"Water for Food, Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture", a 664-page book edited by D. Molden and published by Earthscan and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in early 2007, is now available on the web. The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture (CA) is a critical evaluation of the benefits, costs and impacts of the past 50 years of water development, the water management challenges communities face today, and the solutions people have developed around the world, and uses scenarios to explore the consequences of a range of potential investments. Its scope is water management in agriculture, including fisheries and livestock, and the full spectrum of crop production. It aims to inform investors and policymakers about water and food choices in light of such crucial influences as poverty, ecosystems, governance and productivity. Some of the book`s 16 chapters consider the role of biotechnologies, such as chapter 7 on `Pathways for increasing agricultural water productivity` and chapter 14 on `Rice: feeding the billions`. See http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/Publications/books.htm or contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information. The CA is co-sponsored by FAO, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and organised through the CGIARs Systemwide Initiative on Water Management, convened by IWMI, which initiated the process and provided a secretariat to facilitate the work.

04/12/2007