A key role for sustainable water management in curbing species extinction

The recent Global Assessment Summary from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has aroused global concern about the threat of massive species extinction. The assessment has also delivered an ominous warning of the need to protect land and water on which plants and animals depend for survival.
As countries come to grips with these messages, they need practical tools and resources to translate heightened concern into effective action for stemming biodiversity loss. One such method centers on the assessment of environmental flows, or E-flows, to determine the level of freshwater needed to sustain aquatic ecosystems and the many services they provide, including biodiversity.
In an Inter Press Service opinion article, Claudia Sadoff, director general of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) makes the case for wider incorporation of E-flows assessment into sustainable water resource management. This, she argues, “is a key part of the solution to species extinction.”
Read the Inter Press Service opinion article.
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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