Technical background reports
Water–energy–food–health nexus in Lebanon
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
This study used a water–energy–food system-of-systems assessment to evaluate the sustainability of the Mediterranean diet in Lebanon. The specific aims were to: 1) identify and quantify the critical interconnections between water, energy and food systems in Lebanon; 2) develop a nexus framework to assess the trade-offs associated with adopting interventions within current water, energy and agriculture portfolios and practices; 3) evaluate stakeholder perceptions around regional resource challenges and their willingness to implement proposed interventions.
The global distribution of human-induced land degradation and areas at risk
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
There is a strong correlation between water-related issues and human-induced land degradation: increased water stress and decreased freshwater availability are prominent in large contiguous degraded areas worldwide. Generally accepted indicators, such as soil erosion or land productivity, are less common. Cropland is a major contributor to global human-induced land degradation. The degree to which irrigated land is degraded suggests widespread unsustainable agricultural practices and intense pressures. The integration of three dimensions of land degradation – biophysical status, trends and drivers – provides us with insight into the spatial relationships between land conditions, degradation processes and pressures from human activities. The land degradation analysis verifies whether a decline in ecosystem services is of anthropogenic origin and thus can be classified as human-induced land degradation. The analysis of areas at risk does not discriminate between human and natural causes but estimates the potential impact of deteriorating ecosystem services.
Groundwater Governance and the water-energy-food Nexus in Action: a global review of Policy and Practice
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
The dominance of insular, supply-side technocratic thinking has posed a major challenge to improving water governance in the face of mounting resource scarcity, which has itself been accentuated by climate change. During the 1990s, global discourse moved from supply-driven sectoral interventions to more holistic approaches to water governance as part of larger socioeconomic and environmental processes. Integrated water resources management (IWRM) emphasized demand-side water management and used prices, participation, entitlements, laws and regulations to strengthen water governance at hydrological rather than territorial units.
This review paper explores these challenges by focusing on the WEF nexus in action. We compare the nexus in several water-stressed areas of the world The key conclusion is that specific contexts, contingencies and constituencies drive national and sub-national policies. Directing the outcomes towards the optimal nexus depends on the nature of the state, investment in institution building and, above all, ingenuity in policy design and implementation to overcome resistance to change and strengthen political capital for the leaders who back such policies.
Synthesis of literature review of the quality of water resources impacted by the agricultural sector
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
The condition of the water, including its chemical, physical and biological characteristics, defines water quality, which could be affected by excess inputs of chemicals or microorganisms such as nutrients, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, microplastics and pathogens. Deteriorating water quality is a global challenge. Pollution of water bodies is not only a serious risk to ecosystem health and biodiversity, but also to human health and economic development, such as food, aquaculture and energy production.
Development of a methodological framework for the State of Land and Water Resources 2021
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to agricultural, land, soil and water systems require a comprehensive understanding of the linkages, interdependencies and role of the systems. This report presents the Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework (DPSIR), which was developed to describe the connections between the environment, socioeconomics and sustainable agricultural production systems. The report highlights the need for a comprehensive assessment of interventions and responses (technical, institutional and policy) for sustainably managing land and water resources and combating land degradation.
Marginal lands: potential for agricultural development, food security and poverty reduction
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
Globally, marginal lands make up about 21 percent (2.74 billion ha) of the total land (13.5 billion ha) area. However, about 1 558 million ha of these lands are used for agriculture, out of which about 224 to 300 million ha is classified as agriculturally marginal areas.
This paper presents the potential of marginal lands for food security and poverty reduction through sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It presents the outcome of a systematic review on the multidimensional and complex nature of marginality and the factors that drive or characterize marginality in the broader context. The aim of the paper is to draw a working definition for agricultural environments that are considered as marginal in the context of a given agricultural economy and use it to identify the extent of global and regional marginal areas and its hotspots. Moreover, the paper attempts to explore the combinations of underlying causes of agricultural marginality and proximate factors that correlate with marginality as well as opportunities and barriers faced by the rural poor living.
Potential of drinking water alliances to address nitrate pollution – Experiences from Germany
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
This paper provides background to the State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture Report with an innovative governance approach to addressing non-point pollution sources originating from agricultural activities: alliances1 between water utilities and farmers in designated water protection areas and drinking water extraction areas. The alliances revolve around the idea of balancing diverging targets such as maintaining drinking water standards and the viability and profitability of agricultural businesses.
Land suitability for crop production in the future
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
The quality and availability of soil and water resources, together with crop management, determine the potential for crop production. The assessment of crop suitability is an important factor in determining which crops to cultivate to improve yield and reduce risk. In the current climate change context, this assessment becomes even more important. The following parameters are considered with regard to climate: temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, and wind speed. These are transformed into agroclimatic regimes relevant for crop growth. Soil nutrient availability and nutrient retention, soil oxygen availability, available rooting volume, the presence of soluble and less soluble salts (lime, gypsum) and soil workability are taken into account to determine the edaphic suitability of crops. With regard to terrain, the altitude and the slope of the land are inventoried where these affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil and thus have an impact on the management levels that can be applied.
Restoring degraded land in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
The unprecedented increase in forced displacement over the past decade poses critical challenges to human health, food security, nutrition, water supply and sanitation, shelter, education, environmental services and energy, not only for the people who have been uprooted from their homes but also for their host communities. The environmental degradation resulting from the unsustainable extraction of natural resources in and around refugee camps may become irreversible if action is not soon taken to reduce its impacts. In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, an integrated approach to fighting degradation combines participatory processes, energy supply, demand assessment and sustainable land management. The approach uses native plant species for soil stabilization, the rehabilitation of degraded forestland and advanced geospatial technologies and remote sensing to mount a coordinated and timely response that can halt irreversible land degradation, reduce risks from natural disasters, and improve ecosystem services and living conditions inside and around the camps. This case study presents the lessons learned from ongoing efforts to use field and remote sensing information to monitor and restore degraded land in and around the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Enabling institutional environments conducive to livelihood improvement and adapted investments in sustainable land and water uses
SOLAW 2021 Technical background report
This report reviews the main global trends in land and water uses, policies and investments that have taken place over the last decade and identifies the institutional arrangements that have been the most conducive to sustainable and equitable use of these resources. The report focuses particularly on family farmers, who have limited access to key resources (land, water, credit and infrastructure). It pays special attention to their common challenges and needs, but also to their diverse conditions. It provides evidence-based information on the institutional conditions needed to ensure inclusive land and water programmes, and to upscale such programmes at local levels. It is based on a systematic review of official documents and academic papers and on detailed case studies, often grounded in the authors’ own significant knowledge.