Video Seminar: Managing droughts and floods for improved food security and livelihoods
On 4 October 14:30-15:30 CET [convert time] the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) will live-stream a science seminar by Vladimir Smakhtin, on "Managing droughts and floods for improved food security and livelihoods". The live-streamed science seminar will be available to a global audience and include the potential to pose questions to the presenter via a live-chat.
Vladimir Smakhtin, Theme Leader for 'Water Availability and Access' at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), will discuss issues and potential solutions to extreme water variability such as floods and droughts. These natural events are major obstacles for sustainable food production and overall economic development.
Extremes of water variability such as floods and droughts are major obstacles for sustainable food production and overall economic development. In 2011 alone, droughts and floods killed tens of thousands of people, primarily in developing countries, and caused over $150 billion in damage worldwide.
Variability of water resources is only set to increase with climate change. Current practices to manage variability are also far from adequate, and new information and solutions are needed, including new technical and economic assessments and designs of diverse water storage “portfolios”. These water storage portfolios should combine both human-made and natural structures that safeguard essential ecosystem services and maximize the development benefits.
Researchers are investigating underground “taming” of large floods for subsequent use in extended drought periods, and we are working on improving identification of flood and drought risks and hot spots. But more variability does not only lead to destruction: floods bring potential benefits to fisheries and floodplain agriculture, while droughts may kill pests. We can harness new knowledge and exploit these benefits while mitigating the worst impacts of variability for farming and livelihoods.
The presentation will provide viewers with up-to date information on water management while illustrating examples of sustainable water storage solutions, both globally and from large river basins in Asia and Africa.
Register to get updates on our live-streamed seminars here, and don't forget to watch previous science seminars:
- Who has the right to climate change adaptation? Social differentiation in promoting climate-resilience.
- Mitigation potentials in the livestock sector
- Managing pests and disease under climate change: What do we need to learn?
- Index-based insurance for agriculture
- How good are current climate at predicting agricultural impacts in Africa and South Asia?
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This is a joint seminar by:
