAS), Cabo Verde
- Data collection and analysis for SDG 6 monitoring in Cabo Verde – Nereida Moreira, Coordinator of the Planning and Monitoring Office, National Institute of Statistics, Cabo Verde
Expert panel: The way forward to ensure SDG 6 monitoring and progress in SIDS:
- Peter G. McCornick, executive director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska
- Robert Stefanski, Chief of the Agricultural Meteorology Division in the Climate and Water Department, WMO
- Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, President of Women for Water Partnership, WfWP
Discussion with the audience
Conclusion and way forward: Patricia Mejias, AQUASTAT Coordinator, FAO
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical session 1.c: Water quality
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical session 1.c: Water quality
Moderator: Patricia Mejias Moreno, AQUASTAT Coordinator, FAO
- Opportunities for water reuse for food production in arid climate conditions – The case study of Moçâmedes in Angola – José Saldanha Matos
- Rehabilitation of Ribeira de Vinha WWTP, in São Vicente, considering the safe reuse of treated wastewater for food production – José Saldanha Matos
- Faecal sludge management, treatment and reuse in agriculture – The case study of Maputo and biosolids reuse potential in Cape Verde – Vera Garcia
- Methodological guidelines for treated wastewater reuse in Cape Verde – Filipa Ferreira
- Phos-Value Project: Sustainable nutrient recycle from wastewaters, an initiative promoted by UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge – Marize Gominho, ANAS
- Eng. Nilton Duarte, Executive Administrator of Agua de Santiago Company (AdS)
Invited remarks: Eugene Rurangwa, Land and Water Officer, FAO Sub Regional Office for West Africa
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical session 1.d: Drought preparedness
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical session 1.d: Drought preparedness
International Drought Resilience Alliance: The Way forward
Opening speech: Ania Grobicki, Senior Water Advisor, FAO
Keynote: Miriam Medel, The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA)
Panel 1: UN entities
What is the added value of a global approach to drought resilience? Who should be the main players? How can we enhance ensure IDRA is fit for purpose? What are the missing elements? How can we fill the gap?
Panellists:
- Robert Stefanski (WMO)
- Stefania Giusti (FAO)
- Valentin Aich (GWP)
- Mark Svoboda (NDMC, University of Nebraska)
- Daniel Tsegai (UNCCD)
Panel 2: Country cases
- Marco Arcieri, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage Drought Prediction in Italy (ICID)
- Watershed Management for mitigation of droughts in India – Amar Dhere, College of Home Science, India
- Vera Garcia, Trend of precipitation values as an indicator of groundwater availability in Cabo Verde
15:30 – 17:00 – Side event 2: Guidelines on pressurized irrigation systems
15:30 – 17:00 – Side event 2: Guidelines on pressurized irrigation systems
Opening remarks: Maher Salman, FAO
- Voluntary guidelines for design and management of pressurized irrigation distribution systems, including engineering design – Nicola Lamaddalena
- Governance-Policy section the importance of sustainable and responsible water management, beginning with the origin of water resources, their respective and cautious use – Alessandro Leto, Water Academy
- Agronomics steps to be considered during the design phase of a pressurized irrigation system – Filiberto Altobelli, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)
- Designing an on-farm irrigation network, starting from calculating irrigation parameter, performance indicators and distribution system – Paolo Enrico Sertoli, AICS
- Economics of irrigation: a methodology for planning and managing pressurized irrigation systems to maximize farmer incomes and cost-benefit analysis – Raffaella Zucaro, CREA
- Energy requirements: Improving an irrigation system’s efficiency can save both water and energy – Nicola Colonna, ENEA
- Case study from Cabo Verde – Benvindo Monteiro Gomes, Ministry of Agriculture of Cabo Verde
- Discussion with the participants (physical and virtual) focusing on field insights on agricultural water management food and nutrition in a water scarcity contex, including audience Q&A
Closing: Maher Salman, FAO
Day 2 – Wednesday 8 February 2023 (CVT/UTC -1)
9:00 – 10:30 – FAO ON NOVEL APPROACHES
9:00 – 10:30 – FAO ON NOVEL APPROACHES
Moderator – Maher Salman
Introduction – Maher Salman
Key presentation: FAO novel approaches on water – Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Comments from FAO Land and Water staff:
- Perspective from the field – Eugene Rurangwa, Land and Water Officer, FAO Sub Regional Office for West Africa
- The role of monitoring and data – Patricia Mejias Moreno, AQUASTAT coordinator, FAO
- Approach to water scarcity – Ruhiza Jean Boroto, Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
Invited comments
Governments:
- Abdoulaye Mohamadou, Comité Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS) – Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel
- Filiberto Altobelli, CREA, Italy
UN Agencies:
- Robert Stefanski, WMO
- Hind Aissaoui Bennani, IOM
Research, Academia:
- Peter McCornick, DWFI
- Charity Osei-Amponsah, IWMI
Professional Organizations:
- Marco Arcieri, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage Drought Prediction in Italy (ICID)
Civil Society Organizations and NGOs:
- Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, Women for Water Partnership (WfWP)
Response from FAO – Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Conclusion and next steps: Maher Salman
Launch of the publication developed by the working group on Financing mechanisms “Unlocking finance for water and agriculture”
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical session 2.a: Water and migration
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical session 2.a: Water and migration
Opening: Charity Osei-Amponsah, Regional researcher, IWMI-Ghana
- Thematic talk: Sinafekesh Girma Wolde, Paolo D'Odorico, and Maria Cristina Rulli
- Experiences on migration in CILSS countries in West Africa – Abdoulaye Mohamadou, Secretaire Executif du CILSS
Discourse by Hind Aissaoui Bennani (IOM) on Key recommendations for UN 2023 water conference:
- From the World Water Forum to COP28 – Key recommendations to the UN 2023 Water Conference
- Collaboration on Water and Migration for comprehensive and tailored recommendations
Open Discussion and Q&A
Conclusions: Charity Osei-Amponsah, Regional Researcher IWMI
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical session 2.b: Inclusive Farmer-led Water Management
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical session 2.b: Inclusive Farmer-led Water Management
Moderator: Peter G. McCornick, Executive director, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska
- Overview, progress and challenges in farmer-led irrigation at scale – Amare Haileslassie (IWMI)
- Irrigation-as-a-Service as a Tool for Supporting Smallholder Farmers – Grace Mukarusagara, Natacha Akaliza and Raïssa Urujeni, Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI)
- Case study from Kenya and report: With Women Better Results in Water Management – Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, Women for Water Partnership (WfWP)
Panel discussion:
- AUC
- SIWI
- SLU
- IWMI
- DWFI
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 2.c: Dryland Agriculture
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 2.c: Dryland Agriculture
Moderator: Vinay Nangia, ICARDA
Opening remarks: Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
- Water for food, water for life: The drylands challenge – Vinay Nangia
- Accurate Estimation of crop water requirements using new technologies (COSMOS, Scintillometers, and Eddy Covariance) – Ragab Ragab
- Estimation of CWR using the the FAO CropWat approach: the case of Southern Italy Hydrographic District Authority – Marco Arcieri, ICID
- Technological solutions from the Water-Energy-Ecosystems nexus perspectives to improve the well-being of communities in African drylands – Thameur Chaibi, National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Water, and Forestry (INRGREF)
- Feasibility of low-cost renewable-powered integrated electrodialysis desalination and low-energy drip irrigation systems designed for arid areas with brackish groundwater – Susan Amrose, MIT
- Farmers’ decision-making with an app for climate risk management in drylands – Mitsuru Tsubo, Tottori University
- Ways of improving water productivity of pistachio trees orchards in arid area – Mohamed Ghrab, Institution of Agronomic Research and Higher Education, Olive Institute, Tunisia
- Conséquences des inondations d’octobre et novembre 2022 dans la vallée du Sourou au Burkina Faso – Karambiri Bienvenue L. Chantal N., Institut des Sciences des Sociétés (INSS/CNRST)
Closing remarks
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 2.d: Innovation, Technology/Data and Science
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical session 2.d: Innovation, Technology/Data and Science
Moderator: Peter McCornick, Executive director, DWFI
- Digital Agriculture: The Future of Large-Scale Production Systems? – Christopher Neale (DWFI)
- Irrigating from Space: Using Remote Sensing for Water Management – Andry Rajaoberison (FAO)
- Making agriculture resilient for climate change in transboundary water scarcity between Algeria, Tunisia and Libya an opportunity for action and collaboration – Badiaa Chelli, Water Research and Technologies Centre
- Agri-Integrated Photovoltaics for Reuse of Water for Irrigation (Acronym: SOLAGUA) – Julio C Lima, Instituto de Estudos da Macaronésia, Cascais, Portugal, and Mindelo, Cabo Verde
Panel discussion:
- CREA
- Agência Nacional de Água e Saneamento de Cabo Verde
- DWFI
- Aguas de Rega (AdR/MAA)
- Egyptian Meteorological Authority
Closing remarks: Peter McCornick (DWFI)
13:30 – 17:00 – SPECIAL EVENT: DROUGHT RESILIENCE +10
13:30 – 17:00 – SPECIAL EVENT: DROUGHT RESILIENCE +10
Moderator: Stefania Giusti, FAO
- Introduction of Drought Resilience +10 – Miguel Ângelo Barreto da Moura, State Secretary for Agricultural Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Cabo Verde
- Presentation of workstreams 1 to 4:
1. Drought resilience and global mechanisms – Robert Stefanski, WMO
2. Drought risk governance: The regional, national, and local challenges – Daniel Tsegai and Miriam Medel, UNCCD
3. Drought Impact monitoring, assessment and forecasting – Mark Svoboda, NDMC
4. The Need to turn drought policies into action – Maher Salman, FAO
- Group discussions
- Presentations of the way forward
- Presentation of workstreams 5 to 8:
5. Ecosystems and Drought – Rachael McDonnell, IWMI
6. Social Inclusion, climate justice and drought – Anna Smetanova, GWP Central and Eastern Europe
7. Drought Risk Finance – Maher Salman, FAO
8. Public-Private-Civil Society Partnerships for integrated drought risk management – Valentin Aich, GWP
- Group discussions
- Presentations of the way forward
Conclusions: Stefania Giusti, FAO
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical Session 2.e: Sustainable Agricultural Water Use
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical Session 2.e: Sustainable Agricultural Water Use
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
Moderator: Juan Carlos Sanchez, IWMI
- Sustainable agricultural water management: a WEF nexus perspective – Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, UKZN/IWMI
- Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Agriculture for African Dry Regions – Musandji Fuamba, Polytechnique Montréal
- Water Productivity: Innovations on Methods and Applications – Christopher Neale, DWFI-UNL
- Assessment of Innovative Water Solutions as a Response to Water Scarcity in Africa – Soumaya Zaddem, Africa Youth Advisory Board on Disaster Risk Reduction of the African Union
Panel Discussion:
- IUCN
- GIZ
- UKZN
- IWMI
- UM6P
Closing remarks: Alok Sikka, IWMI
15:30 – 17:00 – Side event 3: Water productivity, the yield gap, and nutrition in a climate crisis: Field insights from Benin, Mozambique and Niger
15:30 – 17:00 – Side event 3: Water productivity, the yield gap, and nutrition in a climate crisis: Field insights from Benin, Mozambique and Niger
Moderator: Jennie Baron, Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
- Opening, objectives and expected outcomes – Jennie Baron
- Introduction and opening remarks – Simplice Nouala, African Union Commission
- Highlights from the baseline survey of the Nutrition-sensitive Agriculture Water Productivity (NsAWP) project in Benin, Mozambique and Niger – Paulo Dias, Project Manager, Land and Water Division, FAO
Panel discussion:
- Armel C. G. Mensah, Senior Research Officer, National Institute of Agricultural Research of Benin (INRAB)
- Tankari Moussa, National Coordinator of the Water and Nutrition Project, Niger
- Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, Co-director, One World One Water Center
- Beatrice Egulu, African Union Commission
- Paulo Dias, Project Manager, Land and Water Division, FAO
Discussion with the participants focusing on field insights on water, food and nutrition in a climate crisis, including audience Q&A
Closing: Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Day 3 – Thursday 9 February 2023 (CVT/UTC -1)
9:00 – 10:30 – Side event 4: Towards the operationalization of transdisciplinary participatory WEFE Nexus approaches for achieving water and food security
9:00 – 10:30 – Side event 4: Towards the operationalization of transdisciplinary participatory WEFE Nexus approaches for achieving water and food security
Opening remarks and Chair of the Side Event: Raffaella Zucaro, CER Italy
- Transferable lessons from small-scale urban agriculture in Colorado – Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, Denver Botanic Gardens & OWOW Center, USA
- Water saving, drought management and ecosystem services, how to find a balance – Francesco Cavazza CER, Italy
- Tradeoffs, vulnerabilities, and inequities in the Food-Energy-Water Nexus – Paolo D’Odorico, UC Berkeley, USA
- Water and Food Nexus in the context of human health – Maria Cristina Rulli, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
- Engaging stakeholders and transferring transdisciplinary science-driven WEFE Nexus scenarios to co-demonstrate the Nexus-Ness solution in four Euro-Mediterranean Nexus Ecosystem labs – Fernando Nardi, WARREDOC, Italy
Closing remarks: Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd (Denver Botanic Gardens & OWOW Center, USA), Filiberto Altobelli (CREA, Italy) and Raffaella Zucaro (CER Italy)
11:00 – 12:30 – Partners Meeting (closed door)
11:00 – 12:30 – Partners Meeting (closed door)
Chairman: Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
- Achievements of last years and forthcoming events – Ruhiza Jean Boroto, Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
- Discussion on the new Business Model for WASAG – Ania Grobicki, Senior Water Advisor, FAO
- Q&A – open discussion
Concluding remarks
13:30 – 15:30 – Debriefing of the Forum & CLOSING CEREMONY (Plenary)
13:30 – 15:30 – Debriefing of the Forum & CLOSING CEREMONY (Plenary)
DEBRIEFING OF THE FORUM
Summary video of the forum
Chairman: Ruhiza Jean Boroto, Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
ADOPTION OF THE PRAIA CALL FOR ACTION – Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
Video on Water Scarcity
CLOSING CEREMONY
Cultural exhibition
Master of ceremony: Ruhiza Jean Boroto, Senior Land and Water Officer, FAO
- Lifeng Li, Director Land and Water Division, FAO
- H.E. Pio Wennubst, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Organizations in Rome
- Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director of FAO (remotely)
Recognition Awards – Master of Ceremony
Closing Remarks: H. E. Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde
15:30 – Official visit of the technological and agriculture fair
15:30 – Official visit of the technological and agriculture fair
Day 4 – Friday 10 February 2023 (CVT/UTC -1)
9:30-17:00- Field trip
9:30-17:00- Field trip
DEPARTURE: 9:30, Uni-CV
Visit of three sites:
- "Afroponic PURAHVIDA" Development – São Francisco, Santiago Island
- "FORÇA DE VONTADE" development – São Francisco, Santiago Island
- Development "Water agricultural project, valuation and efficient use of natural resources in Ribeira Dos Picos, Municipality of Santa Cruz, Ilha De Santiago"