Central and West Asia and North Africa
About
As one of the most water scarce regions in the world, the Central and West Asia, and North Africa (CWANA) region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, population growth, and ill-planned land use. Yet this vast dryland region offers huge research potential through its wide variations in agroecology, farming systems, water accessibility, climate, soil types, local expertise, and cultural practices. There is also a rich abundance of unique biodiversity already adapted to harsh conditions, which can help global climate change adaptation efforts.
CGIAR’s approach puts the knowledge, experience, and challenges of the dryland communities we serve at the center of our research to ensure a vision of thriving and resilient livelihoods in the region becomes a reality. A future where small-scale dry region farmers and food systems workers can achieve adequate incomes, secure access to food, markets, and nutrition, and can manage limited natural resources in equitable, sustainable, and innovative ways.
Through research and development in efficient, safe, and sustainable use of water, livestock, improved crops and green energy, integrated desert farming approaches and better land use, sustainable food and nutritional security and reduced poverty can be achieved in the region.
Building on four decades of innovation and trusted partner networks in the region, CGIAR and its partners offer unique dryland expertise and proven, demand-driven solutions to regional challenges, incorporating the region’s abundance of climate-smart biodiversity and green energy potential.
Work in this region is further coordinated by the Regional Director for Continental Africa.
Challenges and Opportunities
- In recent decades, the CWANA region has become a climate hotspot as increasingly variable rainfall, along with intensifying heat and aridity, exacerbates challenges in the world’s most water-stressed and socially fragile region. Agriculture and water are the region’s key vulnerabilities.
- Climate impacts and poor land use have put increasing demands on the region’s’ agroecosystems as the main source of food and protein, affecting food security and livelihoods. Water scarcity, biodiversity depletion and land degradation are accelerating, reducing farm productivity, and sharpening social and political divides. Rural unemployment is driving over-urbanization, deepening inequality for women and youth.
- Action is urgently needed to build more resilient agri-food systems and resilient livelihoods to withstand the effects of climate change and evade mass displacement and instability.
- The region offers vast potential for global research and climate adaptability through abundant plant and animal biodiversity already adapted to harsh conditions, as well as exciting developments in green energy such as solar and wind.
- CWANA also leads the way in desert farming practices, which are now adapting to climate change through integrated innovations and approaches that address the main vulnerabilities of water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, heat, and land degradation.
Research and Action
- Bring together alliances of national, international, and private stakeholders to develop innovation and research platforms that will drive agri-food systems transformation and scale up.
- Intensify and scale up diversified, sustainable and climate-adapted crop, livestock and seed systems to fill nutritional gaps, reduce water use, and hit biofortification targets.
- Improve water and energy management to strengthen transformational agricultural practices and maintain ecosystem services.
- Examine the root causes of the challenges to identify transformative solutions, while including a broad range of levers to address questions of political economy, nutrition, pests and diseases, and climate security.
Initiatives
Explore CGIAR Initiatives in Central and West Asia and North Africa
Innovations
Explore 50 years of CGIAR Innovations
Partners
With over four decades in the CWANA Region, CGIAR has developed long and trusted partnerships in the region with key partners and stakeholders. The support and expert knowledge of governments, research institutions, the private sector, and farmer communities, ensure that the climate-smart solutions CGIAR delivers are demand- and market-driven, and tailored to specific challenges in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world.
Collaboration is critically important to ensure that research for development can thrive, and CGIAR is grateful to partners such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Gulf Cooperation Council, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the European Commission whose critical understanding of regional issues, and the funding and facilitation they provide are essential in developing climate-smart, sustainable agri-food systems that can deliver better lives for the people we serve.
Publications
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APFORGEN secures $1.48M to protect vital asian tree species
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)11.07.24-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Nutrition, health & food security
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Adapting green innovation centers to climate change: Building climate resiliency among smallholder farming systems.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)29.05.24-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Adapting green innovation centers to climate change: Outlook on the green innovation centres for the agriculture and food sector and contribution to the international climate debate.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)29.05.24-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Building climate resiliency among smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)25.05.24 -
AICCRA fosters foresight analysis community of practice in West and Central Africa
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)11.05.24-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
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Genetic diversity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from Stylosanthes spp. at centers of origin and utilization
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)07.05.24
News
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Foreign direct investments may fuel tropical deforestation
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)18.07.24-
Environmental health & biodiversity
Foreign direct investments (FDI) in tropical countries in extractive industries like mining, logging…
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The Alliance and icipe solidify longstanding relationship, creating major framework for research and development in Africa and beyond
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)15.07.24-
Nutrition, health & food security
This milestone creates a framework to capitalize on the comparative advantages of the organizations …
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A Ripple of Change: How One Farm's Success Can Inspire a Community
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)09.07.24-
Nutrition, health & food security
Smallholder farmers in Africa under semi-arid conditions grapple with harsh conditions that undermin…
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Risk of famine remains high in Gaza
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)28.06.24By Rob Vos, Sara Gustafson, Sediqa Zaki, and Brendan Rice June 28, 2024 Despite some improvements…
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Tackling the challenges of the Eastern Nile Basin with nexus solutions
CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains19.06.24-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
Perhaps no other place highlights humanity’s dependence on water as clearly as the Nile Basin.…
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Strengthening CGIAR’s Agricultural Research for Resilient Food, Land, and Water Systems in Jordan: Insights from the Listening Session
CGIAR Initiative on Fragility to Resilience in Central and West Asia and North Africa18.06.24CGIAR conducted “Listening Sessions” to engage with key partners, stakeholders, and beneficiarie…
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