Water management for water and food security is a change process. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) explores new ways to sustainably intensify agricultural productivity, increase economic returns, support human well-being and safeguard ecosystems and their services in a changing climate. It analyzes water and food production systems using innovative tools, frameworks and integrated solutions that are co-developed with a range of stakeholders.
Considering all the water cycle components — including surface water, groundwater, water quality — and their interactions with people and the environment is critical to support effective institutions, policies and investments. IWMI’s work spans from local farm scale up to transboundary basins and aquifers.
Our research in action
IWMI uses trade-off analysis and metrics on coordinated development actions to examine the water-food-energy nexus. Researchers develops tools and models, such as scorecards and dashboards, to help stakeholders make informed decisions about resource availability. IWMI improves the efficiency and sustainability of food production, including through a better understanding of the water footprint of food products cultivated in different conditions. IWMI also expands the application of water accounting to support improvements in water productivity across scale, river basin planning and management, policy development and water-related investments.
IWMI finds agricultural water management transformations that account for current and future resource availability. Researchers combine data, processes and institutions for integrating surface water and ground water management, including in transboundary basins. Furthermore, IWMI ensures that governance and incentives for protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems strengthen equality and inclusion. By providing evidence and data analytics, it helps stakeholders make choices about agricultural water management, business models for farmer-led irrigation or reforms in large-scale irrigation schemes.
IWMI supports the development of sustainable water infrastructure, recognizing that there is a continuum between green (natural) and grey (built) infrastructure. Our teams work on global, landscape and individual infrastructure project levels to create integrated solutions that enhance synergies, reduce trade-offs and promote sustainable, inclusive growth. To support these efforts, IWMI conducts environmental flow assessments and develops knowledge on the hydrological impacts of restoration and applications to strengthen water security through wetland and watershed rehabilitation. Throughout its work, IWMI integrates ecosystem values, services and sustainability into water resource allocation and management practices and water infrastructure design and operations.
IWMI tackles the challenge of uncoordinated management of basins and aquifers by working to integrate data, sectors and governments to enhance decision-making and determine the optimal use for water, food and energy. It supports transboundary water management by managing data and knowledge from different countries in basins and aquifers, undertaking monitoring and strategic planning. It also examines climate change’s impact on basins and aquifers as well as develops context-specific mitigation and adaptation options.
Taking into account the context-specific needs of smallholder farmers in the Global South, IWMI’s research develops next-generation irrigation systems. These systems both modernize the existing infrastructure and support the agricultural sector’s movement towards climate-smart technology. IWMI also seeks to strengthen demand and supply linkages along the irrigation value chain, ensuring that these solutions are available to all farmers.
Ongoing food system inequalities and pressures on planetary boundaries requires a paradigm shift among agricultural research for development (AR4D) actors to produce effective innovation for sustainable environmental and social outcomes. Building on insights from Agricultural Innovation System literature and recognizing the influence of personal and systemic biases within AR4D, the following recommendations address upstream challenges, interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasize outcome-driven scaling, adaptive project implementation, and integrate critical considerations for social differentiation.
Empowerment / Social inclusion / Innovation scaling / Sustainable Development Goals / Agricultural innovation systems / Agricultural research for development Record No:H053821
Despite substantial contemporary research and a growing trend in exploring the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus, most research efforts have been invested in macro-level supply-side infrastructure and policies. However, prioritizing demand-side management policies can provide new opportunities and untapped potential for addressing interconnected resource challenges. Demand management inherently encompasses users’ consumption patterns, behaviors, socio-economic conditions, and choices, thereby necessitating active engagement and participation. Understanding household-level demands is fundamental to assess the demand for and consumption of water, energy, and food, as well as to inform policy decisions. In this context, our study investigated household consumption patterns within the interconnected WEF nexus, including daily practices such as cooking and washing, conservation measures, household governance, and their cross-cutting relationships with climate change. As a case study, we conducted our research in the Jabal Al Natheef neighborhood of Amman City, Jordan. Our findings reveal that households can propose and enact climate-friendly decisions. Significant gender-related differences were also observed in decisions made across WEF household practices. Additionally, households’ perspectives highlighted governance issues and revealed gaps in policy implementation along with the need for more inclusive decision-making processes. Our results underscore the importance of understanding household-level WEF nexus dynamics and daily practices in informing environmental policies, particularly those related to climate action. Such policies are best developed from the bottom-up by incorporating household insights, rather than relying solely on top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions.
Socioeconomic aspects / Gender / Climate change / Nexus approaches / Food security / Energy efficiency / Water use / Governance / Households / Policies / Inclusion Record No:H053755
Study Region: Three major irrigation oases in Uzbekistan (Bukhara, Samarkand and Kashkadarya)
Study focus: The study employs remote sensing to develop enhanced methodologies for quantifying water use in Central Asian irrigation oases from 2017 to 2022. By integrating earth observation data into a water balance approach, we quantify variables that are typically challenging to measure, such as groundwater overdraft and non-growing season water use for soil preparation. A key aspect of agricultural water management in the region is utilizing water from reservoirs. Here we introduce a novel approach that combines optical remote sensing with satellite laser altimetry to monitor the availability and use of active water storage in reservoirs.
New hydrological insights for the region: Results indicate that water from reservoir storage satisfies up to 14.9 % 2.2 % of the annual demand, but another 11.5 % 5.2 % are groundwater withdrawals. Our analysis indicates a necessary average annual reduction in groundwater extractions by at least 8.0 % 1.6 % for sustainability. Additionally, highly energy-intensive water pumping from Amu Darya River provides more than half of the water resources used in Bukhara and Kashkadarya, resulting in a significant carbon footprint of the region’s agricultural production. The detailed breakdown of water uses and irrigation water consumption by crop type informs efficient, sustainable water management, offering new opportunities for agricultural water accounting in Central Asian irrigation oases.
Remote sensing / Groundwater / Water balance / Oases / Water storage / Water demand / Integrated water resources management / Irrigation water / Agricultural water use Record No:H053754
