Conference Session // Water and Food Security Challenges: Integrating Assessments and Strategies from Different Perspectives

Abstract submission deadline is 07 January 2015. Water resources and food security are closely intertwined, and are also critical for human societies to thrive. The availability and quality of water determines food-growth conditions and also influences the extent to which countries rely on trade to secure their needs in resource-deficit contexts. Aspects related to the hydrological cycle, agricultural techniques, environmental issues, trade networks and socio-economical factors are all involved in the definition of the equilibrium between food demand and consumption, which is threatened by climate change, population growth, changing dietary needs, and local and global crises (such as droughts, disasters or conflicts). The session welcomes contributions investigating the water-food nexus, with a focus on: - quantifying the impact of agricultural production on local and global water resources; - assessing the nutritional implications and aspects of the water and food security; - analyzing the challenges on water resources and food security posed by social conflicts and by large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries; - investigating structures, dynamics and controls of the virtual water trade network; - discussing the political economy implications of virtual water trade at the regional and international scale; - proposing analyses and models in support of water and food polices, institutions and management.