The majority of the world’s 800 million food-insecure people live in regions where water and food security are intimately linked. Tackling the underlying causes of food insecurity therefore means addressing a set of livelihood vulnerabilities, including access to water for domestic and productive uses. The World Food Programme (WFP) has commissioned this report with a view to deepening its understanding of the underlying issues and informing programme interventions.

The findings presented are based on case studies carried out in 16 project sites in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Kenya. The aim was to capture a range of interventions supported by WFP, and a variety of partnerships and implementation modalities at local and national levels. 

While findings presented in this report are based on research carried out on WFP-supported programmes, insights gained are expected to be relevant well beyond WFP. Natural resource conservation and water management activities are at the heart of many interventions by a broad range of development partners as they are assumed to contribute to enhancing food security and resilience – as such, the recommendations and conclusions should be relevant to other agencies engaged in livelihood support programmes in rural areas.