From examining community-based fisheries governance in Cambodia to investigating climate-driven water variability in the Himalayas, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) researchers have advanced understanding of critical water and food security challenges through studies published between May and June 2025. The following highlights showcase their recent open-access research spanning multiple continents and addressing diverse aspects of sustainable resource management. Click the links to access the full articles.
Disentangling community-based resource governance through knowledge systems mapping: insights from community fish refuges in rural Cambodia
Habitat loss and environmental degradation, such as overfishing, loss of habitat, pollution and climate change, are threatening the food and income source that fishing provides for most rural Cambodians. Community fish refuges (CFRs) provide sanctuaries for aquatic life during the dry season, enhancing fish production and the ecological diversity of aquatic food systems. CFRs have been promoted in Cambodia since the 1990s; however, the social dimensions of management, local knowledge and underlying knowledge systems of these refuges remain under-researched. IWMI researchers Sanjiv De Silva and Mark Dubois, alongside their co-authors, analyze four CFR projects in Cambodia to emphasize how context-specific and relational knowledge can strengthen CFR management. They highlight the need for engagement with local dialogue to identify and address governance gaps effectively.
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Closing yield gap for sustainable food security in sub-Saharan Africa – progress, challenges, and opportunities
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continues to face food insecurity despite its potential for agricultural development to meet its growing food demands. Addressing yield gaps would be essential for SSA to make progress towards SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Institutions). IWMI researcher Youssef Brouziyn, in collaboration with co-authors Victor Ongoma, El Houssaine Bouras and Abdelghani Chehbouni, identifies irrigation management and investment, fertilizer management, and good agricultural practices as drivers for closing this yield gap. Their analysis of existing databases, reports and case studies outlines the support needed to reduce yield gaps and strengthen food security across SSA.
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Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
Snowmelt runoff plays a critical role as a water source to Pakistan’s urban and agricultural areas. As climate change threatens to alter precipitation dynamics, estimating snowmelt water release (SWE) and snowmelt water depth (SD) becomes increasingly necessary for water management. IWMI’s Mudassar Iqbal and colleagues introduce a novel data assimilation framework for SWE and SD estimation in Pakistan’s Astore river basin. Using a combination of remote sensing data, observational data and solar radiation levels from the years 2010-2020, the team calculates the snow-cover area, which ranges from 94% in winter to 20% in summer. They determine the snow-melting period from April to September and use their model to generate maps of the SWE and SD during this snow-melt period. The range of SWE and SD values reflects the spatial and temporal variability of snow across the Astore River basin. The outputs of these models give light to the hydrological process in mountain regions to better forecast spring runoff for water management purposes.
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Enhancing household food security through soil and water conservation practices: a case study in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia
Land degradation, soil erosion and erratic rainfall have become pressing threats to agricultural productivity and food security in Ethiopia. In the semi-arid areas of the Amhara Region particularly, soil and water conservation (SWC) efforts have been ongoing since the 1980s. IWMI researcher Seifu A. Tilahun and colleagues examine the comprehensive impact of SWC practices on household food security in these areas, where agriculture remains a primary livelihood despite challenging climatic conditions. Of the farm households surveyed, 52% enacted SWC tactics such as soil bunding, stone bunding, stone-faced soil bunding and terracing on their farmlands. These households showed higher dietary diversity and food consumption scores compared to non-adopters of SWC practices, as well as lower scores on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. These findings affirm that investing in SWC practices can significantly improve crop productivity, farm income, and food security, particularly in dry regions.
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The impact of expanding eucalyptus plantations on the hydrology of a humid highland watershed in Ethiopia
Farmers in the Ethiopian highlands have been planting profitable eucalyptus trees on their least productive farmland, using the wood for construction and converting it to charcoal for cooking fuel. However, these fast-growing trees consume significantly more water than other crops, which is concerning because the Ethiopian highlands supply 85% of the water to Egypt and Sudan. IWMI’s Seifu A. Tilahun investigates whether eucalyptus expansion reduces water availability by studying a watershed in the upper Blue Nile region, analyzing rainfall, streamflow and satellite data over more than two decades. The research finds that eucalyptus trees use up to 30% more water than other land uses during dry seasons, resulting in decreased water storage in the watershed over 23 years. Rather than simply banning eucalyptus, Tilahun suggests farmers could be paid by downstream users for reducing eucalyptus acreage and planting native trees instead, while expanding electricity access could reduce the demand for charcoal, making eucalyptus less necessary for rural communities.
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Climate change will exacerbate seasonal flow variability in the Karnali River Basin: implications for water, energy, and agriculture sectors
Climate change is significantly affecting water resources in the Himalayan region, with major implications for agriculture, hydropower, and local livelihoods. The Karnali River, which is vital for these sectors in the region, faces shifting seasonal water patterns as temperatures rise and precipitation changes. IWMI researchers Saurav Pradhananga, Santosh Nepal and Mohsin Hafeez use advanced climate models and hydrological simulations to project how the river’s flow will change through the end of the century. Their study finds that winter and spring water flow could decrease by 3-23%, while monsoon and post-monsoon flows may increase by up to 18-51%, depending on different climate scenarios. These seasonal shifts will create challenges for hydropower generation, making wet-season energy production more reliable but reducing dry-season output by up to 16%. Additionally, farmers will need significantly more water for irrigating crops like rice and wheat, with some growing periods potentially requiring double the current water amounts. The researchers emphasize that managing these interconnected impacts on water, food, and energy systems will require coordinated planning strategies to help communities adapt to these changing conditions.
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