Water has moved to the top of the business risk agenda, according to an April PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, and at the current pace of water consumption, the overall demand for water is expected to increase by 55% globally by 2050, with industrial demand increasing fivefold.
Beverage companies, which are criticized by environmental activists for their exploitation of water resources, are now trying to portray themselves as water conservators.
“It is a little-known fact that of the total water available, agriculture uses close to 80%. Indian industry is a small consumer; domestic and industrial use clubbed together barely amounts to 20%,” says Vivek Bharti, vice-president of corporate affairs, PepsiCo India.
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