Why this TEC Brief?


Water and agriculture are essential for poverty reduction, sustainable development and human well-being.
Agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of total global freshwater withdrawals, making it the largest user of water along the entire agrifood supply chain. The links between water and agriculture will be exacerbated in the near future under the pressure of population growth and climate change. Estimates indicate that 60 per cent more food will need to be produced to feed the world’s population by 2050 and total global water withdrawals for irrigation are projected to increase by 10 per
cent in the same period. Further the outcomes of the 2013 third synthesis report on the technology needs assessments of Parties not included in Annex I to the Convention: For adaptation, the most commonly prioritized sectors were agriculture (84 per cent of the Parties) and water resources (77 per cent).

Adapting water management and agricultural practices to climate variability requires integrated responses that address the complex and interrelated nature of global resource systems. These integrated responses can be fostered through the exchange of technologies that countries accumulate in their own development processes and which tend to be more accessible, adaptable and affordable than those from developed countries. An essential alternative for developing countries in responding to the growing pressure of climate change on resource systems is therefore to step up cooperation for the exchange of more cost-effective technologies for adaptation, including in the context for implementating their national adaptation plans (NAPs), nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Yet, the potential for South–South cooperation and triangular cooperation (SSC/TrC) on technologies for adaptation in the water and agriculture sectors remains largely untapped. Based on a mapping of SSC/TrC initiatives, an e-survey of national designated entities (NDEs) and consortium partners and members of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), and recommendations of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC), this TEC Brief outlines the challenges for SSC/TrC on technologies for adaptation, reviews best practices and lessons learned, and highlights the roles of different stakeholders in the successful replication and transfer of technologies for adaptation in the context of SSC/TrC.


source : UNFCCC (http://unfccc.int/ttclear/tec/documents.html)