Wle at cop 26: becoming climate-resilient through innovative farming solutions

A Water Pavilion side-event at the UN’s Climate Change Conference (COP26) addresses tech-savvy and inclusive water management innovations that can help farming communities navigate natural disasters and build resilience to climate change

Too much water, too little water

In the last two decades, financial damages of US$2,440 billion have been caused by natural disasters, three quarters of which were related to water – either too much of it, or too little. In South Asia, over 700 million people and 190 million hectares of land have been affected by droughts and floods. Yet even such large numbers mask the scale of impact on agricultural livelihoods, and do not capture the challenges to food and nutrition security faced by vulnerable communities – particularly women, the elderly and young people – at subnational level.

Furthermore, the threat of natural disaster often compels farmers to opt for more conservative risk management strategies, deterring them from investing in advanced water management technologies and practices. In fact, climate-smart innovations can reduce the risks faced by marginal smallholder farmers.

The International…

Photo credit: Samurdhi Ranasinghe/IWMI