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 provides 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)
Desired outcomes from the forum
The forum will aim 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 will also aim 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.
Venue
Please note that there has been a change in the venue:
The Public University of Cabo Verde – Universidade de Cabo Verde (Uni-CV) has been confirmed as the venue for the forum.
A document with more information will be provided to participants by email. Transport will be provided from Nelson Mandela International Airport (in Praia) to the key hotels, and from hotels to the forum.
Programme
The 2nd WASAG International Forum will be held in English, French and Portuguese (interpretation available in all three languages).
The general programme can be found HERE. A more detailed programme can be found below.
DRAFT AGENDA
Day 1 – Tuesday 7 February 2023 (CVT/UTC -1)
9:00 – 11:00 – Opening ceremony (Plenary)
9:00 – 11:00 – Opening ceremony (Plenary)
Cultural exhibition
QU Dongyu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (TBC)
Chairman: Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
Welcome remarks: H. E. Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde
- Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
- Massandje Touré-Litse, Commissioner of ECOWAS
- Ana Touza, FAO Cabo Verde
- H. E. Mr Pio Wennubst, Ambassador, Permanent representative, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to FAO
Concluding remarks: H. E. José Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of the Government of Cabo Verde
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
- GASP (TBA)
- Nora Helena Ramos Silva, National Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (INIDA)
- Cláudio Lopes dos Santos, National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANAS)
- Angela Moreno, Aguas de Rega (AdR)
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, 1.b and Side event 1
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical Session 1.a, 1.b and Side event 1
TECHNICAL SESSION 1.a: Water and Nutrition
Chairman: Paulo Dias, Land and Water Division, FAO
Moderator: Jennie Baron
Keynote: Stineke Oenema, Exercutive 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
TECHNICAL SESSION 1.b: Saline agriculture
Keynote: Saline Water and Food Systems and saline agriculture success stories, Bas Bruning, The Salt Doctors
Presentation of the OCP project, INIDA (TBD)
Blue panicgrass (Panicum antidotale Retz.), a potential salt tolerant fodder crop in desert environment: how do organic amendments and cutting time intervals affect the forage productivity and quality, Ayoub El Mouttaqi and Abdelaziz Hirich, Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P)
Importance of advanced technologies for the sustainability of Agriculture in saline environment, Henda Mahmoudi, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
Introducing International Network of Salt-Affected Soils, Katarzyna (Kate) Negacz, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Saline Agriculture in hot desert regions: a roadmap for a sustainable Farm-to-Fork approach, Dionysia Angeliki Lyra, ICBA
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 – Claudio Santos, CEO ANAS, Cabo Verde
Rainfall trends as an indicator of groundwater availability in Cabo Verde – Vera Chaves
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, 1.d and Side event 2
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical Session 1.c, 1.d and Side event 2
TECHNICAL SESSION 1.c: WATER QUALITY
Moderator: Patricia Mejias Moreno
- 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
TECHNICAL SESSION 1.d: DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS
International Drought Resilience Alliance: The Way forward
Opening speech: Representative of the government of Spain and/or Senegal (TBD)
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)
- Maher Salman (FAO)
- Valentin Aich (GWP)
- Mark Svoboda (NDMC, University of Nebraska)
- Rachael McDonnell (IWMI)
- Daniel Tsegai (UNCCD)
Panel 2: Country cases
- Marco Arcieri, International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage Drought Prediction in Italy (ICID)
- Amar Dhere, College of Home Science
- SNDT Women’s University (TBD)
- India, Watershed Management for mitigation of droughts in India
- Mbae Mohamed, Head of head of agrometeorology department, Comoros, Agriculture in the face of drought.
- Vera Garcia, Trend of precipitation values as an indicator of groundwater availability in Cabo Verde
Side event 2: Guidelines on pressurized irrigation systems
Opening remarks: Filiberto Altobelli and Raffaella Zucaro (CREA)
- 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 (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 Capo Verde (Ministry of Agriculture) – TBA
- 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 – TBA
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
Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical Session 2.a, 2.b and Side event 3
11:00 – 12:30 – Technical Session 2.a, 2.b and Side event 3
TECHNICAL SESSION 2.a: Water and Migration
Opening: Charity Osei-Amponsah, IWMI-Ghana
Thematic talk: Sinafekesh Girma Wolde, Paolo D'Odorico, and Maria Cristina Rulli
Case study from Cabo Verde and other potential opportunities associated with migration for migrants and host communities
Key recommendations for UN 2023 water conference – TBD, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Open discussion, Q&A
Clonclusions: TBD
TECHNICAL SESSION 2.b: Inclusive Farmer-led Water Management
Moderator: Peter G. McCornick, DWFI
Presentation of the OCP project, INIDA (TBD)
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
Side event 3: Saline agriculture
TBA
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical Session 2.c and 2.d
13:30 – 15:00 – Technical Session 2.c and 2.d
TECHNICAL SESSION 2.c: Dryland Agriculture
Opening remarks
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
Technological solutions from the Water-Energy-Ecosystems nexus perspectives to improve the well-being of communities in African drylands – Thameur Chaibi
Feasibility of low-cost renewable-powered integrated electrodialysis desalination and low-energy drip irrigation systems designed for arid areas with brackish groundwater – Susan Amrose
Farmers’ decision-making with an app for climate risk management in drylands – Mitsuru Tsubo
Ways of improving water productivity of pistachio trees orchards in arid area – Mohamed Ghrab
Conséquences des inondations d’octobre et novembre 2022 dans la vallée du Sourou au Burkina Faso – Karambiri Bienvenue L. Chantal N. (TBC)
Q&A with audience
Closing remarks
TECHNICAL SESSION 2.d: Innovation, Technology/Data and Science
Moderator: Peter McCornick (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)
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical Session 2.e and Side event 4
15:30 – 17:00 – Technical Session 2.e and Side event 4
TECHNICAL SESSION 2.e: Sustainable Agricultural Water Use
Sustainable agricultural water management
Moderator: Juan Carlos Sanchez
- 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
Side event 4: 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 5
9:00 – 10:30 – Side event 5
Side event 5: Towards the operationalization of transdisciplinary participatory WEFE Nexus approaches for achieving water and food security
- Paolo D’Odorico, UC Berkeley, USA
- Maria Cristina Rulli & Davide D. Chiarelli, POLIMI, Italy)
- Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, DBG OWOW, USA
- Fernando Nardi & Antonio Annis, WARREDOC
- Raffaella Zucaro & Francesco Cavazza, 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
Discussion on the new Business Model for WASAG – Ania Grobicki
Q&A – open discussion
Concluding remarks
13:30 – 15:30 – Closing ceremony (Plenary)
13:30 – 15:30 – Closing ceremony (Plenary)
Cultural exhibition
Chairman: Ruhiza Jean Boroto
Keynote: H. E. Gilberto Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Cabo Verde
- Lifeng Li, Director Land and Water Division, FAO
- H.E. Ambassador Pio Wennubst, Switzerland
- CILSS Executive Secretary (TBA)
- Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director of FAO
Adoption of the second Praia Declaration, Felix Reinders, WASAG Chair
Closing: Chair of Parliament of Cabo Verde
15:30 – Official visit of the technological and agriculture fair
15:30 – Official visit of the technological and agriculture fair