Proceedings of the International Workshop on: Improving Water Productivity and Livelihood Resilience in Karkheh River Basin in Iran

Abstract

A two-day international workshop on “Improving Water Productivity and Livelihood Resilience in Karkheh River Basin” was jointly organized by ICARDA and AREO 10-11 September, 2007 in Karaj, Iran, and the presentations are compiled in the proceedings. The presentations at the workshop focused on integrated and participatory approach to technology development in addressing water productivity and livelihood resilience. It underscored the importance of sustainable development without endangering the ecological assets of fragile ecosystems in this region. The workshop concluded, based on the research results presented and the discussions held, that agricultural water management occupies an important role in the efforts to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in the basin. It is also clear that achieving the objective of improving water productivity will positively affect farmers’ production and income and contribute to sustainable agriculture in the basin. There is a great potential for increasing water productivity in agriculture and the farmers resilience in the future as water will become more scarce and climate change is expected to aggravate that with prolonged drought and other extreme events.