IWMI in the news
More than 1,300 farmers received over Rs 1.6 million as part of insurance payouts for crop damage caused by excess rain or dry spells. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), together with local partners, introduced the initiative which is part of a project that helps Sri Lanka’s smallholder farmers develop resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.
“It is expected that the poorest and most marginalized communities will be the hardest hit from the projected impacts of climate change, increasing poverty and inequality,” said Dr. Giriraj Amarnath, IWMI’s Research Group Leader – Water Risks and Disasters (WRD), at the ceremony to hand over the monies. “Through this project, our goal is to empower rural farmers in this country with hi-tech agricultural technologies.”
Read the full article on www.timesonline.lk
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