The Ramsar Convention’s relationships with its five International Organization Partners (IOPs) were strengthened through the signing of a new Memorandum of Cooperation for 2011-2017 during a session of the Standing Committee meeting. The representatives of the five IOPs : Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International; Jane Madgwick, CEO of Wetlands International; Deborah Bossio, team leader at IWMI; Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN; and Marco Lambertini of BirdLife International gathered to sign the new MoC in front of the Regional Representatives on the Standing Committee. The aim of the new memorandum is to maximize the synergies between partners and the secretariat, to be even more effective in wetland conservation. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of member countries to maintain the ecological character of their “Wetlands of International Importance” and promote the sustainable use of wetlands in their territories.
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Source: www.ramsar.org
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