World Water Day 2011
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| A message from IWMI and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies : Listen | |
This year the theme for World Water Day is “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge”.
Water impacts our lives in many ways. In some parts of the world there isn’t enough water; in others there is too much. Climate change is causing extreme weather events. IWMI scientists together with local and international partners are working to develop ways to make water more productive so that there will be enough water to grow the food we eat and enough water for livelihoods and the environment. They are also developing strategies that can help communities adapt to climate change. Without water there can be no life.
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Awake Before It’s Too Late – Save Water, Save Lives
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View more presentations from International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
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