Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 10:45-12:15

Nebraska East Union 

This side event will discuss how to best implement the 2023 Praia Call for Action adopted during the 2nd International forum of the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) which took place in February 2023.

The Call for Action:

o invited all member countries to become Partners of WASAG 

o adopted 17 actions,  ranging from mobilizing political support, promoting national ownership while stepping up collaborative actions among countries and adopting international, cross sectoral collaboration and multidisciplinary approaches.

o adopted specific actions on innovative financing mechanisms, farmer-led approaches including the youth, inclusive technologies,  digital agriculture, coupling agriculture water management with food and nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), dryland agriculture, saline agriculture, coping with migration, etc.

These actions are a result of ongoing collaboration between WASAG partners. It is now time to apply the proposed solutions to develop sustainable and resilient food systems through programme(s) with projects and activities that are beneficial to countries and communities whose agriculture, food security and nutrition are threatened by increasing water scarcity in the context of climate change. 

At the same time, FAO will present its new initiative, Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture and the environment (AWSAMe) that was recently launched to support its Strategic framework for 2022-2031 with strong synergies with WASAG.

To accelerate, through the implementation of the Praia Call for Action, the impact of the collaborative work of partners and stakeholders on achieving food security and nutrition in the context of water scarcity and climate change.

An agreed set of practical steps required to implement the Praia Call for Action in synergy with the FAO’s AWSAMe initiative.

Facilitator: Ruhiza Jean Boroto (FAO/WASAG)

1. Introduction – Facilitator (5 min)

        Keynote (10 minutes) - Miguel Angelo Da Moura – Secretary of State for Agriculture Economy, Cabo Verde:  Water Scarcity in Agriculture - The Praia Call for Action – why we should all be involved and feedback from the 2023 UN Water Conference

2. Insights on the FAO’s AWSAMe – Ruhiza Jean Boroto (5 minutes)

3. Views from Partners and Stakeholders (40 minutes):

        Kindly recommend which steps are required to implement any of the 17 actions from The Praia Call for Action that is relevant to your contribution to WASAG:

• DWFI   -  Christopher Neale (5 min)
• ICID  -    Marco Arcieri (5 min)
• IWMI   -  Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi   (5 min) 
• OWOW Centre -  Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd (5 min)
• SLU  - Jennie Barron (5 min)
• TAMU - Nicole Lefore (5 min)
• UNCCD  - Daniel Tsegai  (5 min)
• USDA - Micah Rosenblum (5 min)

4. Inputs from the audience (25 minutes) – Moderator – Rosaida Dolce (FAO/WASAG)

• Comments, questions and answers  

5. Conclusion and way forward (5 minutes) 

        Peter McCornick, DWFI Executive Director & WASAG SC Member