IWMI Headquarters
IWMI has its international headquarters (HQ) in Sri Lanka. The office is located in Pelawatte, Battaramulla within close proximity to the country's parliament on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka's commercial capital.
HQ hosts several offices and divisions.
Download General Brochure (1.74MB)
Global processes such as climate change and variability, global food trade and subsidies, urbanization and shifts in diets, agricultural investment flows and promotion of bio-energy all influence water use and hence water availability for food, livelihoods and nature. Research at IWMI contributes to a better understanding of the linkages between global processes and local water use by both assessing current impacts and possible future outcomes. Staff also work with other researchers on cross-regional syntheses and the development of lessons and tools which can be applied widely. Research on basin water management and interactions between water for food and water for nature feature prominently at IWMI.
Much of IWMI's research takes place in data scarce environments and requires innovative approaches to fill knowledge gaps at relatively low cost and make data available to researchers and decision-makers through global public goods. Researchers build on remote sensing applications and global modeling tools to provide better information on irrigated areas, wetlands, water productivity, droughts, and environmental flow requirements. Our researchers also collect data on the condition of water resources and trends in management and institutional responses, including the collection and analysis of transboundary water law documents.
In 2007 around 28 researchers are working assisted by Post Doctoral Fellows, Ph D students and research support staff.
Research Partners
Convention on Biological Diversity
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Global Water Systems Project
Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy (HELP)
International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD)
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)
Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB)
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
World Conservation Union (IUCN)
World Water Assessment Program (WWAP)
Office Of Director General supports the overall functions of the Director General and liaises with IWMI's Board of Governors, and the IWMI Management Team on research, corporate and general management issues.
Programs Office provides coordination and support in implementation of IWMI research project lifecycle i.e. project initiation and monitoring, maintaining quality management system (QMS), project closure, evaluation and synthesis. It identifies funding opportunities, assists in donor relations, supports workshops and conferences' organisation, and promotes best practices in Intellectual Property Rights ( IPR ) at IWMI.
Human Resources (HR) office handles recruitment, staff training and development, compensation and benefit management, and the performance management process. It plays a key role in the development, communication, and effective implementation of HR policies and practices throughout the Institute and is the custodian of the staff database.
Finance section provides accounting and reporting services to support the research. The unit is further divided into Accounts, Project Accounting and Budgets. Payments are processed for vendors, participants and other partner organizations as well as staff members. Financial reports are prepared for submission to donors.
Administrative section includes Procurement, Travel, Transport, Maintenance, Stores and Office Suport Units.
Procurement Unit facilitates the purchasing of goods and services, importation of duty-free goods for official use, and handles related customs clearance.
Travel Unit liaises with the local government offices and embassies in Colombo to facilitate and obtain stay permits and entry visas for Sri Lanka. It obtains other diplomatic privileges and immunities; and secures entry visas to various countries for staff going on official assignments.
Transport Unit maintains transportation for IWMI staff and manages IWMI vehicles in terms of security, safety and accident/breakdown procedures.
Maintenance Unit is responsible for the maintenance of the building. It also provides conference equipment and services, including conference rooms and technical support, exhibition space, office equipment and telecommunication facilities.
Stores Unit maintains the Fixed Assets of all IWMI offices. It handles the preparation and reconciliation of Fixed Asset balances with Finance monthly. The unit issues day-to-day office supplies for the smooth running of operations at HQ and handles the receipt of goods for HQ.
Office Support Systems Office (OSSO) is in charge of IWMI's reception desk. It handles both external and internal mail delivery services, as well as fax and courier services. OSSO oversees the distribution of IWMI publications and handles bulk photocopying and in-house printing. It also supervises IWMI's security services.
Information Technology and Communication (ICT) is a part of International Research Support Services (IRSS)-- a joint venture between IWMI and WorldFish, and has three primary functions:
- Helpdesk for end user support
- Network and server infrastructure development & maintenance
- Web based application development & maintenance
Beyond this it also provides assistance in IT related areas of budgeting and project planning.
Information and Knowledge Group (IKG) is responsible for producing, managing and disseminating the key information assets of IWMI and WorldFish. The group consists of several units including Communications and Knowledge Sharing (CKS) Publishing and Library
Communications and Knowledge Sharing (CKS) handles the production of the IWMI Annual Report, Strategic Plan, Mid-Term Plan, Water Policy Briefings and the general newsletter, "Water Figures". CKS also works with local and international media organizations to showcase IWMI research. The CKS web team maintains IWMI's web site and Intranet and provides support in building and deploying project web sites.
Publishing Unit handles the layout, typesetting and printing/ publishing of both scientific and corporate material such as Research Reports, Technical Reports, Working Papers, conference proceedings and scientific posters. The unit also produces policy briefings, brochures, flyers, newsletters and corporate communications material, working closely with the CKS.
Library offers access to a wide range of literature and has an online collection in the form of a Virtual Library. Extensive on-line information/literature searches on specific topics are carried out on demand.
IRSS- International Research Support Services - A joint venture agreement between IWMI and Worldfish
International Research Support Services (IRSS) started out of collaboration between IWMI and WorldFish, who pursued the integration of corporate services, as both centers worked on the modernization of their processes and systems. A Joint Venture was signed to form IRSS with the aim of incorporating other centers as it develops. Through IRSS, IWMI and WorldFish are aligning their Finance, Communication, HR and IT policies and processes while sharing joint applications of SAP - for Finance and Hsenid -for HR.
IRSS brings to both centers the benefits of cost effectiveness, flexibility of operation, and service delivery to multiple locations. It is a quality oriented service governed by a philosophy of continuous improvement. |
