Agricultural water management solutions

Research ThemeLand and Water Solutions

Between 2009 and 2012, scientists assessed the potential of various agricultural water management technologies’ and practices to resolve water issues faced by smallholder farmers. The researchers considered the trade-offs and social, environmental and institutional implications of implementing different solutions, and they identified promising business models and investment opportunities that can sustainably further agricultural water management technologies.

Farmers manually irrigate a field in Kumasi, Ghana.

Bernard Keraita/IWMI

The identified investment opportunities have a high potential to improve the food security and livelihoods of the rural poor in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and can inform the decisions of policy makers, investors and non-governmental organizations.

The investment visualizer tool is directed at policy makers and investors in agricultural water management and may help them to assess various investment opportunities. It is a compact, practical tool for users to examine the profits, costs, yield improvements, number of people reached, area expansion and water use consumption of various smallholder water management options by country and region.