The IWMI Board of Directors and our staff around the world mourn the loss of our colleague Dr. Barbara Wells, Global Director of Genetic Innovation at CGIAR and Director General of the International Potato Center (CIP). A leader in the fields of genetic innovation, agriculture, and forestry, Dr. Wells’ work has touched millions of lives around the world across her decades of service. We at IWMI send our heartfelt sympathy to her family, and to our colleagues at CIP. We are saddened by her passing, but grateful and inspired by the legacy she leaves us, as we continue her fight to strengthen food security and improve lives around the world.
To read more about Dr Wells’ life and work visit the CGIAR.org website.
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