International Water Management Institute (IWMI) news

People in refugee settlements often live alongside local communities that are already coping with limited resources. These settlements are often in dry land and environments that face erratic rainfall, poor soil and low vegetation cover - presenting their own fragility as ecological areas. When displaced families arrive, they draw on the same land, water and energy. As 

Kenya’s irrigation sector stands at a pivotal moment. Climate pressures such as droughts and floods are intensifying, national development ambitions are expanding,and the demand for more reliable water access is growing across countries. To meet these challenges, the government has set out the National Irrigation Sector Investment Plan (NISIP) as its roadmap to expand irrigated land, strengthen water governance and uplift rural economies.

As development actors globally grapple with how to move beyond fragmented pilots toward impact at scale, CGIAR has begun piloting a new country-level planning mechanism: Country Strategy Frameworks (CSFs). These strategic frameworks are intended to consolidate research, partnerships and investments around nationally owned priorities.

Nepal is one of three countries globally, where this approach is being piloted. The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is acting as the lead

Agriculture is more than an economic sector in Ethiopia — it is the lifeline of the country. More than 15 million smallholder farmers produce close to 95% of the country’s agricultural output. Their work sustains national food security, supports rural incomes and contributes significantly to economic stability.

However, these farmers work against increasingly unforgiving odds. They work with minimal resources,

Mukhiya Fish Farms, located in Sahidnagar Municipality in Madhesh Province, Nepal, is in many ways a historical institution. Run by husband-wife duo Kanhaiya and Manju Devi Mukhiya, the farm was established nearly 40 years ago by Boyalal Mukhiya, Kanhaiya’s late father and a pioneering fish farmer.

In the early days, Kanaiya’s father practiced general fish farming. One day, the head of the fisheries development center, noticing his proactive nature, suggested he enter the

On one corner of my desk at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) office in Egypt sits a tiny succulent. It is a pretty plant with wide green leaves, and to most, it is just a splash of life on a busy desk filled with water models and data analytics. But for me, it has become a laboratory for testing smart irrigation ideas on a miniature scale.

Like many others who lack green thumbs, I once watered my plant whenever I remembered. Sometimes too much, leaving the soil sogg

The International Water Management Institute’s (IWMI) Inga Jacobs-Mata, Director of Water, Growth and Inclusion, was recognized by the World Food Prize Foundation as one of 2025’s Top Agri-Food Pioneers (TAP). Jacobs-Mata was among 39 innovators from across the world working to transform food systems acknowledged in honor of the Foundation’s 39th anniversary. 

Jacobs-Mata received the award during the 

Agriculture is quietly transforming across rural India — and women are at its heart. As men migrate in search of work due to climate stress, shrinking farm returns and industrial jobs, women are stepping in to manage farms, livestock and households. This feminization of agriculture has been unfolding for years yet remains largely invisible in policy and undercou

Agriculture is the largest water user worldwide, in terms of both blue and green water — blue water being the water in rivers, lakes and groundwater — and green soil water formed by precipitation and available to plants. Global demand for water for all uses is expected to rise by 20-30% by 2050. With global demand for food and feed growing, the agricultural demand for water will continue to increase. Concurrently, water

Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing source of food, projected to create as many as 22 million new jobs by 2050. In Myanmar, the stakes are especially high. Fish already supply about 60% of the country’s animal protein