This report presents an innovative and participatory approach to identifying hotspots of water scarcity and conflicts, exemplified by the Ewaso Ng’iro North Basin in Kenya. Hotspots are areas within the Basin that show problematic situations of water scarcity and/or water conflicts. Hotspots are therefore an important indication of where and how to set priorities of water development in the basin.

The approach combines spatially disaggregated baselines with a participatory assessment involving expert and contextual knowledge, and complements the current state assessment of hotspots with anticipating the impact of future developments under three scenarios, namely peripheral, agrarian and industrial transformations.

The mapping reveals distinct patterns of hotspots, with two complex configurations of hotspots in the upper basin and in the region of the Merti aquifer and a number of less complex and more localised hotspots, thereby clearly indicating priorities, required strategies, and appropriate approaches for water development and conflict mitigation in the basin.

Research on Sustainable Governance of Food Systems in Bolivia (South America) and Kenya

Call for Application for a Consultant Senior Research Scientist for a Food Systems Trade Study in Kenya

Date of call: 12 December 2016; Closing date: COB 31^st January 2017

This new publication from the r4d "Towards Food Sustainability"-project employs Ferguson's concept of the "Anti-Politics Machine" to uncover hidden power asymmetries of state-driven development strategies in the age of neoliberalism. "Commons-grabbing" is the institutional change from common to state and private property, often based on a false discourse of "unproductive" or "unused" resources. Institutional pluralism facilitates this process. Moreover, financial compensation for grabbing commons do not equally reach affected people, do not cover their loss and increase vulnerability, thus eroding resilience and especially affecting women.

Background
This report provides a detailed outline of the content of the Food Sustainability Assessment Framework (FoodSAF) and the specific indicators to be used. It presents an ex ante rationale and structure for the FoodSAF, including proposed indicators of the tool.

Implementing Sustainable Land Management (SLM) strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of woody invasive alien species in Baringo County
Background: CABI Switzerland, in collaboration with Swiss, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Tanzanian and South African research institutions, is implementing a project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC).