IWMI wins award for digital transformation from Project Management Institute (PMI) in Sri Lanka
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has received the Award for Excellence at the 2023 National Project Management Excellence Awards in Sri Lanka for its Earth Observation for Agricultural Risk Management (EO4ARM) application, which contributes to Sri Lanka’s agricultural digital transformation. The platform offers smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka a wide range of solutions, including weather forecasts, flood and drought monitoring, crop health assessments, and farm-level updates to manage climate risks and crop health. It provides access to real-time satellite data, historical data, and supports the development of insurance products and disaster preparedness programs.
EO4ARM’s potential lies in helping insurance companies monitor and underwrite specific insured areas to reduce production risks, with plans to integrate it with the GeoGoviya smart farming platform. The project was funded with assistance from the German development agency GIZ and the European Union.
IWMI staff win special prize at the 2022 Transformative Research Challenge (TRC)
Sidra Khalid, Senior Research Officer – Gender and Social Inclusion, and Najeeb Ullah, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Specialist, won the special prize at the 2022 Transformative Research Challenge (TRC), hosted by the World Food Forum, for their research pitch on ‘Transforming nutritional practices and livelihoods through improved fish farming in Pakistan’ under the TRC category, Better Life.
The TRC aims to recognize young and young-at-heart researchers for their outstanding research and promising potential for a positive impact on global and local agri-food systems. It aims to inspire research and innovation in sustainable development to end hunger and transform our agri-food systems.
IWMI’s Dr Lisa-Maria Rebelo receives the 2022 Derek Tribe Award
IWMI’s Dr Lisa-Maria Rebelo, Lead Scientist at Digital Earth Africa and Principal Researcher, Earth Observation for Sustainable Development at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka is the recipient of the 2022 Derek Tribe Award.
Lisa-Maria received the award in recognition of her work across the African continent, and in South and Southeast Asia, in water productivity, remote sensing, natural resource management, wetland monitoring and assessment, basin water accounting and water productivity.
Enhancing capacity for system transformation
Strengthening and sustaining the enabling environment
Enabling gender and youth inclusion
Brokering knowledge for sustainability
Cultivating scaling preparedness
Fostering scaling partnerships
Co-developing innovation bundles
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 
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 
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 
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 
