The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture study by the International Water Management Institute indicates that about 1,2-billion people, almost one-fifth of the world’s population, live in areas of physical scarcity, while some 500-million are approaching this situation, with almost one- quarter of the world’s population facing economic water shortage. Of concern is that South Africa is identified as one of the countries at risk of suffering ‘acute water scarcity’. Hitherto, South Africa’s reputation for managing this scarcity is renowned. In fact, the National Water Act (NWA) of 1998, which aims to manage, control, conserve, protect and use water in a sustainable and equitable manner, for the benefit of all people, has been hailed internationally, and significant and well-considered reforms have been made to adopt an integrated approach to water resource management to ensure poverty alleviation and growth.
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Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the