AAS: an introduction

IWMI 21 February 2013

AAS

• Rationale• Approach• Innovation

Gender Scaling Partnerships

“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until too heavy to be broken” Warren Buffet

AASRationale

Aquatic Agricultural Systems

NOT ABOUT FISH!only

Aquatic Agricultural Systems

Systems and livelihoods – not commodities

Integrated Agricultural Systems

Sustainability & scale

Rural poverty

Number of rural poor (millions) (<US$1.25 per day)

Rural povertyM

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SSA

South Asia

AAS Approach

Mekong Mekong The Coral TriangleGBM*GBM*

ZambeziZambezi

Population living on <$1.25/day, per grid cell (resolution : 9 km at the equator)

NigerNigerLakes Victoria-Kyoga

Lakes Victoria-Kyoga

Source of poverty map: CGIAR SRF Domain Analysis Spatial Team (2009)

*GBM: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Megna delta

(where learning from Coral Triangle will be scaled out)

South Pacific CommunitySouth Pacific Community

African InlandAsia mega deltas

• High numbers of poor and/or High % of total population dependent on AAS• High vulnerability to change (climate/sea level/water)• Potential to scale out

Geographical Focus

Countries and hubs

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Bangladesh Cambodia Myanmar As-Pac (x1) ???Solomons Philippines Africa (x2) Africa (x3) ???Zambia

Our research agenda

Gender transformative approachesGender transformative approaches

Research Themes

• Sustainable increases in productivity• Improved access to markets• Strengthened resilience and adaptive

capacity• Reduced gender disparities in access to and

control of resources and decision making• Improved policies and institutions• Scaling up (knowledge sharing and learning)

Using stakeholder consultation to define a

specific research agenda in each program location

Integrated themes:Gender

Health & NutritionLearning/Sharing/Communication

Engagement & EmpowermentEffective Partnerships

High potential NRM value chainsFishAquatic Plants

Farm productivity & diversificationDiversified farming systemsDietary diversification

Baseline studiesEcosystem servicesAgrobiodiversityAgric. Knowledge + info systemsGovernance

High potential agric. value chainsCattleRice

HUB strategic initiativesFlood risk managementGender transformative approachAwareness + communication in schoolsCanal management

Program operationsGovernanceManagement

CommunicationsCapacity building for

implementation

Community level initiatives

Barotse Hub, Zambia

IWMI

AASInnovation

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”Albert Einstein

Why we need innovation

Why we need innovation

CGIAR pre-reform

CGIAR pre-reform

CRP 1sCRP 1sCRP 3sCRP 3s

AAS and Innovation

Change the way we work in complex farming systems and foster impact at scale on rural poverty

Areas of innovation

• Gender• ME&IA• Scaling• Partnerships• Capacity

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Gender Transformative Research

Why gender?

Why gender transformative?

• Practice lagging behind understanding

• ‘empowerment lite’ does not lead to real and sustained change

• Technical approaches/gap filling – accept/reinforce inequity

• Gender integration without social change limits sustainability of impacts “The dogmas of the quiet past are

inadequate to the stormy present. ……so we must think and act anew” Abraham

Lincoln 1809-1865

Gender transformative research

Gender – action research in Barotse (Zambia)

• Development of improved nutrition and market focused value chains for female headed households

• African Transformation methodology (behavioral change communication and media) to influence gender norms, roles and power relations

• Improving participation of women, youth and poor men in governance of water resources

Scaling

Scaling

Pathway 1

Pathway 2

Pathway 3

Three impact pathways

1. Scaling out and up2. Socio-ecological transformation in our hubs3. Changing the RD paradigm

1

2

3

Impa

ct

Time

Partnerships

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” African proverb

Key Partnerships - Zambia

Types of partners

Examples Role in scaling

Core institutions

Provincial and National Policy

Key implementing partners

Provincial and National Capacity (research and development)

Integration of learning into development programs – landscape and national

BRE

UNZA

Senanga Farmers Assoc.

Wider partnerships

AAS partnership network in Western Province, Zambia

CRP 1.3 Khulna hub

CSISA - CRPs 3.1; 3.3

CPWF: CRP 5

CCAFS: CRP7

CRP 4: Nutrition

CRP 2: Policies

CGIAR Alignment

CRP 3.7: L&F

IWMI + AAS

• PLT (Sonali)• POP (Barbara)• Bangladesh• Cambodia• Zambia• Africa expansion• Myanmar

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” Margaret Mead 1901-1978

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people …” can increase the CGIAR’s impact on poverty and hunger inspired by Margaret Mead 1901-1978

Thank You