A better way to win against water challenges
A string of recent water disasters – from the crisis in Cape Town to the dam collapse in Laos – has thrown into sharp relief the need for more reliable options to achieve water security worldwide. One standard response is to boost expenditures on dams and other “grey” infrastructure. After all, this is a proven way to deliver economic benefits – from hydropower generation, for example – though it may have a downside in terms of the risks for local communities and the environment.
To achieve water security for all and not just for some, however, we need to bank as well on other options that use nature’s own resources to temper its extremes and reap more of its benefits. Some of this “natural” or “green” infrastructure meets the eye, like wetlands and floodplains, while much of it is hidden belowground in the form of aquifers. Bringing the value of these resources out in the open is a key first step toward changing attitudes and fostering informed action. This is what we at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) strive to do with our partners around the world.
To underline the wide variety of nature-based solutions available, IWMI researcher Karen Villholth has published an opinion article in The Conversation. Some of the approaches she describes come from a portfolio of 18 groundwater-based natural infrastructure solutions, which show promise for improving water storage, quality and retention as well as environmental services. Karen and various partners in the IWMI-led Groundwater Solutions Initiative for Policy and Practice (GRIPP) assembled the portfolio for presentation at World Water Week 2018, held in Stockholm during late August.
Read the opinion article in The Conversation
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