Water and food systems in deltas

Deltas are worldwide known as important living and food producing areas for people. The challenge is to find innovative solutions to ensure food security, also in the future, addressing uncertainty and complexity due to development and climate challenges. Combining different systems approaches, like on food and water, may provide such solutions. So far, a good conceptual connection between ‘water’ and ‘food’ systems thinking is missing. The food systems approach defines the food system as a combination of elements, where food security is reached based on environmental drivers (like climate change, water, soil etc.) and socio-economic drivers (like markets, technology) influencing value chain activities. Water is only a driving factor in this analysis (too much, too little, too dirty). Water experts, on the other hand, consider water as a system where time and spatial scale aspects of water, policies, laws, and institutions are all together important when managing water. A combined water and food systems approach will then be developed, addressing uncertainties and complexities, using case studies at different spatial and time scales (national and local and future/transition respectively). This PhD project develops a conceptual framework and explores solutions at time and spatial scales. The main question is: What integrated insights and new solutions emerge when the water and food system is approached in an integrated manner in deltas?