Launched ahead of World Water Day, research conducted in Bangladesh could have dramatic implications both for poor households and the entire wastewater value chain
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (21 March 2017) – Developing countries struggling to cope with huge volumes of human waste may finally get some relief, and a new business opportunity. A new study has found that spreading the cost of waste removal over a series of monthly payments could make costs more affordable for poor households and also help kickstart the conversion of this waste, or fecal sludge, into profitable by-products, like fertilizers and bioenergy.
Published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, the study focuses on the rural subdistrict Bhaluka in Bangladesh, where the government is looking to pilot an innovative local service for sludge management. Currently, households struggle to pay a large lump sum of $13 every 3-4 years to empty their pit latrines, which is approximately 14 per cent of their monthly income. Instead, the study has found that they could pay small monthly payments of as little as US$0.31 per month, or about what they spend monthly on a mobile phone service, over the same period.
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