An ecosystem approach to water and food security Poster presented at the International Workshop on Safeguarding Global Food Security and Life Supporting Ecosystems. World Water Week 2012, Stockholm, Sweden, 29 August 2012. Authors: Boelee, Eline [IWMI]; Khaka. E.; Lloyd, G. J.; Cook, Simon [IWMI/CRP5]; Scherr, S.; Chiramba, T.; Chudeau, N.

1. An Ecosystem Approach to Provisioning services Regulatory services Supporting services Cultural services
Water and Food Security • Increase diversity within cropping system
Eline Boelee (Water Health/IWMI), Elizabeth Khaka (UNEP), Gareth J Lloyd (UNEP-DHI) • Select appropriate varieties
Simon Cook (CRP Water, Land and Ecosystems), Sara Scherr (Ecoagriculture Partners), Thomas Chiramba (UNEP), Nick Chudeau (UNEP)
• Increase productivity/area
IWMI is a
member of
the CGIAR
Photo: Karen Conniff
Consortium
U NE P
and leads
the:
Recognizing the multiple functions of agroecosystems and the many services they provide is essential to fostering an integrated ecosystem • Integrated feed management strategies
approach to natural resources management, agricultural production, and food security. The services provided by natural and
1
agroecosystems can be optimized through appropriate land use planning that takes into account the limits of each ecosystem's • Water management
2
carrying capacity. Thus food production can be made more sustainable; more productive by producing more food, services, and benefits
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per unit of land and water ; more resilient to climate change and other shocks; and more compatible with sustaining other ecosystems • Increase productivity/animal
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with their functions and services.
Photo: Karen Conniff
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for Ecosystem Services
Cross-sectoral integration • Provide environmental flows
Provisioning services, e.g. Regulatory services, e.g. Cultural services, e.g.
- Food - Flood regulation - Recreational
- Wood & Fiber - Climate regulation - Aesthetic • Restocking
- Freshwater - Water purification - Educational
• Enabling Water - Energy - Disease regulation - Spiritual
environment for
• Integration into other production systems
Water Water Water
industry
for for for
• Institutional roles people food nature
and Photo: Stuart Bunting
other
Supporting services, e.g.
• Management uses
- Soil formation
instruments - Nutrient cycling
- Primary production
Multifunctional landscapes where we
manage water and land to enhance
Water for agroecosystems ecosystem services for sustainable and
increased food security
Cultural services
• Heritage Photo: Sajal Sthapit
• Livestock assets
• Tourism Key recommendations
• Recognize and value ecosystem services
Provisioning services • Manage agroecosystems within diverse landscapes together with forests, wetlands and other natural and human-made ecosystems
(separate or combined)
Equity Regulatory services • Develop habitat corridors, strategically place multipurpose trees and promote biodiversity in these agroecological landscapes
• Food crops
• Water flow regulation • Manage all sources of rain, runoff and underground water in an integrated matter
• Aquaculture Resilience • Erosion regulation
• Fodder • Select appropriate multipurpose infrastructure and operation to allow for integration of crop (food, feed, fuel), livestock and
• Fiber Environmental • Greenhouse gasses regulation
fish production
• Pollination
• Fuel sustainability • Climate regulation • Mobilize social organization and collective action
• Domestic uses
(bathing and drinking) • Develop institutions for ecosystem approaches, IWRM and landscape management
• Agro-industry • Facilitate intersectoral collaboration
Supporting services
• Nutrient cycling
• Soil formation References Acknowledgements
1 - UNEP (2009a) Ecosystem Management Programme. A new approach to sustainability.
• Ecosystem resilience United Nations Environment Program, Nairobi, Kenya. We would like to recognize the valuable contributions from: Jennie Baron (Stockholm Environment
• Mitigation of climate change 2. Nellemann C, MacDevette M, Manders T, Eickhout B, Svihus B, Prins AG, Kaltenborn BP (eds) (2009) Institute/Stockholm Resilience Center), Stuart W Bunting (Essex Sustainability Institute), Sarah Carriger
The environmental food crisis – The environment’s role in averting future food crises. A UNEP rapid (Water Writes), David Coates (Convention on Biological Diversity), Katrien Descheemaeker (Wageningen
response assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal, Norway. University & Research centre), Renate Fleiner (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development),
3 - CA (Comprehensive Assessment) (2007) Water for Food, Water for Life: a comprehensive assessment Max Finlayson (Institute for Land, Water and Society), Devra Jarvis (Bioversity International), Petina Pert
of water management in agriculture. Earthscan, London, UK; International Water Management
Agroecosystems for Water Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
(CSIRO Ecosystem Services), Rebecca Tharme (The Nature Conservancy), Elaine Solowey (Arava Institute for
Environmental Studies) and others.
4 - Boelee E, Chiramba T, Khaka E (eds) (2011) An ecosystem services approach to water and food
security. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Colombo, Sri Lanka:
International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 64p.