GECAFS IGB Basin Focal Project Grant Meeting-1

1. GECAFS IGB Basin Focal Project Grant Meeting-1 Kathmandu, Nepal 13-15 December 2005

2. Meeting Objectives • Final review of five selected case study sites in the Indo-Gangetic Basin • Review food system descriptions for five IGB sites • Develop mutual understanding of how food systems might be vulnerable to GEC • Outline draft BFP report for Feb 2006 • Develop workplans for BFP grant through July 2006

3. Overview of GECAFS BFP grant • Challenge Program for Water and Food • Basin Focal Projects designed to (i) “provide an integrated framework for assessing the relationships among water and poverty at a basin scale” • (ii) “help develop appropriate interventions to alleviate poverty and vulnerability to water-related stress or problems”.

4. BFP grant – GECAFS Objectives • Improve understanding of vulnerability of food systems to the stresses induced by GEC • Document food systems and analyze interactions w/ water stress and management • Develop methodology for basin-scale analysis based on five diverse case studies

5. BFP grant: outputs • 1.1: Literature review (delayed) • 1.2: conceptual framework – in progress • 2.1: five case studies – in progress • 3.1: analysis of diversity across regional sites – in progress • Two regional workshops: December 2005, June 2005

6. BFP grant - deliverables • October 2006: site descriptions; GECAFS participation in BFP method meeting in China • November 2005 (delayed): Literature review • February 2006: mid-term report • August 2006: final report

7. Diversity within and across a basin– GECAFS approach • Distinctions among west and east • Used Rice-Wheat consortium differentiations as a first cut • Chose five zones across the region • Food Systems characterization studies will further differentiate as well as give insight into cross-region linkages

8. BFP grant Objective 3 • Understand relationships of water and food systems at multiple scales and integrate across sample sites • Trends in vulnerability • Connections among the five sites and importance to food systems.

9. IGP General Characteristics • Western Region (1, 2 & 3) • high productivity – food surplus • high investment in infrastructure • major use of fertilisers and ground-water for irrigation • in-migration of labour • Eastern Region (4 & 5) • low productivity – food deficit • poor infrastructure and low inputs of fertilizer and water • high risk of flooding • out-migration of labour

10. GECAFS Research Sites in the IGP Ludihana, Central Punjab, India: wheat and rice predominate, slow to stagnant productivity growth, groundwater dependent, lots of investment, high income levels, functional policy support. Ruhani Basin, Terai of Nepal: rice preferred, transition zone, seasonal flooding, out-migration, sharecropping dominates, urbanization increasing. Gujarat, Punjab, Pakistan: wheat dominates, food self-sufficient, mixed irrigation, high level of infrastructure, moderate income, policies function somewhat. Greater Faridpur, Bangladesh: rice dominates, flooding and concern over salt water intrusion, low income levels, government institutions fail. Vaisahali District, Bihar, India: rice preferred, low infrastructure investment, flooding, low income levels, out migration, little government policy support.

11. Variables to document across the basin (at all sites) • General: Area, land use statistics, population, urban/ rural • Demographics: Income, education, employment (?), migration of labour • Agriculture: irrigation (source, area), productivity of major crops, input use • Food surplus or food deficit • Infrastructure: roads, electricity, drinking water facilities, telecommunications, storage facilities • Map showing topography, rivers, irrigation structure

12. Specific by site • Food system • Water issues: • Flooding • Drought • Groundwater/ surface water • Policy background

13. For tomorrow: • Please bring a copy of your food system matrix (we can print it for you if necessary)