While providing new technologies and practices may garner the most attention in today’s development work, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is working hard to assure that providing knowledge has equal prioritization.
The Watershed hydrology impact monitoring research project, funded by the Asian Development Bank and Nordic Development Fund, provides examples of how this knowledge sharing arises. Regular trips to the field allow for valuable capacity development opportunities, as researchers directly discuss local land management techniques and agricultural practices with farmers and community leaders. Recently, these on-the-ground interactions led to two opportunities for capacity development by encouraging existing practices. In IWMI’s study areas, the landslide-prone districts of Doti and Baitadi, farmers regularly need to clear their fields of rocks. Some farmers move the rocks to the edges of the field and fill them in with dirt to create a path.
Ambika Khadka and Romulus Okwany talked to farmers about the unintended benefits of this behavior, as these rock piles act as small check dams that slow water flow and increase soil percolation for groundwater recharge. If this practice catches on across the steep catchment areas, all users will benefit from their neighbors’ diligence. Additionally, spring-flows throughout the catchment will increase, as shallow aquifer recharge improves.
The local practice of planting fruit trees on disturbed land can also be encouraged in order to solve a pressing issue. In observing the frequent landslides adjacent to new road cuts, IWMI researchers gathered community leaders and other residents to share the benefits of fruit trees in ground stabilization and landslide abatement. Planting more fruit trees will reduce the frequency and severity of these landslides, improving the effectiveness of the project’s implementations below these road cuts. As the project pilots new technologies and intervention options in these sensitive catchment areas, care will be taken to continue to first understand existing customs and how they can work in concert with project improvements. Sharing this knowledge with residents will be critical to the longevity of the project’s success and, most importantly, community buy-in and ownership.
The local practice of planting fruit trees on disturbed land can also be encouraged in order to solve a pressing issue. In observing the frequent landslides adjacent to new road cuts, IWMI researchers gathered community leaders and other residents to share the benefits of fruit trees in ground stabilization and landslide abatement. Planting more fruit trees will reduce the frequency and severity of these landslides, improving the effectiveness of the project’s implementations below these road cuts. As the project pilots new technologies and intervention options in these sensitive catchment areas, care will be taken to continue to first understand existing customs and how they can work in concert with project improvements. Sharing this knowledge with residents will be critical to the longevity of the project’s success, and most importantly, community buy-in and ownership.
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