IWMI is one of 15 international research centers supported by the network of 60 governments, private foundations and international and regional organizations collectively known as the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It is a non-profit organization with a staff of 350 and offices in over 10 countries across Asia and Africa and Headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

IWMI's Mission is to improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and nature.

IWMI's Vision, reflected in the Strategic Plan is to be a world-class knowledge center on water, food and environment.

IWMI targets water and land management challenges faced by poor communities in the developing world/or in developing countries and through this contributes towards the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing poverty, hunger and maintaining a sustainable environment. These are also the goals of the CGIAR.

Research is the core activity of IWMI. The research agenda is organized around four priority Themes including Water Availability and Access; Productive Water Use; Water Quality, Health and Environment; and Water and Society. Cross cutting activities in all themes include, assessment of land and water productivity and their relationship to poverty, identification of interventions that improve productivity as well as access to and sustainability of natural resources, assessment of the impacts of interventions on productivity, livelihoods, health and environmental sustainability.

IWMI works through collaborative research with many partners in the North and South and targets policy makers, development agencies, individual farmers and private sector organizations.