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The competition for water between different uses and users is increasing, particularly in the Nile basin where about 90% of the production systems comprise livestock. There is an ongoing debate on how to increase water productivity in these crop-livestock systems. This paper presents a comprehensive framework to provide policy guidance and promote action to improve returns from water investments through: (i) provision of sufficient watering points for livestock across the basin; (ii) improving water productivity through promoting water-saving technologies, ensuring system integration and control of transboundary flux of livestock diseases; and (iii) formulating participatory basin scale regulatory frameworks on water use and sharing. It also argues that improving water productivity through integrated technological, policy and institutional interventions offers an opportunity for smallholders in both upstream and downstream countries to adapt to climate and market risks.

Pastoral areas are home for more than 200 million people and provide essential environmental, economic and social services at global level. Despite the key role of grasslands for many emerging economies, these areas are historically affected by intensifying challenges, like droughts, desertification, burgeoning populations and extreme poverty. As a result of these conditions many countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia are host to a disproportionate number of the world's violent conflicts, where vulnerable pastoralist communities play a key role. The main aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the importance of pastoral areas for the security and an analysis of the role of Geomatic tools to support environmental security analysis in pastoral areas, with special consideration for the activities carried out by ILRI as part of its global mandate to eradicate poverty and insecurity through sustainable livestock production.