AAS: an introduction IWMI 21 February 2013

AAS Rationale Approach Innovation  Gender  Scaling  Partnerships

“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until too heavy to be broken” Warren Buffet

AAS Rationale

Aquatic Agricultural Systems NOT ABOUT FISH! only

Aquatic Agricultural Systems Systems and livelihoods – not commodities

Integrated Agricultural Systems Sustainability & scale

Rural poverty Number of rural poor (millions) (<US$1.25 per day)

Rural poverty Millions of rural people SSA South Asia

AAS Approach

Mekong The Coral Triangle GBM* Zambezi Population living on <$1.25/day, per grid cell (resolution : 9 km at the equator) Niger Lakes Victoria -Kyoga Source of poverty map: CGIAR SRF Domain Analysis Spatial Team (2009) *GBM: Ganges-Brahmaputra- Megna delta (where learning from Coral Triangle will be scaled out) South Pacific Community African Inland Asia mega deltas High numbers of poor and/or High % of total population dependent on AAS High vulnerability to change (climate/sea level/water) Potential to scale out Geographical Focus

Countries and hubs BangladeshCambodiaMyanmarAs-Pac (x1)??? SolomonsPhilippinesAfrica (x2)Africa (x3)??? Zambia

Our research agenda Gender transformative approaches

Research Themes Sustainable increases in productivity Improved access to markets Strengthened resilience and adaptive capacity Reduced gender disparities in access to and control of resources and decision making Improved policies and institutions Scaling up (knowledge sharing and learning)

Using stakeholder consultation to define a specific research agenda in each program location

Integrated themes: Gender Health & Nutrition Learning/Sharing/Communication Engagement & Empowerment Effective Partnerships High potential NRM value chains Fish Aquatic Plants Farm productivity & diversification Diversified farming systems Dietary diversification Baseline studies Ecosystem services Agrobiodiversity Agric. Knowledge + info systems Governance High potential agric. value chains Cattle Rice HUB strategic initiatives Flood risk management Gender transformative approach Awareness + communication in schools Canal management Program operations Governance Management Communications Capacity building for implementation Community level initiatives Barotse Hub, Zambia IWMI

AAS Innovation “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” Albert Einstein

Why we need innovation

CGIAR pre-reform CGIAR pre-reform CRP 1s CRP 3s

AAS and Innovation Change the way we work in complex farming systems and foster impact at scale on rural poverty

Areas of innovation Gender ME&IA Scaling Partnerships Capacity dep’t

Gender Transformative Research

Why gender?

Why gender transformative? Practice lagging behind understanding ‘empowerment lite’ does not lead to real and sustained change Technical approaches/gap filling – accept/reinforce inequity Gender integration without social change limits sustainability of impacts “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. ……so we must think and act anew” Abraham Lincoln

Gender transformative research

Gender – action research in Barotse (Zambia) Development of improved nutrition and market focused value chains for female headed households African Transformation methodology (behavioral change communication and media) to influence gender norms, roles and power relations Improving participation of women, youth and poor men in governance of water resources

Scaling

Pathway 1 Pathway 2 Pathway 3

Three impact pathways 1.Scaling out and up 2.Socio-ecological transformation in our hubs 3.Changing the RD paradigm Impact Time

Partnerships “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African proverb

Key Partnerships - Zambia Types of partners ExamplesRole in scaling Core institutions Provincial and National Policy Key implementing partners Provincial and National Capacity (research and development) Integration of learning into development programs – landscape and national BRE UNZA Senanga Farmers Assoc.

Wider partnerships AAS partnership network in Western Province, Zambia

CRP 1.3 Khulna hub CSISA - CRPs 3.1; 3.3 CPWF: CRP 5 CCAFS: CRP7 CRP 4: Nutrition CRP 2: Policies CGIAR Alignment CRP 3.7: L&F

IWMI + AAS PLT (Sonali) POP (Barbara) Bangladesh Cambodia Zambia Africa expansion Myanmar

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” Margaret Mead

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people …” can increase the CGIAR’s impact on poverty and hunger inspired by Margaret Mead

Thank You