Water, growth and inclusion

The global water crisis is no longer a distant threat: it is here, disrupting economies, destabilizing societies and exacerbating inequalities. More than 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed regions, and by 2050, demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 40%. Climate change, poor governance, resource mismanagement and systemic inequalities mean that access to water remains deeply uneven. Women and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected, often bearing the brunt of water scarcity, contamination, and conflicts over dwindling resources. Without urgent, strategic intervention, these challenges will escalate water-related economic losses, displace populations, and undermine global development efforts. 

To address these growing risks, IWMI integrates science, policy, and practice to drive equitable, resilient, and sustainable water management solutions. Recognizing that water is both an economic driver and a fundamental human right, our researchers work across food systems, urban development, industrial growth, and ecosystem sustainability to ensure that water serves as a catalyst for inclusive development. 

IWMI is the only interdisciplinary, internationally located water research institute working at the nexus of food systems, climate and growth. Our work on growth and water brings together theoretical and methodological advances in understanding with practical implementation of solutions on the ground, driven through partnerships with governments, civil society and the private sector. Through this approach, IWMI is shaping a future where water security is a foundation for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity.

Our research in action

Using economic analysis and impact assessments, agribusiness acceleration methods, business models, adoption studies, behavioral economics and water valuation studies, IWMI evaluates how different water innovations, policies and investments impact economic resilience, job creation and poverty reduction. By developing financial mechanisms, innovative water pricing models, and investment frameworks, IWMI helps governments and businesses make informed decisions that maximize both economic and social benefits. 

IWMI uses political economy analysis, policy coherence, institutional diagnostics, and stakeholder mapping to improve regulatory frameworks and identify water governance gaps that lead to inefficient and inequitable water management. Its research informs adaptive water governance models that increase transparency, accountability, and multi-stakeholder participation, ensuring that water allocation and management serve the needs of both people and the economy. 

Through systems thinking, geospatial modeling and multi-sectoral partnerships, IWMI supports transitions towards sustainable water management that minimize waste and maximize long-term benefits. Traditional water management models often lead to over-extraction, pollution, and inefficiencies. IWMI promotes integrated circular economy transformations: nutrient and energy recovery innovations, safe water reuse and recycling in agriculture, alternative proteins and insect-based innovations, circular bioeconomy business models, and other solutions that enhance resource efficiency.  

IWMI’s work on gender equality and social inclusion applies intersectional analysis and participatory research methods to understand and challenge systemic barriers. Water insecurity is deeply tied to social structure, with women and marginalized groups disproportionately affected by water access inequalities. By co-developing inclusive policies and governance frameworks, IWMI promotes water justice and empowers underrepresented voices in decision-making processes. 

Latest publications on this topic

From waste to value: key insights and lessons learned from biogas initiatives in the Global South.
2025
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Biogas technology offers a promising pathway for circular bioeconomy transitions in the Global South by turning organic waste into clean energy and nutrient-rich byproducts. Through anaerobic digestion, this approach supports climate mitigation, reduces environmental pollution, and enhances energy access and rural livelihoods. However, large-scale implementation remains limited due to complex barriers spanning political, financial, social, and technical dimensions. Drawing on case studies from Asia and Africa, this report identifies key drivers of successful biogas programs—including strong policy support, financing mechanisms, market development, and community engagement—while underscoring challenges such as fragmented governance, high upfront costs, and low public acceptance. Overcoming these requires integrated strategies that promote enabling environments, capacity building, standardization, and investment readiness. Scaling biogas technologies in low- and middle-income countries can catalyze sustainable development by aligning climate action with inclusive waste management and renewable energy.

Global South / Socioeconomic aspects / Awareness-raising / Capacity development / Community involvement / Innovation / Legal frameworks / Partnerships / Governance / Investment / Fiscal policies / Incentives / Financial analysis / Supply chains / Markets / Circular bioeconomy / Climate change mitigation / Greenhouse gases / Renewable energy / Strategies / Barriers / Regulations / Standardization / Guidelines / Technology / Biogas / Waste management / Reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H053703

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A toolkit for social transformation analysis (STA) in development planning.
2025
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The toolkit aims to integrate social transformation analysis (STA) into development planning processes. It would enable policymakers, development practitioners, and other stakeholders to better understand and act on context-specific dynamics as well as transformations arising from development interventions and other societal processes by providing a structured framework and set of guidelines.

Governance / Indicators / Stakeholders / Policies / Development planning / Toolkits / Transformation / Social analysis
Record No:H053401

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Empowering change: trained development practitioners’ attitudes toward integrating social transformation analysis in planning. [Policy Brief of the Resilience Against Climate Change - Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) project].
2025
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Savannahs / Knowledge sharing / Political aspects / Policies / Communities / Economic growth / Climate change / Development plans / Analysis / Transformation / Attitudes / Empowerment
Record No:H053526

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Creating an enabling environment for agricultural innovation in emerging markets.
2025
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Market is the structure for the development and delivery of innovations that are able to address environmental, societal, and economic challenges. The lack of enabling conditions for market development has resulted in low investment levels and economic stagnation, impacting livelihoods in Africa. Although there have been efforts to implement market-driven reforms, challenges such as inadequate policies, weak legal frameworks, transparency issues and bureaucratic inefficiencies pose significant risks for public and private investments and for their potential to reach the target beneficiaries. This situation also discourages development partners and businesses from investing in the region.Technical assistance is crucial to improve the investment climate. This paper presents a framework to help governments create a more conducive environment for agricultural market development and the private sector to navigate through the existing challenges. Traditional technical assistance practices have faced criticism for adopting a one-size-fits-all approach that overlooks local contexts. Recently, however, there has been a shift towards more context-based and adaptive assistance, which informs this framework. This framework emphasizes key elements that contribute to an enabling environment, including institutions, such as policies, regulations, and legal frameworks, as well as clear market and regulatory information that help reduce transaction costs. The framework is theoretically based on new institutional economics and political economy approaches. It focuses on assistance in three areas with three categories of delivery partners: policy support to governments, institutional capacity strengthening (especially of National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems) and (agri)business acceleration support to small- and medium-scale enterprises. Through such assistance, this framework seeks to help create an enabling environment for the delivery of innovations that offer solutions to emerging climate, societal and economic crises. These solutions, especially those developed and scaled by the private sector, are targeted toward recipients such as farmers (including women and the youth), marginalized groups, displaced communities, refugees and migrants. The framework utilizes value chain and market development as the primary delivery structures. This framework has guided several recent enabling environment assistance practices under CGIAR’s International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This paper explores these practices and positions CGIAR as a strong technical assistance partner. While this framework offers a systematic approach to analyzing the enabling environment, the technical assistance driven by this framework promotes collaboration and co-creation. It actively engages governments, national research and extension offices, farmers and other stakeholders in influencing policies and business transaction advisories that directly benefit them. Furthermor

Poverty alleviation / Food security / Capacity development / Stakeholders / Youth / Women / Farmers / Livelihoods / Governance / Institutional reform / Investment / Climate-smart agriculture / Inclusive growth / Value chains / Small and medium enterprises / Agribusiness / Private sector / Regulations / Policies / Government / Development aid / Technical aid / Frameworks / Markets / Agricultural innovation
Record No:H053736

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