scaling

IWMI’s collaborations in the areas of fragility, conflict and migration are aimed at making strides towards an equitable future for all.

The annual event gathers a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the agricultural challenges facing the continent.

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. 

Governments in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are keen to expand irrigation to improve food security and climate resilience and are increasingly emphasizing the role of private, farmer-led irrigation using groundwater.

Solutions have helped to strengthen demand and supply linkages along irrigated agricultural value chains, increasing farmers’ access to solar irrigation technologies and services, and ultimately boosting yields.

Bundles of water harvesting technologies (harvesting, lifting, application, crop selection) can be highly significant to smallholder farmers if it is possible to determine its economic viability before launching any intervention. The suitability analysis of these packages, as done by IWMI experts, defines that choosing highly productive and high-value crops is important for the diffusion of irrigation technologies to farmers.

Low rates of energy access and dependence on fuel imports in Mali have spurred the demand for off-grid, renewable energy solutions, such as solar.

Evidence-based irrigation scaling strategies co-developed by IWMI aim to accelerate innovation in agricultural value chains.

Enhancing the sector’s climate resilience through the scaling of innovative and integrated water management solutions in West Africa.

Over 400 million people are expected to be vulnerable to yield losses due to climate change. A gap between current adaptation levels and those needed persists, driven in large part by limited capacity and financial support.

Most smallholder farmers in Mali depend on rain-fed agriculture for food and income. But, repeated cycles of floods and droughts threaten farmers’ livelihoods and food security, increasing the risk of hunger and conflict.

Data-driven tools are helping solar irrigation companies target their products and services to the right people, in the right way.

The benefits of solar energy for domestic and productive use have long been recognized in countries where there’s low access to the power grid.

Making innovative water management and irrigation technologies available to farmers on a massive scale is crucial if we are to meet growing food demands and mitigate climate change impacts.

Lenders are often hesitant to offer financial products to rural smallholders, preferring to focus on clients who are perceived to be lower risk and less costly to reach.

Scaling up farmer-led irrigation will require not only holistic approaches but also strong partnerships between implementing partners.

Solar power has the potential to revolutionize water use in agriculture, providing an attractive means for farmers to irrigate their crops.

Improving operational costs and financing could spur investment in sustainable agricultural water management practices and technologies.

Governments and development organizations realize that supporting farmer-led irrigation can enhance smallholders’ resilience to climate change and promote healthy food systems.

It makes sense to encourage farmer-led irrigation, to capitalize on benefits, but how can we do so inclusively and sustainably?