Blog post on HuffingtonPost.com by Jeremy Bird, Director General of IWMI, talks about the launch of a new initiative and why the Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) has identified common elements of success that can inform global action.
“In Morocco, the water table of the Saïss deep aquifer has fallen by an annual average of 3 metres over the past 20 years. The government has invested in a number of initiatives to address this, from capturing surface water and directing it to replenish aquifers, engaging farmers locally in managing groundwater collectively, and giving subsidies to farmers to implement smarter systems that use less water such as drip irrigation. However, these water-efficient technologies can also increase the overall area of irrigation carried out, which benefits individuals but does not necessarily lead to the expected water savings. Such complexities must be recognised and managed accordingly.
But the hard work doesn’t stop with good policies. We have a colossal challenge to ensure that they translate into action and sustainable and equitable outcomes. Solutions will differ in each region of the world (some regions like parts of sub-Saharan Africa and eastern India even need to step up use of groundwater for agriculture rather than limit it) and there are many trade-offs and competing goals at stake. That is why the Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice(GRIPP) has identified common elements of success that can inform global action.”
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