In sub-Saharan Africa irrigation is not widespread covering only 7% of the total cultivated area of 183 million hectares. This is by far the lowest proportion of irrigation anywhere in the world.
Investment is badly needed, but careful planning is essential:
- Investment should be increased both in irrigation and in other agricultural water management methods, using a full range of options from large to small-scale infrastructure.
- Investments need to be targeted to ensure that benefits reach the poor, especially women.
- The relationship between irrigation and the ecosystems services that farm landscapes provide needs to be taken into account
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