IWMI researchers receive President’s Awards
Nishadi Eriyagama and Lal Mutuwatte have been awarded President’s Awards for scientific publications by the National Research Council (NRC) of Sri Lanka.
The awards were presented by the Science, Technology and Research Minister, Susil Premajayantha, on behalf of the President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Maithripala Sirisena at a ceremony held at the Water’s Edge in Battaramulla, on November 18, 2015.
Pay Drechsel receives International Water Association’s Water and Development Award
Dr Pay Drechsel has been awarded the International Water Association’s Water and Development Award (Research).
The award was presented at the opening ceremony of the IWA’s Development Congress and Exhibition in Amman, Jordan, this Sunday, October 18.
In the photo Pay Drechsel receives the award from Dr. Helmut Kroiss, President of the International Water Association (IWA).
Karen Villholth and Xueliang Cai receive awards for best research
IWMI South Africa’s Karen Villholth and Xueliang Cai received the IWRA Best Paper Award at the IWRA World Water Congress XV in Edinburgh, 28 May, 2015.
Related publications
Villholth, K.G., 2013. Groundwater irrigation for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa – a synthesis of current knowledge to guide sustainable outcomes. Wat. Int., 38(4), 369–391, DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2013.821644. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508060.2013.821644
Xueliang Cai, David Molden, Mohammed Mainuddin, Bharat Sharma, Mobin-ud-Din Ahmad & Poolad Karimi, 2011. Producing more food with less water in a changing world: assessment of water productivity in 10 major river basins. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02508060.2011.542403
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