Urban and peri-urban wetlands of the city of Kolkata in India are under threat, and their ecosystem services are being lost due to rapid urbanization. These wetlands provide over 27 provisioning, supporting, regulating, and cultural benefits directly to the poor. Therefore, wise use of wetlands should be a high priority for development and nature conservation as well. India’s National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems, launched in 2013, aims to provide states with guidelines for taking action to safeguard the integrity and natural ecological functions of wetlands and other aquatic ecosystems.
Kolkata is a low-lying city surrounded by two major rivers and a network of waterways. With a gloomy forecast for sea level rise, the city is extremely vulnerable and is being placed in a high-alert category for flood risk. With its 14.5 million people at risk, the city government sees conserving natural wetlands as an important mitigation strategy.
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 theÂ