Smallholder irrigated horticulture has proven to be a viable and attractive option for poor farmers in developing countries. This paper relates two important lessons learned: low-cost productive technologies must be available to smallholders in terms of both location and price and must...

Of the projected 1 billion growth in global population by 2015, 88 percent will take place in cities, nearly all of it in developing countries. Investments in urban water supply and sewerage coverage are rising. However, adequate treatment for agricultural reuse with acceptable risk mitigation...

Improved water management practices and trade in "virtual water" can help alleviate water scarcity, release water for more efficient uses, increase productivity, and ultimately reduce food prices for consumers. Investments in these areas can therefore drive growth and poverty reduction, both...

Drought is a normal part of climate for virtually every country. This paper notes that in response, a risk-based management approach is more cost effective because it emphasizes improved monitoring and early warning systems; development of strong decision-support systems; identification and...

This Note is based on the report, "Shaping the Future of Water for Agriculture: A Sourcebook for Investment in Agricultural Water Management," which presents a range of solutions and good practices from World Bank and worldwide experience are documented to meet the challenges of agricultural...

Conjunctive water use refers to simultaneous use of surface water and groundwater to meet crop demand. This Note concludes that to optimize conjunctive use of water, the best way forward is to concentrate on capacity building of irrigation system managers to improve system management and reshape...

Scientists are confident of a link between greenhouse gas emissions, the increasing concentration of those gases in the atmosphere, and climate change. However, the final impacts from climate change are difficult to estimate, since we have no direct experience with new climates. Past climate...