Enhancing Water and Food Security Through Improved Agricultural Water Productivity : New Knowledge, Innovations and Applications

This open-access edited book provides a synthesis of knowledge on Water Productivity (WP) and its role in addressing global challenges related to water and food insecurity, as well as climate change. It explores how increasing WP can contribute to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the global South, with a focus on SDG 2, 6, and 12.

The volume connects WP with emerging approaches such as the water-energy-food nexus, sustainable food systems, and the circular economy. It features case studies, critical analyses, and meta-analyses that bridge the science-policy-practice interface. The book also delves into WP’s relation to global priorities, policies, and the empowerment of vulnerable communities, highlighting the non-negotiable rights to water and food. Governance, policies, and institutions are discussed in the context of enhancing WP in farmer-led irrigation and scaling WP technologies. The book also covers emerging methods for determining WP, assessing linkages to nutrition, health, and well-being, and integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

This is a guide for regional and international experts, professionals, and scholars interested in agricultural water management in the global south. The book has the potential to inform multi-regional and sectoral policies, particularly in Africa, and contribute to sustainable development through better resource management.

Prof Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi is a Professor of Climate Change, Food Systems and Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Director of the Institute for Natural Resources (NPC) in South Africa. In addition, he is also the Lead – Water, Energy, Food and Environment (WEFE) Nexus at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). He is a globally recognised researcher, boundary spanner, and science advocate, working on complex water, energy, food and environmental systems at the interface of science, policy, and society. He has a commendable track record of scientific leadership, capacity building, and partnership development crucial for realising the benefits of research, development, and innovation. He aims to spearhead research and development initiatives that influence policy, promote equality, and drive transformation in Africa and globally.

Dr Vimbayi Chimonyo is a Sustainable Agriculture Scientist at CIMMYT. She specialises in the intersections of water, nutrition, and climate resilience. With a solid foundation in Crop Science, she has dedicated her career to tackling the multifaceted challenges of climate change, with a particular focus on semi-arid regions. Her research is centred on developing and implementing adaptive strategies that enhance the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of water scarcity and extreme weather events while simultaneously promoting nutrition and human well-being.

Dr Aidan Senzanje is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Engineering, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). His research interests are in irrigation technology, irrigation and agricultural water management and the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus. He has published over 60 journal articles, authored/co-authored 23 book chapters and co-edited 4 books. He was previously a Visiting Scientist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Pretoria, South Africa. He has practical experience in undertaking technical consultancies in irrigation engineering, agricultural water management, project evaluation, and environmental management systems. He was involved in the planning, developing and launching of new academic programmes in Land and Water Management for the SADC region and the BSc Agricultural Engineering degree at the University of Zimbabwe.

Dr Pauline Chivenge, is a Senior Scientist in Cropping Systems Agronomy/Climate Change for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) based in Tanzania. Pauline earned a PhD in Soils and Biogeochemistry at the University of California, Davis. Most of Pauline’s research has focused on soil and nutrient management in smallholder farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Soil fertility improvement research is core to her research, including the development and utilization of digital decision support tools for dissemination of nutrient and crop management recommendations based on knowledge intensive scientific principles to increase agricultural productivity. She has led a couple of international projects, working in diverse farming systems on topics that include biogeochemical nutrient cycling, natural resource management, watershed management, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions and sustainable ecosystem functioning.