The groundwater boom in Asia has increased the productivity of many farmers: but careful analysis is now needed to manage this sustainably. The groundwater potential for African farmers is huge and new research is seeking to identify the most cost effective opportunities. Photo: Graeme Williams/IWMI

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), with headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has been named the 2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate for their pioneering research that has served to improve agriculture water management, enhance food security, protect environmental health and alleviate poverty in developing countries.

This announcement was made on the UN World Water Day. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will present the prize at a Royal Award Ceremony during the 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm on August 30.

Seventy percent of global freshwater withdrawals are used in agriculture. With global food demand projected to double by mid-century, more food will need to be grown with less water. IWMI has been the driving force promoting policies and techniques to help farmers to produce ‘more crop per drop’, and to implement solutions that enable agriculture to cultivate enough food to feed the planet’s growing population with limited water resources.

In poor communities most water sources are used for a variety of activities.: Scientists are helping planners and policymakers better understand theseMultiple Use Systems. Photo: Tom van Cakenberghe/IWMIIn its citation, The Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee states: “The International Water Management Institute is the foremost organization in agricultural water management. Their work has led to new policies and investments in agriculture that have not only enabled more productive use of water, but have enhanced food security, economic development and environmental health around the world.”

On receiving the news, Dr. Colin Chartres, Director General of IWMI said: “It is an incredible honour for our organisation… The real winners, of course, are IWMI’s dedicated staff members who, for just over a quarter of a century, have consistently delivered research of the highest quality. This work has had a profound influence on water management policy throughout the globe, delivering real benefits for some of the poorest people on earth.”

 The ecosystems approach to water management: has yielded new insights on how to reconcile agricultural water use with a more sustainable environmental model. Photo: Tom van Cakenberghe/IWMILeading global knowledge and local solutions to address water scarcity

Over the past quarter century, IWMI has established its place as the definitive source for comprehensive data and knowledge on global water resources. From 2002-2007, IWMI led a team of 700 scientists to produce one of the most important research programs of water management ever conceived. The resulting publication, Water for Food, Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, established an unprecedented knowledge base on the status of global water and land resources, and is one of the most influential studies ever produced on water and agricultural policy.

2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate interview

International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is named as the 2012 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. IWMI's Director General, Dr. Colin Chartres is interviewed upon the announcement

By providing clear evidence of where and how water scarcity has increased and its impact on all sectors of the economy, the report’s findings have placed sustainable water resource management as a priority issue for governments, industries and international organizations around the world.

IWMI Staff Group picture

The institute’s extensive work with irrigation reform has led the way for new and improved design, operation and maintenance of irrigation systems throughout Asia and Africa.

Productive use of wastewater allows many to farm in urban settings.: Research has helped reduce the health risks and is looking for profitable new uses of urban runoff and sewage. Photo: Tom van Cakenberghe/IWMIIWMI has also helped shape the current international guidelines on how wastewater can be safely used in agriculture, a practice that is employed by tens of millions farmers worldwide. IWMI continues to lead new initiatives to establish business models to attract investments in wastewater reuse systems that can benefit rural communities in developing regions.

Mapping the world’s water resources

IWMI's advancements in the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis have dramatically improved our ability to measure the availability and efficiency of water use, and directly enables farmers across the world better manage agriculture water resources.

Good health depends on access to clean drinking water,: but researchers are also looking at how water management affects the prevalence of non-water borne diseases like malaria. Photo: David Brazier/IWMI

IWMI’s Water Data Portal, and its global maps on water scarcity, irrigation use, environmental flows, and drought patterns, are among the most important information source in the water science arena. Over 100,000 publications are downloaded from the IWMI website every month, and are widely read on leading digital repositories worldwide.

A vast repository of data has helped its scientists and partners: develop sophisticated models. These have been used to inform complex water management decisions and ensure that users get the quality and quantity of water they need. Photo: Timothy Syrota/IWMI

This work has also led to the creation of a water accounting system that can determine the amount of potentially usable water in a basin, assess where the water is going and calculate the actual cost per cubic meter. The tool is widely used by planners to identify where water can be saved, and how it can be used most effectively.

Bold vision for the future of agriculture

The 2011 publication, An Ecosystem Services Approach to Water and Food Security, led by IWMI and the United Nations Environment Programme, outlined how a new ‘ecosystems-based’ approach to agriculture can protect natural systems and potentially double agricultural production. The continued work in this area can radically change how agriculture is practiced in the future and ensure food security for a global population set to reach 9 billion by 2050.

As climate change takes hold,: water storage will become increasingly important for poor farmers. We need to assess the options and make recommendations on where new investment is needed. Photo: David Brazier/IWMI 

About the International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

90% of agriculture in Africa is rainfed.: Finding out how its productivity could be improved will benefit some of the world's poorest farmers. Photo: David Brazier/IWMIFounded in 1984, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a nonprofit, scientific research organisation focusing on the sustainable use of land and water resources in agriculture, to benefit poor people in developing countries. IWMI’s mission is “to improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment.” The Institute has its headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with regional offices across Asia and Africa. IWMI is a CGIAR Consortium Research Centre and works in partnership with developing countries, international and national research institutes, universities and other organizations to develop tools and technologies that contribute to poverty reduction as well as food and livelihood security.

Improving food hygiene and safety in the urban fast food sector in Ghana

Improving food safety in Africa where vegetables are irrigated with polluted water. This video was produced by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and its partners as a training and awareness video for the street food sector.

About the Stockholm Water Prize

The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute to an individual, organization or institution for outstanding water-related achievements. The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives USD 150,000 and a crystal sculpture specially designed and created by Orrefors.

Founders of the Stockholm Water Prize are Swedish and international companies in collaboration with the City of Stockholm. They are: Bacardi, Borealis & Borouge, DuPont, ERV, Fujitsu, Grundfos, Hewlett Packard, Kemira, KPMG Sweden, Ragn-Sells, Scandic, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Siemens AG, SJ (Swedish Railways), Snecma/Safran, Uponor, Water Environment Federation, Xylem and Ålandsbanken Sverige. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize.

This news is from Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) 22 March 2012.