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The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) was launched during the UNFCCC’s COP22 in Marrakech Morocco in November 2016. WASAG has since steadily received recognition and mandate to support countries in finding solutions to cope with water scarcity in agriculture in the face of climate change. In April 2017, a meeting of partners agreed to establish the WASAG partnership to be hosted by FAO to advance the mandate of the framework.Emerging from its foundational years, WASAG held its first International Forum with the theme “Leaving no one behind”, from 19 to 22 March 2019 in Praia, Cabo Verde, [...]

La plaine de Berrechid – connue comme le « grenier » du Maroc – a connu une intensification désordonnée de l’irrigation au cours des deux dernières décennies. Malgré les gains économiques immédiats, ce processus a provoqué la surexploitation de la nappe aquifère de Berrechid, dont plus de 95% de l’eau pompée est destinée à l’agriculture. En 2011, l’Agence du Bassin Hydraulique du Bouregreg et de la Chaouia (ABH-BC) – une division gouvernementale supervisant l’utilisation de l’eau dans les régions du Bouregreg et de la Chaouia, qui comprend l’aquifère de Berrechid – a commencé à négocier un accord de gouvernance de l’eau [...]

This policy brief provides a summary of water governance analysis undertaken in collaboration with national stakeholders. These include the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) and the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (BMLWE), as part of the project “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/Productivity and Water Sustainability in NENA Countries” under the FAO Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity in the Near East and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The analysis, which will be summarized in a report (Gharios and Tanios, forthcoming), followed the governance framework described in the FAO paper “Focus on governance for [...]

In 2017, FAO launched its Global Capacity Development Programme to support the implementation of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (PSMA) and complementary international instruments, regional mechanisms and tools to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The programme aims to contribute to national, regional and global efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. For the proper implementation of the programme, FAO developed its fisheries training framework, based on a modular approach, which has been invaluable in harmonizing the courses delivered under the programme. This modular approach also provides [...]

Highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, heat waves in Egypt are increasingly severe and frequent, raising the already high evaporation rate, accelerating crop transpiration, increasing soil aridity and elevating water requirements for both human and agricultural consumption in a country where water is imported. The forecasted spike in rainfall variability will affect flow of the Nile River, increasing both drought and high-flow years. While Egypt must produce more food for its rapidly growing population and confront high levels of child malnutrition, agricultural performance is slowing due to inefficient use of land, labour, water and energy along with environmental [...]

In 2014, the first internationally negotiated instrument dealing specifically with artisanal and small-scale fisheries known as the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) was endorsed. The scope of the SSF Guidelines is to promote globally a human rights-based approach, covering every social and economic aspect of fisheries governance relevant to all activities undertaken by men and women, in marine and inland waters fisheries value chains. To support and promote the implementation of this important instrument, systematic monitoring is needed in accordance with the provisions in paragraph 13.4, calling [...]

Amid a worsening climate crisis and slow progress in cutting greenhouse gases, sustainable agrifood systems practices can help countries and communities to adapt, build resilience and mitigate emissions, ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing global population. FAO is working with countries and partners from government to community level to simultaneously address the challenges of food security, climate change and biodiversity loss. But none of this will ultimately succeed unless the world commits to a significant increase in the quality and quantity of climate finance.

Since 2014, North Macedonia has developed into the flagship country for FAO support to land consolidation in Europe and Central Asia. The first small technical assistance project began in 2014. During 2017–2022, support to the national land consolidation programme was scaled up with European Union IPA funding through the FAO-implemented MAINLAND project. In August 2022, a second EU IPA-funded and FAO-implemented project “Enhancing land consolidation in North Macedonia” was launched and will continue until 2026 in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. From the beginning, the Government of North Macedonia’s vision has been to build [...]

Global instruments such as the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) and the Principles on Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) endorsed by the Committee for World Food Security (CFS) provide critical guidance on responsible investments in land and forests to address global challenges of food insecurity, poverty, and inequality while supporting sustainable management of natural resources. Applying these global instruments to the assessment of concrete cases can help to identify better practice models for implementation. This document presents a review of selected [...]

En se basant sur un des messages clés de La situation mondiale de l’alimentation et de l’agriculture (SOFA) 2020 - «Investir dans les sources d’eau non conventionnelles, notamment la réutilisation de l’eau ou le dessalement, est une stratégie de plus en plus importante face à la rareté de l’eau» - le bureau sous-régional de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture pour l’Afrique du Nord (FAO-SNE) et l’Union du Maghreb arabe (UMA) continuent à améliorer les connaissances et les compétences sur la réutilisation saine et durable des eaux non conventionnelles. Ils fournissent aux pays du Maghreb des informations et [...]