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Research Areas
Theme 5 research covers four broad areas in which policy and global change have a bearing on the future of water resources.
Globalization, trade and macroeconomic and sectoral policies
Globalization refers to the increased mobility of goods, services, capital, labor, information and technology throughout the world. A major engine of this trend is trade liberalization. Over the long term, globalization may generate significant economic benefits for developing countries. However, in the short term it can create economic and political instability, exacerbate inequities, make the poor more vulnerable and, in countries where agriculture is subsidized, reduce production and income. Moreover, trade and macroeconomic policies can have profound effects on the allocation and use of water and other natural resources such as land and forests. A better understanding of the impact of global and national policies on water resources and food systems is therefore essential to mitigate the adjustment process and avoid long-term harm.
Agricultural and urban water supplies - incentives, investment and financing
In much of the world, low water prices and high subsidies for capital investment and water infrastructure maintenance are counterproductive. They threaten effective and equitable water allocation and siphon off financial resources needed for further development of agricultural and urban water supplies. What makes the problem particularly serious is that future water development will require large investments. New sources of water, however, are increasingly difficult and expensive to exploit. Moreover, the construction of dams and reservoirs involves enormous environmental and social costs, especially the dislocation and resettlement of people. Wise planning of new water projects demands more accurate estimates of the costs and benefits of alternative investments in supply augmentation and demand management strategies, by country and region. Theme 5 research will develop methods and tools to help policy makers to identify viable financing and incentive schemes and allocate resources more effectively.
Transboundary water policies and institutions
River basins and groundwater aquifers that cross national, state, provincial, or regional boundaries present major hurdles to effective water management. In many parts of the world, water is a major source of tension or conflict - between countries, between states or provinces within countries, and between groups of water users with differing interests. The main challenge is to build the institutional capacity and culture of cooperation needed to prevent economic, political or environmental crises before they happen. This research will investigate arrangements for sharing transboundary waters and processes for resolving or avoiding conflicts.
Adapting to changes in the global water cycle
Water is not only vital for direct human consumption; it also contributes to the quantity and quality of ecosystem services such as food production, filtering of environmental pollutants, and the maintenance of healthy natural habitats for fauna and flora. But the world now faces the likely prospect of significant climate change and, with it, perturbations in global water cycles. These shifts may undermine the capacity of agro-ecosystems to meet food needs and could trigger severe water shortages especially for vulnerable populations. Higher temperatures and the associated changes in hydrological regimes may, for example, shorten growing seasons and increase the frequency of extreme and destructive weather events. They may also have indirect effects on social and economic systems. In the nearer term, human influences, such as altered land use patterns, urbanization, elimination of wetlands, and high nutrient loads of water systems, may further undermine the global water cycle's capacity to support food production. Research is required to investigate international and national policies that can prevent or mitigate adverse human impacts on global water cycles.
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