"First of all, WFP very much welcomes the report of the HLPE. The nexus on water, food security and nutrition is very relevant and pertinent.
Secondly, WFP supports a broad range of water-related activities related to water for nutrition and health, soil and water resources conservation, water for food production and hazard protection. Between 2002 and 2009, 275 out of 732 WFP projects, or 38 percent, involved water-related activities. These activities took place in 69 countries.
In 2010/2011, of 341 projects supported by WFP globally, 113 (33 percent) included water activities. Projects which contained a water management component were identified and classified under four main categories: i) nutrition and health; ii) soil and water conservation; iii) food production; and iv) hazard protection. According to this 2010-2011 analysis, among WFP projects with a water-related component, 61 percent aimed at addressing drought impacts and 46 percent flood impacts. 19 percent dealt with internal and cross-border conflict, 12 percent with increased food prices, 5 percent with storms, and 14 percent with other natural hazards (earthquakes, crop infestations and environmental degradation). Interventions were implemented as response measures or as risk-reduction measures depending on the country and operational context.
In the context of WFP’s work in this area, partnerships with host governments (central and local) and other partners in this area are key, both for domestic uses (e.g. with UNICEF and WHO on WASH related activities), agriculture (e.g. FAO and others) and protection of infrastructure.
Third, the gender dimension is also very important for WFP as water quantity and quality relates not only to food consumption and nutrition, reduction of diarrhoea, but also to the reduction of hardships on women and girls tasked to fetch water from increasingly distant locations, especially in deteriorated ecosystems where most of WFP beneficiaries reside. By fetching water from distant locations, women and girls expose themselves to the risk of rape and other forms of violence. This protection issue might benefit from some more elaboration in the current draft.
Fourth, attached is a document that contains all the recommendations that the HLPE made to the CFS in this zero draft report, some of these might benefit from some more reflection (we provided two comments already)"
World Food ProgrammeJan van der Velde