Wetlands, agriculture and poverty reduction

Abstract

Wetlands, Agriculture and Poverty Reduction RESEARCH IWMI R E P O R T I n t e r n a t i o n a l Water Management I n s t i t u t e years IWMI Celebrating Research ReportsThe publications in this series cover a wide range of subjects-from computer modeling to experience with water user associations-and vary in content from directly applicable research to more basic studies, on which applied work ultimately depends. Some research reports are narrowly focused, analytical and detailed empirical studies; others are wide-ranging and synthetic overviews of generic problems.Although most of the reports are published by IWMI staff and their collaborators, we welcome contributions from others. Each report is reviewed internally by IWMI staff, and by external reviewers. The reports are published and distributed both in hard copy and electronically (www.iwmi.org) and where possible all data and analyses will be available as separate downloadable files. Reports may be copied freely and cited with due acknowledgment. About IWMIIWMI's mission is to improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. In serving this mission, IWMI concentrates on the integration of policies, technologies and management systems to achieve workable solutions to real problems-practical, relevant results in the field of irrigation and water and land resources.

Early stages of soil development on serpentinite: the proglacial area of the Verra Grande Glacier, Western Italian Alps

“…Four thousand million hectares of peatlands are found in at least 180 countries and cover around 3% of the world's land area (McCartney et al 2010). These habitats are the place of occurrence of flora and fauna various species which are rare, imperiled, and included in the IUCN red list of flora and fauna (IUCN 2016).…”

Groundwater and ecosystem services: a framework for managing smallholder groundwater-dependent agrarian socio-ecologies - applying an ecosystem services and resilience approach

“…Small-holder intensive farming systems 4. Extensive pastoralism In Africa, many smallholder farmers rely on farming groundwater-dependent wetland or flood plain areas in a seasonal pattern, examples are the fadama systems in Nigeria (Nkonya et al, 2010), and the dambos in Zambia and Malawi (McCartney et al, 2010). Hence, in defining a broad 'typology' of situations that combines conditions under which groundwater occurs, the extent to which it is developed for society, associated consequences in the provision of services from groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and the trade-offs between direct and indirect groundwater services, becomes important.…”

East African wetland-catchment data base for sustainable wetland management

“…As one response to emerging fundamental questions on food security in Africa, the UNEP stresses the role of wetlands for agriculture in Africa (Frenken and Mharapara, 2002) leading to an encouragement of many African governments and NGOs for wetland farming practices to improve food security, reduce poverty and facilitate the diversification of rural livelihoods (McCartney et al, 2010). Wetlands, characterized by nutrient rich soils and year-round water and/or soil moisture availability, sustain especially smallholder farmers with opportunities to produce crops all year-round (Sakané et al, 2011).…”