Innovative approaches to sustainable and inclusive food systems in Asian deltas

This Water, Climate & Future Deltas research project focuses on the development of transition pathways towards a sustainable food production and associated delta management

Delta

Asian deltas are fertile areas with often high population densities and concentration of economic activities. In many Asian deltas food is produced that is vital for both local and global food supply and economy. However, these deltas are also low-lying and extremely prone to flooding from rivers and the sea due to climate change and human interventions. Sustainable and inclusive solutions for securing food production in urbanising low-lying deltas require a transition in agricultural policy and practices that anticipates the changing conditions and facilitates active adjustment of the hydrological system to cope with ongoing and future changes in a sustainable and equitable way. Stimulating the right alternatives is needed to grow agricultural products under the changing conditions (active or reactive), while taking into account planetary and economic boundary conditions.

This research project is part of the Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity for 2018-2020. It focuses on the development of transition pathways towards a sustainable food production and associated delta management. Strategies that will be developed specifically include the improvement of the position of women, access and training to sustainable irrigation technologies, inclusive finance and access to better information and data on water availability and allocation. This project focuses on the Cauvery delta in India.

Consortium

Involved faculties

Faculty of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance

Pathways to Sustainability hubs

Water, Climate & Future Deltas and Future Food Utrecht

Other consortium partners

Wageningen University & Research, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), University of Waterloo (Canada), University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne, Yale University, University of Western Australia, Indian Institute of Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Contact persons

Project period: 2018-2020.