Skip to main content

Towards integration of Water and Agriculture Policies: Enhancing coordination between the Water and Agriculture Sectors

Symbol: 
E/ESCWA/SDPD/2019/TP.6
Issued in: 
2019

Enhancing food and water security in the Arab region necessitates raising the level of coordination in the preparation of integrated policy development, strategies and implementation of joint programs of water and agriculture, taking into consideration the environmental, economic, social and political changes. ESCWA is implementing the initiative on “Promoting Food and Water Security through Cooperation and Capacity Development in the Arab Region” which is financed by Sida and in partnership with countries and several regional and international institutions and organizations to enhance level of regional coordination between the water and agriculture institutions in the Arab region. The technical report provides a review of the consultative process undertaken by ESCWA with the participation of representatives from the Technical Secretariat of the Arab Ministerial Water Council, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Arid Lands, and the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa.

The report provides an overview of the assessment undertaken, which included a survey of institutions working in agriculture and water at the regional level, assessing the level and effectiveness of existing coordination and identifying challenges and opportunities. The report also includes a review of cross-cutting themes between the water and agriculture sectors and the proposal to establish a regional coordination mechanism for water and agriculture with practical proposals for institutional arrangements that will contribute to enhanced institutional coordination between the agriculture and water sectors.