Message from our Board Chair and Director General
Pressure on the world’s water resources is greater than ever, but so is the resolve of the global development community to do something about it. This is the clear message of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most of the national climate plans prepared for the Climate Conference in Paris, the High Level Panel on Water set up by the UN and World Bank, and a flurry of recent water conferences. Against this background, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) forged ahead in 2016, delivering research findings that help translate heightened resolve into effective action.
CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
In the 25 years since the Earth Summit first moved sustainability to the center of the global development agenda, to what extent has agriculture succeeded in putting the concept into practice? Given that agriculture remains a major contributor to ongoing degradation of the environment, the answer must be “not enough.” Even so, by acknowledging the fundamental importance of achieving food security globally, while protecting the environment, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set the stage for renewed efforts to achieve sustainable intensification of farming.
Before disaster strikes
The increasing frequency and severity of droughts and floods is of global concern. IWMI is finding ways to increase countries’ resilience to both phenomena, helping farmers whose livelihoods are negatively affected by too little or too much water. Among the Institute’s achievements towards these goals in 2016 were: testing of the South Asia Drought Monitoring System (SADMS) and generation of estimates for crop yield forecasts for insurers; creation of an index based flood insurance product to ensure that affected farmers get compensation for failed crops; and development of a “crop health card” system to verify weather-based insurance claims.
Growth for people and nature in Ethiopia
The mountains and forests of Ethiopia’s Bale Eco-Region (BER) support a unique and diverse flora and fauna. Incorporating the Bale Mountains National Park, the BER is home to almost half the total population of Ethiopian wolves, along with vast forest areas that yield significant amounts of wild coffee and honey. Moreover, the whole region is a vast carbon store, providing ecosystem services that sustain the environment and people alike.
India’s irrigation reforms
Unpredictable and variable rainfall makes farming in India a precarious livelihood. Across much of the country, rainfall is concentrated during the monsoon, from July to September, with the other months being dry. Farmers without irrigation struggle to grow more than one crop a year. Although much money has been invested in irrigation over the years, poor governance means these schemes have not always been as effective as they should have been.
Getting a GRIPP on groundwater
Enabling more farmers to pump groundwater can boost agricultural production and rural incomes, while making communities more resilient to climate shocks. Sustaining these benefits, however, requires informed approaches for farmers and resource managers.
Striking a balance between nature and development
Globally, investment in reservoirs, dams, irrigation channels and other built infrastructure has increased enormously in recent decades and is set to expand in the near future. Although such investment contributes importantly to economic growth, it typically also comes at a cost to the environment and to people, often the poorest, who depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.
A collective farming comeback
Across Asia, farmers struggle to cultivate very small and marginal parcels of land. Many are tenant farmers, who are expected to hand over half of what they produce to their landlord. Knowing that they will not benefit fully from any investments they make, farmers have little incentive to purchase fertilizer, irrigation equipment or high-quality seeds. This stifles production and encourages farmers to reject agriculture in favor of finding work in far-off cities. Those left behind, who are often women, struggle to continue cultivation due to shortages of labor.
First holistic take on the Ganges River Basin
The Ganges is the most populous river basin in the world, supporting more than 500 million inhabitants. Well known for its cultural and spiritual significance (to Hindus, the Ganges is a goddess), it spans 1 million square kilometers (km²) across China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Over the years, many authors have written books, papers and reports discussing specific aspects of the river. However, no single book has examined the basin holistically. In 2016, IWMI responded to the need for a broader perspective by producing The Ganges River Basin, a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region.
Science for surface irrigation
Farmers in West India and Pakistan face a conundrum. The decades-old warabandi (fixed turns) surface irrigation system, which supplies set amounts of water at predetermined times, does not always provide water when crops need it most. However, pumping groundwater, which offers farmers more control over when and how they irrigate, is expensive. IWMI is using laser and computer modeling technology to help farmers make more effective use of the water resources available to them.
How to get money from muck
It seems like a no-brainer. Take human waste that is unfortunately far too often buried in landfills or dumped in waterways in the developing world, extract nutrients from it for fertilizer or process it into fuel, and sell the resulting products. Not only would this reduce our reliance on fossil resources, it would also help to clean up the environment and boost local economies. So why has this not happened yet?
Closing the nutrient loop
In Ghana, more than 90% of human waste is discharged into the environment, contaminating coastal areas, waterways and the irrigated farms that draw water from them. As part of its effort to create productive synergies between rural and urban areas, IWMI is investigating practical ways to help municipalities in this and other countries develop closed-loop processes that turn waste into useful products for farming communities.
About IWMI
Mission: Provide evidence-based solutions to sustainably manage water and land resources for food security, people’s livelihoods and the environment.
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) strives to fulfill its mission through three strategic programs (listed below) whose purpose is to build an evidence base for new approaches that address key water-related development challenges. Our researchers work across sectors and disciplines through eight research groups (as indicated in the drawing) to deliver new knowledge, policy advice and capacity development.
Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with offices across Asia and Africa, IWMI works in partnership with national and local government bodies, academic institutions, community-based groups, international organizations and the private sector, with emphasis on strengthening capacity.
IWMI is a CGIAR center focused on research for development. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. Its work is carried out by 15 centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners across the globe. As of January 2017, IWMI is contributing to these second-phase CGIAR Research Programs: leading Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) and playing an active role in Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS); Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM); Fish; and Livestock.
IWMI office locations and countries where we have projects underway
Board of Governors
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Writing/editing: Carolyn Fry, Nathan Russell, Mahen Chandrasoma and Marianne Gadeberg
Design: Julio César Martinez Garavito
Photos: Nana Kofi Acquah, Arif Anwar, Priyanie Amerasinghe, Hamish John Appleby, Jeremy Bird, David Brazier, V. Dakshinamurthy, Jim Holmes, Sharad Maharjan, Nitasha Nair, Adam Öjdahl, Josiane Nikiema, Neil Palmer, Andrew Reckers, Nathan Russell, Tushaar Shah, Georgina Smith, Daniel van Rooijen, Faseeh Shams.
Web layout: Dominique Perera, Manoj Jayasuriya, Samurdhi Ranasinghe.
