DOI: 10.23708/iy0mzy
title: France-CGIAR BRIDGE collaboration: integrated model-based approaches for climate and water smart decisions

description: Under the new oneCGIAR 2030 strategy, the CGIAR has been undertaking an integrated land-food-water systems research transformation, to deploy sustainable agricultural innovations at a faster rate for smallholder agriculture in the developing countries. France has been supporting this CGIAR reform, with a France-CGIAR action plan signed in February 2021, along three joint priority development themes: adapting and mitigating against climate change (theme coordinated by IRD), nutrition and agroecological transformation of farming and food systems in the South. Under the climate change theme, an inception 2 Degree workshop was co-organized by CGIAR and IRD in 2019. Six collaboration themes were discussed: One health; adapting to multiple stresses; climate security in the MENA region; resilient and adaptive water systems; securing Asian mega deltas; circular bioeconomy. For more, go to “BRIDGE_Origin_2019-France-CG-dialogue-integrated-climate-action”. Several France CGIAR collaborations emerged from this workshop including: A literature review « Agroecology and climate change: a case study of CCAFS research programme » published in 2020 (Andrieu N., Kebede Y., 2020). A BRIDGE concept note was submitted to the DEvelopment Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DESIRA) on low-cost digital decision tools to improve water efficiency and cli-mate resilience of legume-based systems. While not successful due to tight deadline, its unique inter and transdisciplinary approach has attracted positive feedback for donors and research partners. DESIRA project “Strengthening the evidence base for a climate resilient and low-carbon small-holder agriculture through agroecology in Latin America” developed and launched in 2020, with the participation of IRD and CIRAD teams. One promising area of climate change research collaboration between France and CGIAR is the co-creation of holistic climate and water smart decision-support systems. Data revolution and more integrated model-based approaches could help water and agriculture stakeholders better evaluate the potential impact and trade-offs of various climate adaptation options to select locally adapted, robust solutions for a much needed sustainable and inclusive transformation of the agriculture and food sector. This trans- and interdisciplinary approach is called BRIDGE for co-Building Resilient climate and water smart farming systems with Interdisciplinary and Integrated models and multi-actor Decision and chanGE platforms. For more details about BRIDGE, read 1-CGIAR_BRIDGE_brief. A BRIDGE research consortium has been set up to pursue this trans and interdisciplinary research for development roadmap, composed of researchers from DIADE (Dr. Vincent Vadez, BRIDGE coordinator), UMR EspaceDev, LMI Naila, CIRAD, the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), University Mohamed VI Polytechnique (UM6P with its School of Agriculture and specialized institutes (remote sensing, water), the Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE) and their national research and development partners in water-scarce MENA and Sahel regions (Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal). The consortium was engaged in the CGIAR initiative on climate resilience called ClimBeR in 2021-2024, under the ClimBeR work package 3 “climate adaptation instruments / policy pathways”, led by Leeds University (PI: Dr. Andy Challinor) and ICARDA, with activities in Morocco / Tunisia and Senegal, to co-develop cross-scale water and climate resilience integrated assessment frameworks. Some teams explored multidisciplinary / integrated modelling approaches (crop, hydrological and socioeconomic in silico assessment). Others look at processes and methodologies used for the co-development of climate adaptation decision-support frameworks and tools. This dataset represents the legacy of BRIDGE work under ClimBeR, with the following information: Webinars and peer-review publications presenting the BRIDGE approach and its applications in target countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal) Research and Policy recommendations from the BRIDGE collective on climate adaptation for the agriculture sector 2024-2023 activity reports and other knowledge products from the eight (8) BRIDGE teams in Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal A BRIDGE Background folder where you will find BRIDGE initial proposals per country team, background documents on the origin of BRIDGE consortium and 2022 BRIDGE knowledge products.