Our rivers are barometers of environmental neglect – it’s time to clean them up
On the occasion of World Environment Day 2018 – for which the theme this year is “Beat Plastic Pollution” – the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has published an opinion article on river health in the Global Food for Thought blog of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Much of the plastic and other trash that winds up in our oceans gets there via rivers. The condition of rivers worldwide, argue two IWMI researchers and a colleague with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), is a key indicator of broader environmental neglect that must be reversed. World Environment Day is the “people’s day” for “doing something to take care of the Earth.” In this spirit, the IWMI article emphasizes that local communities have an important role to play in monitoring river health and in seeking a balance between using and safeguarding river resources.
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