Poverty-reducing Policies for Shared River Basins in Southern Africa Status of two proposals to the Challenge Program on Water and Food Doug Merrey 4 September 2007, Lusaka

CPWF—What is it? CGIAR-led multi-partner research program aiming simultaneously to: Increase productivity of water Reduce poverty Achieve food security Improve health Maintain environmental security  Works on 9 river basins internationally, largely through competitive processes

CPWF

FANRPAN—Two proposals submitted in response to calls  Limpopo Basin Water Quality Rights Interventions  Limpopo Basin Focal Project Co-lead with ARC South Africa Both—multiple partners including institutions in 4 basin countries Approximately 2 years each If successful, start in 4 th quarter 2007

Limpopo Basin Water Quality Rights Interventions  Can an approach based on water rights empower rural communities to work effectively in partnership with government to improve the quality as well as quantity of water for productive and domestic purposes, and if so, how?

Limpopo Basin Focal Project  Identify opportunities for reducing poverty through water management interventions, and gaps in knowledge to be filled in future projects  Largely based on organization, integration, synthesis of existing data combined with modest field work

Sample of Project Partnerships  Global Water Partnership— Southern Africa  IWMI, IFPRI, ReSAKSS  Agricultural Research Council and IIAM (Mozambique)  Universities: Botswana, Zimbabwe, Pretoria, Eduardo Mondlane, Malawi

Why are we pursuing these projects?  High transaction costs—tendering and implementation, BUT  Opportunity to make a significant contribution to improved NRM policies  Build Network capacities for multi- disciplinary projects while taking advantage of its comparative advantage for multi-partner regional projects  Will activate the “NR” in FANRPAN  CAADP Pillar One Contribution

Additional future opportunities Policies for scaling up of micro- agricultural water management technologies Implementing small project in Zimbabwe and Zambia (USAID-OFDA) Invited to participate in Gates Foundation workshop to shape its Agricultural Water Program Improved access to and management of water is critical for Southern African agricultural development

Thank you!