The scaleWAYS project analyzes up scaling options for water and land management practices for the resilient and sustainable intensification of agricultural production and food systems in the extended Lake Victoria Basin.

• 2019 - present
• IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria

Study Area:

Lake Victoria Basin in East Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda

Description:

ScaleWAYS aims to contribute to the resilience of land and water resources, the improved health of ecosystems, and human wellbeing in the Lake Victoria Basin and the East African Community (EAC) as a whole, as these are threatened by strong population growth and the effects of climate change projected for the coming decades.

Activities carried out over the course of the three-year implementation period are structured around the following output areas:

• Identification and scoping of pilot initiatives: Promising pilot initiatives for resilient local and regional agricultural water management are identified and scoped in detail to determine up scaling potential in selected agro-ecological zones.
• Multi-dimensional up scaling simulations: A biophysical and economic model for up scaling the sustainable intensification of selected rainfed and irrigated agricultural practices is produced/adapted and tested in two agro-ecological settings.
• Political economy analysis and stakeholder engagement: Political economy aspects, as well as social and gender dimensions relevant to the up scaling of selected pilot initiatives in designated agro-ecological settings are analyzed and the level of understanding documented.
• Capacity development: The capacity of practitioners and researchers from regional and local academic institutions, governments, NGOs, and businesses is advanced as part of the scope of the research project.

Project link