abstract: 'Water is critically important to the livelihoods of more than I billion

  people living on less than \$1 a day, particularly for the 850 million

  rural poor primarily engaged in agriculture. In many developing

  countries, water is a major factor constraining agricultural output, and

  income of the world''s rural poor. Improved agricultural water management

  can contribute to poverty reduction through several pathways. First,

  access to reliable water improves production and productivity, enhances

  employment opportunities and stabilizes income and consumption.

  Secondly, it encourages the utilization of other yield-enhancing inputs

  and allows diversification into high-value products, enhances nonfarm

  outputs and employment, and fulfils multiple needs of households. Third,

  it may contribute either negatively or positively to nutritional status,

  health, societal equity and environment. The net impact of agricultural

  water management interventions on poverty may depend individually and/or

  synergistically on the working of these pathways. Improved access to

  water is essential, but not sufficient for sustained poverty reduction.

  Investments are needed in agricultural science and technology, policies

  and institutions, economic reform, addressing global agricultural trade

  inequities, etc. But how best to match the agricultural water management

  technologies, institutions and policies to the needs of the

  heterogeneous poor living in diverse agro-ecological settings remains

  unclear. This article provides a menu of promising pathways through

  which agricultural water management can contribute to sustained poverty

  reduction. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.'
affiliation: 'Namara, RE (Corresponding Author), Int Water Management Inst, IWMI Reg
  Off Africa, PMB, CT 112, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana.

  Namara, Regassa E., Int Water Management Inst, IWMI Reg Off Africa, PMB, Cantonments,
  Accra, Ghana.

  Namara, Regassa E., Int Water Management Inst, Subreg Off W Africa, PMB, Cantonments,
  Accra, Ghana.

  Hanjra, Munir A., Charles Sturt Univ, Int Ctr Water Food Secur, Bathurst, NSW 2795,
  Australia.

  Ravnborg, Helle Munk, Danish Inst Int Studies, Nat Resources \& Poverty Res Unit,
  DK-1401 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

  Smith, Lawrence, Univ London Imperial Coll Sci Technol \& Med, Ctr Environm Policy,
  London, England.

  Van Koppen, Barbara, So Africa Reg Program, Int Water Management Inst, ZA-0127 Pretoria,
  South Africa.'
author: Namara, Regassa E. and Hanjra, Munir A. and Castillo, Gina E. and Ravnborg,
  Helle Munk and Smith, Lawrence and Van Koppen, Barbara
author-email: r.namara@cgiar.org
author_list:
- family: Namara
  given: Regassa E.
- family: Hanjra
  given: Munir A.
- family: Castillo
  given: Gina E.
- family: Ravnborg
  given: Helle Munk
- family: Smith
  given: Lawrence
- family: Van Koppen
  given: Barbara
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2009.05.007
eissn: 1873-2283
files: []
issn: 0378-3774
journal: AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
keywords: Irrigation; Investments; Livelihoods; Multiple uses; Water rights
keywords-plus: 'IRRIGATION; SUSTAINABILITY; EXTERNALITIES; INEQUALITY; ECONOMICS;

  IMPACTS; MODEL'
language: English
month: APR
number: 4, SI
number-of-cited-references: '76'
pages: 520-527
papis_id: 8a20d2338ac33646a29d035d1ee8d552
ref: Namara2010agriculturalwater
times-cited: '117'
title: Agricultural water management and poverty linkages
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000274758000005
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '48'
volume: '97'
web-of-science-categories: Agronomy; Water Resources
year: '2010'