Experts meet in Patna to discuss new initiative that could “future‐proof” one million smallholders
Patna, (August 1, 2015): Representatives from State and Central government agencies, NGOs, private insurance companies, farmers and development partners met today to exchange ideas and expertise in an inception workshop for a new project on developing ‘Index-Based Flood Insurance (IBFI)’. The project aims to develop effective payout schemes to protect low income communities in flood prone area by improving their ability to cope with flood risks. The day long workshop was presided by Dr. C P Thakur, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and was organized by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Speaking at the workshop Dr Thakursaid, “Bihar has suffered a lot due to floods, this kind of product is very much needed. The product should go beyond a scheme and see how it can address overall socio-economic development to reduce poverty”
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