Mid-term evaluation of the project "Monitoring water productivity by remote sensing as a tool to assess possibilities to reduce water productivity gaps"

While population growth and economic development are putting unprecedented pressure on renewable, but finite water resources, especially in arid regions, scarce land and water resources are affecting food security and sustainable water management. FAO identified the need to implement a digital database built upon remote sensing and information technologies that can monitor and report on agricultural water productivity over Africa and Near East, accessible through the FAO Water Productivity through Open access of Remotely sensed derived data portal (WaPOR).

The WaPOR database is now operational at continental level, so far including eight areas of interest (river basins or irrigation schemes). Water Accounting Plus (WA+) reports based on remote sensing have been completed for three river basins in Lebanon, Ethiopia and Jordan. An action framework at national level for capacity building and participatory decisionmaking is currently being developed to make effective a “demand-driven” approach based on national and local needs.