The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a non-profit, scientific research organization focusing on the sustainable use of water and land resources in developing countries. IWMI works in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural water management solutions that have a real impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with regional offices across Asia and Africa, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center and leads the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).

1. IWMI in Action
An overview of IWMI’s work

2. About IWMI
Mission: Provide evidence-based solutions to
sustainably manage water and land resources for
food security, people’s livelihoods and the
environment
Vision: A water-secure world
Core values: Excellence, objectivity, integrity,
knowledge sharing, impact orientation, partnerships
and teamwork, and respect for diversity

3. • Think tank conducting research to generative
innovative solutions
• Provider of science-based products and tools
• Facilitator of learning to strengthen capacity and
achieve uptake of research findings
Our multiple roles in research for
development

4. Our focus on global challenges
IWMI’s strategic programs build an evidence base
for new approaches that address key water-
related development challenges:
– Building Resilience
– Sustainable Growth
– Rural-Urban Linkages

5. BUILDING RESILIENCE
IWMI´s strategic program on building resilience works
with partners to devise research-based solutions:
• Improved water management technologies and
practices
• New options for climate-smart agriculture
• Decision-support tools for responding to flood and
drought
Water solutions to manage risk and variability

6. Why does resilience matter?

7. SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
• Knowledge, tools and methods for future
scenario and trends analysis
• Water innovations for agriculture and
agribusiness
• Options for achieving inclusive and gender-
sensitive outcomes
Water management for transforming economies

8. Sustainable growth for whom?

9. RURAL-URBAN LINKAGES
• Technologies and decision-support tools for better
investments, policies and capacities
• Innovative business models and technologies for
resource recovery and reuse
• Options for enhancing human and ecological health
Water, food and waste innovations for urbanizing landscapes

10. Why the rural-urban continuum?

11. Putting knowledge to work
Our researchers work across sectors and disciplines to deliver new knowledge, policy advice and
capacity development.

12. Agricultural water
Developing water and land
management solutions that
improve production and lessen the
risks for rainfed agriculture, while
enhancing irrigated production
and identifying options for more
“intelligent” resource use.

13. Groundwater
Identifying policy and
management solutions through
new partnerships and
innovative field research that
promote sustainable use of this
resource and help reduce
conflicts over water quantity
and quality.

14. Water risks
Using advanced geo-spatial
tools to devise cost-effective
measures (such as flood and
drought warning systems and
index-based crop insurance)
that reduce the economic
impacts of stresses and shocks.

15. Water futures
Supporting resource planning at
different scales through the
development of advanced
methods and tools, which
enable stakeholders to address
competing demands for water,
food and energy, while
improving the management of
natural capital.

16. Water innovation
Fostering measures such as
commercialization through
agribusiness that help generate
youth employment in emerging
economies; assessing and
promoting technology
adoption; and helping mitigate
the environmental
consequences of economic
growth.

17. Governance and gender
Identifying institutional and
policy measures that offer
inclusive access to water and
other resources, with special
emphasis on gender equality in
changing rural economies.

18. Resource recovery
Analyzing technical, institutional
and business options for the
recovery of water, nutrients and
energy from human and
agricultural waste to reduce
pollution and lower the costs of
treatment, while increasing its
benefits.

19. Water and health
Addressing risks posed by
unsustainable urbanization and
agricultural intensification
through innovations such as
safe use of marginal quality
water to produce and process
higher quality food, with
emphasis on urban and peri-
urban agriculture.

20. Where IWMI works

21. Thank you
IWMI is a CGIAR center focused on research for development. CGIAR is a global
research partnership for a food-secure future. Its work is carried out by 15 research
centers in collaboration with hundreds of partners across the globe.