In many developing countries, agriculture is the cornerstone of their economy, the basis of economic growth and the main source of livelihood. But agriculture in the developing world is often cited as being one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change.

DFID has published a new paper on water security in developing countries, called: Water storage and hydropower: supporting growth, resilience and low carbon development. Water security

By 2015, halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The world, except sub-Saharan Africa, is on track to meet the target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water while at the current rate will miss the MDG sanitation target by over 700 million people.

As well as providing crucial support in Africa, the new policy will help 30 million people in South Asia to gain access to sanitation. Half the population of the developing world still lives without basic sanitation, while almost 900 million people go without safe and reliable water supplies.

This report presents an overview of the impact of rural livelihood programmes supported by DFID in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, and explores some of the lessons learned under headings of income generation and rural growth, better management of natural resources, targeting the poorest and marginalised, and local institutions and self-governance.