International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

What if some of the most valuable water data didn’t come from conventional sources, but from communities themselves? 💧

This is exactly what the project is exploring.

⚡Led by IWMI, in partnership with Imperial College London and funded by Schmidt Sciences, the project explores how local knowledge and other non-conventional data sources can strengthen hydrological modelling and global water reanalysis.

From 25–27 March 2026, Mabel Kumah, Water Data Analytics Researcher at IWMI conducted a field visit across selected districts along the White Volta Basin in Upper East Region of Ghana, engaging with citizen science activities led by the White Volta Basin Secretariat (WVBS) of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and partners.

The field visit showed:
📊 Community-led monitoring is working. Citizen scientists are consistently tracking rainfall and groundwater, building a reliable, locally driven data system critical for water-dependent livelihoods.

At the same time, several challenges emerged:
⚠️Limited spatial and temporal coverage
⚠️Manual data transfer causing delays, higher costs, and errors.

These findings are helping to shape the next phase of the work. Priority actions include:
💥Expanding monitoring to other communities to improve spatial coverage
💥Including reservoirs and rivers for more comprehensive data collection
💥Prioritizing key wells, reservoirs, and rivers, while exploring digital tools for real-time data sharing
💥Deepening community engagement, especially among youth

Key takeaway: Locally driven data systems work—but need the right support to scale and deliver lasting impact. 🌟

Are we truly aligning research with real stakeholder demand or just responding to assumptions? 🔎

From 13–15 April 2026, IWMI hosted the CGIAR Demand Intelligence Platform (DIP) Planning Workshop in Ghana. This workshop convened teams from IWMI, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and IRRI to strengthen how stakeholder demand informs action across CGIAR priorities on water, food and environmental systems.

Over 3 days, participants worked to:
• Align the team on the strategic role of the CGIAR-DIP in informing reprioritization
• Refine the platform’s design, architecture and integration approach
• Define a 2026 delivery pathway for collaboration and implementation

💡The outcome is a clearer framework, stronger integration across programs, and an action plan to help ensure CGIAR research is more responsive, targeted and impactful.

🌐Advancing demand intelligence is not just about better systems. It is about making research more closely connected to real needs and real-world decision-making.

CGIAR Scaling for Impact

A decade of partnership, innovation, and impact in Nepal.🌱

Over the past 10 years (2014–2024), CGIAR Centers have worked hand in hand with government agencies, research institutions, private sector actors, and farming communities to strengthen agriculture, livestock systems, water management, and climate resilience across the country.

This report captures how research and collaboration have supported Nepal’s journey toward more sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems.

Explore the full story 👉 on.cgiar.org/4stLlNW

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) | ILRI | IRRI

Climate-resilient cocoa production in Ghana depends on securing water and maintaining soil moisture. Solar-powered groundwater irrigation has been introduced by government and private sector actors as a promising solution. However, high upfront costs, limited access to institutional finance, and uncertainties around borehole drilling continue to limit farmer adoption.

To better understand these challenges, we conducted a study with 550 cocoa farmers across seven regions using a discrete choice experiment. The findings show that investment decisions are mainly influenced by:
💰 Access to long-term loans that make investments more feasible
👩‍🌾 Opportunities to reduce costs through group ownership
🛠️ Greater certainty and reduced risks in borehole drilling

These factors shape whether farmers invest in sustainable irrigation solutions. Want to explore what these findings suggest? 👉 on.cgiar.org/48npj8a

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | CGIAR

Down to Earth features International Water Management Institute (IWMI)’s Mohammad Faiz Alam, highlighting the need to move beyond counting what is constructed to measuring what truly replenishes the country’s aquifers. 💧

👉 on.cgiar.org/4sAH5wc

Join us for a walk along the edge of Chhatiwan Lake in Nepal and explore the intricate connections that sustain life, pointing toward a more integrated approach to managing natural resources. 🌿💧

Let's go: on.cgiar.org/4dB6hPi

Oxfam | Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete

📢

Pakistan has launched its first National Drought Action Plan, marking a shift from reactive crisis response to proactive drought risk management. The plan aims to tackle climate-induced water stress and build resilience.

Read more in Pakistan Today: on.cgiar.org/3Qpru4S

🌱 In January 2024, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Cirad - La recherche agronomique pour le développement set out to understand what farmers could not see, what was happening beneath the soil’s surface. Across eight villages, researchers collected and analyzed soil samples, studying everything from microbial diversity to chemical composition.

⚠️ What they found was concerning.
The soils were predominantly sandy, highly acidic, and critically low in carbon. In tropical climates, sandy soils lose carbon rapidly without regular organic inputs, triggering a chain reaction of invisible degradation. Soil compaction sets in, plant growth slows, and the very foundation of a healthy ecosystem begins to weaken.

🔍 This was not just data. It was a wake-up call.
From that moment, the focus shifted from diagnosis to action. IWMI and CIRAD began identifying sustainable, nature-based, and low-cost solutions to restore soil fertility. The aim was to move beyond mono-cropping, strengthen local soil knowledge, and introduce practical agroecological approaches tailored for farmers in Lao PDR.

How are we progressing? 👉 on.cgiar.org/4t1arVb

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in collaboration with Dungeshwor Rural Municipality, Local Adaptation for Climate Change, and Geologian tutkimuskeskus (GTK), organized a two-day training workshop in Nepal to strengthen local capacity for spring revival and restoration.

The program combined theory and hands-on learning, starting with key concepts on spring systems, revival approaches, and monitoring methods, followed by practical field exercises. A group of 11 young citizen scientists - 7 women and 4 men - took part in the workshop, representing local government, academia, and community stakeholders. Participants explored practical tools, data collection techniques, and proven restoration practices from Nepal and the broader Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

This training marks an important step toward building local expertise, enabling participants to transfer knowledge and support spring restoration efforts across municipalities in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, helping strengthen climate resilience where it matters the most.

🌱 Dawn.com reports from Bangladesh’s farm belt, where solar-powered irrigation pumps are helping farmers:
💡 Cut diesel use
💰 Reduce irrigation costs
⚡ Earn extra income by selling surplus electricity back to the grid
👉 on.cgiar.org/4thAwQl

💧 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a calculator for the economy of water?

In a country like Pakistan, where water is life, food security, and even part of national identity, every drop counts. But how do we know the real cost of a drought, a flood, or giving an extra unit of water to a city instead of a farm?

Enter the Hydro-Economic Decision Support System (DSS), a virtual tool that shows the economic impact of water decisions across the entire economy.

Developed by CGIAR NEXUS Gains Initiative and led by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in collaboration with Pakistan Institute of Development Economics-PIDE, it helps policymakers see the true value of water and the cost of poor management.

🌱 With insights from this “water calculator,” governments can plan smarter, balance competing demands, and secure livelihoods, food, and growth for the future.

👉 on.cgiar.org/3PUb18N

CGIAR Policy Innovations