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Growing the use of real-time digital tools for smarter vegetable farming

The FRESH Initiative, in collaboration with the ClimBeR initiative, is providing Sri Lankan farmers with climate information and agronomic advisories straight to their mobile phones.
Women agriculture workers. Photo: IWMI Pakistan

Investing in women is the key to Pakistan’s agricultural growth

Women's roles often go unrecognized, and they face numerous barriers in accessing resources, knowledge, and decision-making power.

How can anticipatory action inspire gender inclusion?

This International Women’s Day, we are looking at gender challenges and solutions for designing anticipatory action approaches in refugee and internally displaced persons hosting communities.
International Women's Day 2024

Beyond inclusion: Moving forward a feminist water agenda on International Women’s Day

A feminist water agenda calls urgently for a reorientation against deep-rooted institutional biases, assumptions and structures of power.

What is good for fish, is good for people and planet

The Mekong fishery is at a tipping point. Integrating fish into agricultural landscapes may be the sustainable way forward.

Rural women in Egypt are the driving force behind IWMI’s new community center

The center will be a hub for knowledge-sharing, marketing, and community building, ultimately shaping new opportunities for the women of Izbat Al-Hamra.
Circular economy. Photo: Markus Winkler

Using circular economy as a solution to today’s problems

A circular economy can help sustainable development by keeping our resources in use for as long as possible at their highest economic value.
Pounding yam fufu in Poyentanga. Photo: Esther Wahabu / IWMI

“If […] there is a small boy in the house, he must grant me...

How gender roles and labor allocations impact livelihood spaces in the Upper-West region of Ghana.
Enviro-Champs take a group photo before checking the health of a river. GroundTruth and the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT).

Heroes of environmental stewardship

As Enviro-Champs, South African youth address environmental challenges through citizen science and digital innovation.
Participants collaborate to build a reliable scalable digital twin. Pretoria, South Africa. Photo: Gordon / River of Life

Visionary integration

IWMI presents a digital twin concept for management of the Limpopo River basin.
Indigenous chicken flock foraging in Ethiopia. Photo: ILRI

Coping with water scarcity in Addis Ababa’s slaughterhouses

Ethiopia’s livestock sector is vibrant and has a huge potential to furnish human nutrition and trade targets in East Africa and beyond, according to experts. Nevertheless, the sector is under threat because of increasing water shortages.
Two farmers work in rural Tajikistan as part of a Water User Association in Central Asia. Madeline Dahm / IWMI

October-November research journal roundup

A roundup of IWMI research produced during October and November 2023.
Men and women working together in the field in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Farhana Sarker

Minding the gender gap in digital innovations in Bangladesh’s agri-economy

Without a concerted effort to empower marginalized groups and bridge the digital gender gap, digitalization risks exacerbating disparities, leaving many behind in the digital revolution.
IWMI’s Mohsin Hafeez and Mark Smith inaugurate Pakistan Water Week alongside Iqar Khan and Claudia Ringler. IWMI / Pakistan

Pakistan Water Week 2023 addresses transformative pathways for water and food systems

With water and food security becoming urgent priorities, Pakistan Water Week convened to explore opportunities for research, innovation and collective action.
An arial view photo taken during 2022 Pakistan floods / Ali Hyder Junejo

Digital inequality – A challenge to climate risk responses in Pakistan?

Displacement is a major impact of the climate crisis in Pakistan. In a flood emergency access to the ‘digital ecosystem’ provided by mobile devices can be critical for individual safety, but not everyone has equal access, explain IWMI’s Kanwal Waqar and Alan Nicol.
A man cuts a drain to provide irrigation for his crops. Frank Rijsberman / IWMI

A water policy coherence agenda for Nigeria’s agri-food systems transformation

Policy coherence is required to bridge the gap between policy intent and implementation. 
A roundtable on Ethiopia’s PPP strategy development for small-scale irrigation development and management. Muluken Elias Adamseged / IWMI

Navigating the future of irrigation in Ethiopia: Public-private partnerships for small-scale irrigation development and...

Advancing irrigation development through public-private partnership has the potential to increase agricultural output, enhanced food and nutrition security, and potentially lift millions out of poverty.
Cars and donkeys in the Ethiopian Somali region. Radhika Singh / IWMI

Understanding the water crisis in refugee hosting communities in Ethiopia’s Somali Region

Understanding the Water Crisis in Refugee Hosting Communities in Ethiopia's Somali Region.
Ethiopia Somali region landscape. Radhika Singh / IWMI

We’re taking the path less traveled: Addressing fragility, conflict and migration in Ethiopia’s Somali...

Climate-induced displacement is rampant in Ethiopia’s Somali region. As co-lead of CGIAR’s Fragility, Conflict, and Migration Initiative IWMI is working to embed resilience-building solutions in Ethiopian refugee, internally displaced persons, and host communities.
Irbid. Andrew Adam Bradford/IWMI

Water and climate stress are threatening Jordanian refugee hosting communities. What are we doing...

IWMI is working to inform the humanitarian response to climate-based vulnerabilities in Jordan through anticipatory action.
Water at COP

Think again: The climate conference does not only last for two weeks

To be effective, COP requires months of groundwork, continued support to negotiators, measuring progress and action for sustainable development.
Nasia river. Hamish John Appleby / IWMI

Reviving Ghana’s green belt

The fight for Ghanian forests requires a blend of science, local wisdom, and collaborative action.
Community members assembling the fish cage. Lawrence Armah Ahiah/Fisheries Commission Ghana

Reeling it in: How aquaculture is improving livelihoods and nutrition in northern Ghana

A pilot project is introducing aquaculture in small reservoirs in a sustainable and scalable model.
Mulugeta Ayene / WLE-CGIAR

The digital divide for food, land, and water systems: What is it and what...

A proposed framework and innovative digital inclusivity index aim to address marginalization.
Small irrigation canal in Egypt. Photo: Hamish John Appleby

Valuing Egypt’s scarce agricultural water

IWMI, an active partner, contributed to the conversation about adopting integrated policies for water productivity at the sixth edition of Cairo Water Week.
Wastewater is pumped into channels for irrigation, in Kanpur, India. Neil Palmer/IWMI

Investing in the circular bioeconomy

Some countries are better placed than others to make the change and create sustainable urban-rural linkages.
Peter Oppong on his cocoa farm in the Ashanti region. Kekeli Gbodji / IWMI.

Peter Oppong’s inspiring journey

Smallholder farmers like Oppong are reaping the benefits of solar-powered irrigation, a cost-effective and easy-to-implement technology.
Photo: Usman Ghani / IWMI

Innovation and partnerships: Key ingredients in a conflict-affected world

IWMI’s collaborations in the areas of fragility, conflict and migration are aimed at making strides towards an equitable future for all.
Native fruits and vegetables found only in the forests of Maharashtra, India

Protecting and promoting traditional foods one woman at a time

Women and food-centric interventions through the NATURE+ Initiative aim to increase the resilience of rural women.

Be a germ buster: Wash your hands.

Effective hand hygiene reduces the risk of meat contamination and the transmission of foodborne disease
Before disaster strikes - Preparing for complex emergencies with anticipatory action

Before disaster strikes: Preparing for complex emergencies with anticipatory action

Enhancing disaster preparedness and building resilience in fragile settings requires fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities involved.

Water: Amplifying impact through the CGIAR Initiative on One Health

Globally, the health of water is affected by various water users and pollution sources including cities, towns, crops, livestock and industries.
Photo: Gordon O’Brien

Going with the flow, or fighting for it?

The competition for scarce natural resources in the Letaba River Basin and why it matters for World Rivers Day.
Wetlands in Lukanga. Photo: Matthew McCartney / IWMI

As the demand for water rises, we need to re-think global water storage

The future of water storage requires a systems approach which fully integrates natural infrastructure alongside built infrastructure.
Photo: Neil Palmer / IWMI

Information meets innovation: Climate data for resilient food value chains in CWANA

Improving climate data availability through platforms like F2R-CWANA can enhance the analysis and understanding of climate impacts.
A woman collects freshwater in Central Asia. Photo: Neil Palmer / IWMI

April-May 2023 Research Journal Roundup

Roundup of research, journal and other academic articles from April and May 2023.

Promoting gender equality through applied research for development that supports drought resilience and land...

The promotion of gender equality while effecting climate change adaptation is a political and moral imperative.
Photo: Bashi Khowazik Khan

Menstrual Hygiene Management – a missing piece in the water agenda

Integrating MHM into water-related programming not only enhances the well-being and dignity of women and girls but also contributes to improved health outcomes, increased educational opportunities, and sustainable development at large.
Urban farming at the Town Hall of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo: IWMI

Urban agriculture during economic crisis: Lessons from Cuba, Sri Lanka and Ukraine

How low-cost measures can help to reduce an urban food crisis. 
Women sell vegetables at a hat bazaar market in the Siraha District, Nepal. Photo: Nabin Baral / IWMI

February-March 2023 Research Journal Roundup

Roundup of research, journal and other academic articles from February to March 2023.
A woman farmer inspecting sprinkler-950. Photo: Hamish John Appleby / IWMI

Conference lays out shared vision of strategies and investments needed to catalyze farmer-led irrigation...

Affordable finance, digital tools and innovation bundles are among the enablers that can help meet Africa’s irrigation potential of 60 million hectares in the next five years. 
Harvesting agricultural crop in Zimbabwe. Photo: David Brazier / IWMI

Accelerating climate adaptation in the Zambezi River Basin through digital innovations

Digital innovations can mitigate risks by providing services and technologies for planning, forecasting, reducing impact, and compensating losses.
Graphic harvest of the second and third days of the Transformative Futures for Water Security conference showing missions to transform the future of water security (Credit: Sonja Niederhumer).

Eight ambitious missions to transform the future of water security

Recognizing the need for youth to be included in this conversation, young people have been made co-guardians of the TFWS process
A woman hawking yam. Photo: Hamish John Appleby / IWMI

Ukama Ustawi: Accelerating inclusive agribusiness in East and Southern Africa

Empowerment and structural change come hand in hand – and with women agri-entrepreneurs at the center!
Farmer-led irrigation in Ghana. Photo: Barbara van Rijn / IWMI

December 2022- January 2023 Research Journal Roundup

As we transitioned into a new year, IWMI researchers continued to advance our knowledge of how we can strengthen natural resource management, improve food resiliency, and promote gender equity.
Lisa-Maria Rebelo

Lisa-Maria Rebelo celebrated as a leader in remote sensing: her advice to aspiring female...

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate Dr. Lisa-Maria Rebelo’s achievements and inquire of her advice for the next generation of aspiring female researchers.
Man harvesting lotus flowers. Photo: Hamish John Appleby / IWMI

“Revive and Restore Degraded Wetlands”, what will it take?

Wise use calls for balance between maintaining key wetlands functions while not unduly restricting wetlands’ use by millions of often poor people.
Photo: Bunyod Holmatov / IWMI

Tributary-level cooperation in the Isfayramsai River basin can benefit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Aral...

Within the NEXUS Gains Initiative, an IWMI team is focusing on water storage around the Isfayramsai River.

Satisfying the growing need for water storage: the role of sand dams in an...

More than 2 billion people currently live in water-stressed countries, and approximately 4 billion people experience water scarcity at least one month per year.

Bridges not barriers: Opening doors to more integrated migration policy

Unable to find a job in Kyrgyzstan, Khadija migrated to Russia. With the money she earned working in a rural hospital, she was able to send her three children to school and build a house back home.