About 96% of all liquid freshwater on Earth is groundwater
Recent surveys1 on groundwater in Africa concluded that there is 100 times more water under the continent’s surface than on it
In India, a new tube well is sunk every six seconds on average
Photos: David Brazier, Akissa Bahri, Tom Van Cakenberghe
Sources:
Gleick, P. H., 1996: Water resources. In Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather, ed. by S. H. Schneider, Oxford University Press, New York, vol. 2, pp.817-823.
Groundwater and Human Development: Challenges and Opportunities in Livelihoods and Environment
Tushaar Shah, International Water Management Institute http://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H035884.pdf
Environmental Research Letters Volume 7 Number 2,
A M MacDonald et al 2012 Quantitative maps of groundwater resources in Africa
A M MacDonald, H C Bonsor, B É Ó Dochartaigh and R G Taylor
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/2/024009
1 Surveys carried out by British Geological Survey and University College London
Brokering knowledge for sustainability
Enabling gender and youth inclusion
Co-developing innovation bundles
Strengthening and sustaining the enabling environment
Enhancing capacity for system transformation
Fostering scaling partnerships
Cultivating scaling preparedness
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