In the context of the institutional reform of Pakistan’s irrigation and drainage sector, a study f farmers’ perceptions of the experience of social mobilization for participatory irrigation management was carried out. To test the viability of farmers’ participation in irrigation management, he Pakistan Program of the International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI1) had organized the Water User Federations (WUF) and 80 Water User Associations (WUA) at the Bareji and Heran Distributaries and the Dhoro Naro Minor of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) Project area in the indh Province between 1995 and 1997.
This country gender assessment (CGA) for the Republic of Azerbaijan was undertaken as part of FAO and national commitments to promote gender equality while integrating a gender perspective into its operations. The resulting CGA report focuses on the intersections of gender, agriculture and rural development, and presents a snapshot of critical gender-based inequalities and their consequences for agricultural production and rural livelihoods in Azerbaijan. The assessment includes recommendations on enhancing agriculture and developing rural communities with a gender-sensitive perspective, taking into consideration gender roles and differences between women and men in access to productive resources, inputs and information. The process of developing and finalizing the CGA was overseen by the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, within the “Improved food security and rural livelihoods through women’s economic empowerment” (WEP) project in Azerbaijan, funded through the FAO–Azerbaijan Partnership Programme (FAPP).
The report aims to provide a conceptual framework to address food security under conditions of water scarcity in agriculture. It has been prepared by a team of FAO staff and consultants in the framework of the project "Coping with water scarcity - the role of agriculture", and has been discussed at an Expert Consultation meeting organized in FAO, Rome, during the period 14-16 December 2009 on the same subject. It was subsequently edited and revised, taking account of discussions in the Expert Consultation and materials presented to the meeting. The purpose of the Expert Consultation was to assist FAO to better design its water scarcity programme. In particular, the experts were requested to provide recommendations on the range of technical and policy options and associated principles that FAO should promote as part of an agricultural response to water scarcity in member countries. The document offers views on the conceptual framework on which FAO's water scarcity programme should be based, proposes a set of definitions associated with the concept of water scarcity, and indicates the main principles on which FAO should base its action in support to its member countries. At the meeting, experts were requested to review the draft document and provide feedback and recommendations for its finalization. Issues that were addressed in discussions included: 3⁄4 Water scarcity: agreement on key definitions. 3⁄4 The conceptualisation of water scarcity in ways that are meaningful for policy development and decision-making. 3⁄4 The quantification of water scarcity. . 3⁄4 Policy and technical response options available to ensure food security in conditions of water scarcity. . 3⁄4 Criteria and principles that should be used to establish priorities for action in response to water scarcity in agriculture and ensure effective and efficient water scarcity coping strategies.
Unsurpassed in the scope of its coverage, this book explores like no other the roles of policy entrepreneurs and the causes of policy change across diverse political systems ranging from the developing world to the largest western democracies. The studies show how entrepreneurs work with outside donors, take advantage of windows of political opportunity, create those windows, and push the policy process in the direction they hope. They also show the limits to these strategies, and strategies that tend to fail. The book dramatically advances our understanding not only of change and stability in water policy, but of the policy process more generally. Frank R. Baumgartner, University of North Carolina, US This book is a theoretically and empirically grounded analysis of one of the world s most pressing problems: the management of water resources. The editors have assembled a remarkable collection of authors with a truly global outlook and an excellent grasp of contemporary water issues as well as modern theories of public policy and decision-making. The volume also demonstrates excellent applications of policy theory to current and pressing matters. It is a must-read for students and practitioners in water resources and will be influential to water policy and in environmental resource management and policy for years to come. Thomas A. Birkland, North Carolina State University, US This volume is a major achievement. It advances our knowledge of stability and change in water policy through case studies from around the world. Its focus on transitions instances of really major shifts in policy is particularly welcome at a time when challenges such as climate change force water policy makers to reconsider the very foundations of their regulatory frameworks and infrastructural policies. The volume goes beyond water policy, however. It makes a major contribution to the study of policy dynamics in general by offering an empirically grounded comparative analysis of policy entrepreneurs as change agents in policy networks. There has been much loose talk about policy entrepreneurs in the fields of public administration and public policy, but a dearth of empirical work underpinning the various claims made. This volume goes a long way towards filling that gap. Highly recommended for water experts and policy scientists alike. Paul t Hart, Australian National University, Australia and Utrecht University, the Netherlands This major volume focuses on the role of policy entrepreneurs in revolutionizing water management worldwide. Adopting an international comparative perspective, the authors explore the changes taking place in water policy across fifteen countries, at both the global level and within the European Union. Their analysis highlights the importance of groups and individuals in stimulating progress and reveals the crucial part played by policy entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs use various strategies to initiate and implement change, including the framing and reframing of issues, the assembly of coalitions, venue shopping and the exploitation of windows of opportunity. In showcasing the role of entrepreneurs in achieving transitions and explaining their approach, this groundbreaking book presents an optimistic message for those who desire improvements in the way water is managed. This book will not only make a unique contribution to the current literature on transition management, but will also prove an invaluable tool for those keen to influence water policy management at the regional, national and international level. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of water resources and environmental management and governance, as well as practitioners in the fields of water and climate policy.
This book examines the design and implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in rural areas, based on collaboration between well-known corporates and an international research organization. Researchers used various scientific tools and methods to enhance rural livelihoods and improve sustainable natural resources management. Including three chapters covering the philosophy and practices of CSR, this book covers emerging policies and their implications in India. Eight case studies based on actual practices explore climate-resilient agriculture, water footprint, improving livelihoods, diversification of crop pattern, enhancing crop productivity, and sustainable development in low rainfall regions. Five further chapters cover soil health improvement, improving rural wastewater management and enhancing rural livelihoods, based on various case studies. The book offers macro and micro perspectives of CSR work and its critical benefits to both community and natural resources. This book covers: Philosophy and practices of corporate social responsibility. Impact studies on improving livelihoods and sustainable development of natural resources. Process steps across various CSR initiatives. Distinct features of each corporate agency. This book will be useful to corporates, individuals involved in CSR work as well as students and researchers focused on agricultural development and the sustainable development of natural resources.
This volume, number 15 in the Studies in Water Policy and Management Series and joins two other volumes (8 and 10) that collectively summarize a significant part of the post-World War II experience of Western experts and donors with the development and management of irrigation in Third World countries. The evolution of understanding of Third World irrigation issues has been toward a greater appreciation of the potential for augmenting traditional production and water allocation systems with improved institutional arrangements for achieving allocative efficiency and equity. The need for local inputs for planning, system operation, and system maintenance is now widely recognized, as is the need for providing proper motivation for system administrators. The authors of this volume offer improved conceptual frameworks and analytic techniques applied to specific country and regional problems in hopes of edifying future experts and donors.
