Focused on food systems transformation
Researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) played active roles at COP24, the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held over the last 2 weeks at Katowice, Poland. IWMI interventions centered mainly on an event series organized by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Called Agriculture Advantage 2.0, the series was designed to inform priorities for action aimed at “transforming food systems under a changing climate.”
IWMI researchers took part in sessions dealing with two key facets of this challenge. In the “Policy Advantage” event (“Enablers for food systems transformation”), Alan Nicol, leader of IWMI’s Sustainable Growth strategic program, presented a country case titled “Agricultural systems transformation through renewable energy policy interventions.” In the “CSA Investment”event” (“Climate Smart Agriculture: Identifying the Best Bets”), Giriraj Amarnath, leader of IWMI’s Water Risks research group, developed a case for CSA technologies in water management, such as water harvesting and more efficient irrigation.
See CCAFS News Blog posts on the Policy Advantage and CSA Investment Advantage events
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