CGIAR CPWF seeks abstracts for attending the 3rd International Forum on Water and Food

The CGIAR Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF) seeks abstracts for attending the 3rd International Forum on Water and Food to be held in South Africa from November 14-17, 2011.

The forum under 2^nd Phase of CPWF will focus on assessing the progress to date and how to best maximize and capitalize on emerging results within and also beyond the CPWF river basins.

A specific focus will be given to the water and food development challenges posed in Africa and the role research-for-development could play in addressing these challenges.

The forum will also be an opportunity to expose, further explore and debate the experimental nature of the innovation research-for-development approach adopted by CPWF, making it increasingly accessible for adaptation and replication.

Forum Objectives:

- Ensure cross-basin learning across key common areas;

-Take stock of the opportunities and challenges presented by integrated basin based research for development with a view to further improvements across all basins;

- Assess project and program progress for each of the Basin Development Challenges with some early identification of anticipated significant results and key emerging basin, Africa and Global level messages, including potential to scale-up and scale-out.

Who should participate?

The participants of the Forum will include a wide variety of stakeholders including key project staff and partners from the six basins (Andes, Ganges, Mekong, Nile, Limpopo and Volta) of Phase-2, Topic Working Group Members and key partners. We envisage around 4 to 5 people participating from each project. Every project, as part of a Basin Development Challenge research program, contributes actively in multiple ways to the Forum – as individuals, project teams, BDC teams, TWG members, etc.

Other potential members include:

-  CPWF Community members bridging both Phases 1 and 2 of the Program

- Topic Working Group leaders, members and partners

- CPWF staff working across the Program

- A group of “in-house” facilitators and documenters from within the CPWF Community

- Key partners from the CGIAR including: CGIAR Research Program Number 5 on Land, Water and Ecosystems, Institutional Learning and Change (ILAC) Initiative, ICT-KM

- Other partners interested to see how ‘research for development’ can be done

- Donors and decision-makers from Africa and the global level

- Journalists from around Africa

Last date for submitting the abstract is July 15, 2011