This note is a partial response to the above mentioned 2010 Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) evaluation. It covers the specific issues to be addressed in the Water supply and Sanitation (WSS) sector and in the irrigation sector in two distinct parts, because if WSS and irrigation have some...

The Hai Basin in China exemplifies problems that are observed in many arid environments: excessive water consumption, depletion of aquifers, and damage to eco-systems. Progressively since the 1970s water resources in Hai Basin have been over-exploited, primarily for irrigation, while the water...

Scarcity and competition for water are matters of increasing concern, as are potential shortages of food. These issues intersect both within the agricultural sector and across all water using sectors. Irrigation is by far the largest user of water in most water-scarce countries, and is under...

A number of initiatives have sprung up to attempt connecting the potential of new technology to the understanding of conflict trends and dynamics. These follow initiatives in development (i.e., poverty mapping, health indicators, climate impacts) and humanitarian aid (i.e., disaster response),...

By 2050, 25 million to 1 billion people are expected to be migrating due to environmental factors. Though examining linkages between environmental conditions and migration have been on the international agenda at least since 1992, only in recent years have they become better understood. It is...