Managing Smallholder Groundwater- dependent Agrarian Socio-ecologies using an Ecosystem Service and Resilience Based Approach 4 th November Colombo, Sri Lanka Introduction by Peter G. McCornick, Deputy DG, IWMI

WELCOME!

WLE believes  Sustainable intensification provides a pathway for agriculture productivity, human development and resilient landscapes.

Why  Increasing environmental degradation.  Rising risks associated with the current growth agenda.  Rapidly rising human demands and inequity We are consuming natural capital in a way that is not sustainable and equitable.  Recognition that the sustainability agenda is at the heart of development.

How  Influencing development choices to improve sustainable agricultural intensification through nature based solutions by providing: Evidence-base knowledge that sustainable intensification provides improved food security, equity, livelihoods and healthy landscapes. Integrated solutions to better manage risk related to rising shocks. Models and scenarios to understand trade-offs and synergies. Institutional innovations to address inequity and gender imbalances, while promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.

WLEs uniqueness  Not about protecting ecosystem for the sake of ecosystem.  Support human development by working with ecosystems and people.  Ecosystems as the foundation for agriculture productivity, equity, livelihoods and prosperity.  We go beyond the paradigm of minimizing the impacts of agriculture.  We are exploring the interface between rural and urban systems.  Working across sectors to provide integrated solutions to reverse land and water degradation.  Combining an ecological approach with a natural resource management approach to build resilience.

WLE’s Ecosystems Services & Resilience (ESR) Framework

Ecosystems Services & Resilience (ESR) Workshops - Provisional Workshop titleDateLocation Groundwater4-7 NovemberColombo, Sri Lanka; Institutions OctoberIFPRI, Washington DC Revitalization of Irrigation Systems Jan/Feb 2015, TBCAmman, Jordan Nutrient cyclingJanuary 2015, TBCNairobi, Kenya Managing resource variability February 2015, TBCVientiane, Laos Biological controlMarch 2015, TBC Bioversity or CGIAR Montpellier, France Genetic resourcesApril 2015, TBCBioversity, Rome, Italy

WLE Program Structure

Focal Region Flagships.

INCREASING WATER AND LAND PRODUCTIVITY Banking on groundwater: How policies can lever change in India  Agricultural growth in West Bengal had slumped by more than half.  Research identified a major block to agricultural productivity was getting access to groundwater.  Policies recommended by IWMI were adopted to improve groundwater access for smallholder farmers.  Estimated rise in irrigated area from 3.0 to 4.8 mill ha and an additional 4.6 mill tons of paddy per year. Develop technical, managerial and institutional solutions for managing water and land

MANAGING RESOURCE VARIABILITY & COMPETING USES Assist decision makers to reconcile natural variability, competition among sectors and trade-offs, and the importance of equitably sharing these resources Resolves water variability by accelerating surface–subsurface interactions Process:  Extract groundwater before monsoon  Fill sub-surface storage using distributed recharge mechanisms during the monsoon Results:  Increased water for dry season irrigation  Reduced downstream flood impact  Increased river flow in the dry season Ganges Aquifer Management for Ecosystems Services (GAMES)

STRENGTHENING DECISION ANALYSIS Use information analysis tools to help governments and investors reduce risk and enhance rural farm livelihoods Merti Aquifer  Working with Government of Kenya to assess impacts of 120 KM pipeline using probabilistic decision-making models.  Convening stakeholders and engaging them in model building has shown potential to overcome some of the controversy surrounding the Merti aquifer project.  Important aquifer for Wajir City, Somali refugees and pastoral communities and outcomes will support their development needs.

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND RESILIENCE  Almost 30% of Bangladesh fish come from flood plains (beels).  Building community based organizations to increase fish production using ecosystem based approaches.  Led to increases in catches and important livelihood benefits to landless farmers. Understand trade-offs and synergies, both short and long term, on how mixed use landscapes can be managed for their multi-functionality. Managing floodplains for livelihoods in Bangladesh

GENDER, POVERTY AND INSTITUTIONS Gendered decision making – Identifying livelihood options in resettled communities in the Mekong Men Upland rice control limited (material, relational and subjective costs) Fishing control increased (material benefit) Livestock control decreased (material cost) Women Riverbank gardens control decreased (material cost) Weaving control increased (material, subjective benefits) Education increased participation (relational and subjective benefits) Decisions result in benefits or costs to men and women. These are social (relational), cultural (relational/subjective), emotional (subjective) as well as economic (material). Identify where, when and how women can gain equitable access to water, land and other natural resources

Workshop Goals  Introduce and justify the concept of ecosystem service and resilience based approach applied to managing GDASEs;  Review research methods that quantify groundwater-based ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, habitat, cultural and amenity services);  Explore and analyze experience in managing groundwater-irrigated agrarian landscapes with focus on trade-offs and critical thresholds;  Identify research develop practical and policy strategies for sustainable intensification of groundwater-based farming systems;  Integrated and innovative inter-disciplinary approaches to identifying and monitoring the impacts of ecosystem service-inclusive management regimes for GDASEs; Groundwater-dependent agrarian socio-ecologies (GDASEs)

Workshop Goals  Introduce and justify the concept of ecosystem service and resilience based approach applied to managing GDASEs;  Review research methods that quantify groundwater-based ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, habitat, cultural and amenity services);  Explore and analyze experience in managing groundwater-irrigated agrarian landscapes with focus on trade-offs and critical thresholds;  Identify research develop practical and policy strategies for sustainable intensification of groundwater-based farming systems;  Integrated and innovative inter-disciplinary approaches to identifying and monitoring the impacts of ecosystem service-inclusive management regimes for GDASEs; Groundwater-dependent agrarian socio-ecologies (GDASEs)

WLE’s Ecosystems Services & Resilience (ESR) Framework