According to estimates by the International Land Coalition based at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 57 million hectares of land have been leased to foreign investors since 2007. Current research has focused on human rights issues related to inward investment in land but has been ignorant of water resource issues and the challenges of managing scarce water. This handbook will be the first to address inward investment in land and its impact on water resources in Africa. The geographical scope of this book will be the African continent, where land has attracted the attention of risk-taking investors because much land is under-utilised marginalized land, with associated water resources and rapidly growing domestic food markets. The successful implementation of investment strategies in African agriculture could determine the future of more than one billion people. An important factor to note is that sub-Saharan Africa will, of all the continents, be hit hardest by climate change, population growth and food insecurity. Sensible investment in agriculture is therefore needed, however, at what costs and at whose expense? The book will also address the livelihoods theme and provide a holistic analysis of land and water grabbing in sub-Saharan Africa. Four other themes will addressed: politics, economics, the environment and the history of land investments in sub-Saharan Africa. The editors have involved a highly diverse group of expert researchers, who will review the pro- and anti-investment arguments, geopolitics, the role of capitalist investors, the environmental contexts and the political implications of, and reasons for, leasing millions of hectares in sub-Saharan Africa. To date, there has been no attempt to review land investments through a suite of different lenses, thus this handbook will differ significantly from existing research and publication.

Water scarcity is considered to be one of the largest threats for many parts of Africa. Under water scarce conditions reducing the consumption of water and preventing pollution of accessible water resources is essential. Combating water scarcity in both dimensions of quality and quantity is of special relevance for the LNV priority regions (including those in Water Mondiaal). Future LNV policies to address food security in Africa will affect the use, spread and fate of agrochemicals as well. Very little information is available on how this might effect the ecosystem approach (including biodiversity, increased resilience, and multiple-use potential) in land use planning

In this knowledge compendium a series of contributions illustrates how Wageningen UR cooperates with African organizations in finding innovations to combat water scarcity and to deliver the scientific knowledge necessary for future actions. In most of these activities, the integration of the formal knowledge of WUR with the tacit knowledge of the local stakeholders plays an important role. The Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) has stimulated the preparation of this compendium to disseminate the knowledge on these innovations among stakeholders throughout the African continent. This knowledge compendium presents a selection of recently finished research projects or on-going projects on water challenges in African food security. They are clustered under four themes: (1) challenges; (2) advances in research; (3) adaptation and implementation; (4) knowledge transfer. The contributions aim to stimulate further research and cooperation as a basis for the development of further management measures.

In this knowledge compendium a series of contributions illustrates how Wageningen UR cooperates with African organizations in finding innovations to combat water scarcity and to deliver the scientific knowledge necessary for future actions. In most of these activities, the integration of the formal knowledge of WUR with the tacit knowledge of the local stakeholders plays an important role. The Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation (EL&I) has stimulated the preparation of this compendium to disseminate the knowledge on these innovations among stakeholders throughout the African continent. This knowledge compendium presents a selection of recently finished research projects or on-going projects on water challenges in African food security. They are clustered under four themes: (1) challenges; (2) advances in research; (3) adaptation and implementation; (4) knowledge transfer. The contributions aim to stimulate further research and cooperation as a basis for the development of further management measures.