IWMI, working with the Network of Women Water Professionals and the Women for Water Partnership, organized a meeting on “Gender, Agricultural Water and ‘Big Data’: Practical steps and forwards thinking under the SDGs”, in Marawila, Sri Lanka, on October 12, 2015. Some 30 attendees from 20 countries in Africa, South Asia, Europe, USA and South America discussed gender, water and data issues from a specific agricultural water management angle.
The workshop provided a platform for participants to share knowledge and related experience from respective geographical regions, but also from a diverse professional backgrounds. IWMI’s Alan Nicol presented on the experience of data use in the WLE-led 4 Basin Gender Profiles project (4BGP) which over a period of two years, has addressed ways of mining, presenting and using data in the Ganges, Mekong, Nile and Volta river basins.
Participants addressed key question, including:
- How can we develop and use big data sets to more effectively address the issues of gender and development in water resources management?
- What existing new platforms, networks and processes are needed to take the agenda forward and support the achievement of SDGs?
Discussions zeroed in on recommendations including achieving greater data harmonization and making use of already existing data from all levels. Additional points included, determining information quality and accuracy, ensuring gender-disaggregation of data, using up-to-date data, knowing how to market gender sensitive indicators, and making governments and NGOs aware of the criteria and need for coordination.
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