Building a Water Secure Future: A Catalogue of World Bank Group Knowledge Products

Product Overview

Farmer-Led Irrigation Development (FLID) is an approach where farmers, individually or in groups, take the lead to develop, expand, or improve irrigation. The World Bank’s FLID Guide helps governments and practitioners design and implement policies, investments, and partnerships that enable farmer-driven irrigation, offering practical tools to diagnose barriers, identify catalytic interventions, and scale inclusive, market-based irrigation development. Additional resources—such as annual reflection notes and videos—raise awareness and share lessons from the field.

Why This Matters

FLID addresses the persistent barriers that prevent smallholder farmers from investing in and expanding irrigation on their own, such as high upfront costs, lack of access to finance, limited technical support, and weak market linkages. While some entrepreneurial farmers already innovate and profitably adopt irrigation, most remain excluded due to these systemic constraints. FLID supports governments in their role as facilitators, connecting farmers with banks, aggregators, equipment suppliers, and service providers, to scale irrigation and overcome these barriers. By catalyzing farmers’ own initiatives and de-risking private investment, FLID promotes inclusive, climate-resilient growth, accelerates responsible irrigation expansion, and strengthens food security and rural livelihoods.

Key Highlights/Impact

• Expanding Access and Private Sector Participation

Micro-scale irrigation programs have broadened access to technologies and mobilized private sector investment, lowering costs and improving services for smallholders.

⁃Uganda: The Micro-scale Irrigation Program, supported by the IrriTrack App, expanded registered suppliers from 17 to 65 and enabled 2,800 installations in 2 years by mid-2024, tripling competition for supply tenders.

⁃India (Uttar Pradesh): Private sector participation grew from 37 to 83 firms, with 274,000 farmers registered and 210,000 ha covered by March 2024. Over 350 systems are installed daily through digitized management.

• Enhancing Productivity and Climate Resilience

Programs enabled year-round production, higher yields, and climate resilience.

⁃ Ethiopia: The Food Systems Resilience Program targets 40,000 ha of small-scale irrigation (15,000 rehabilitated, 10,000 new, 15,000 micro-irrigation).

⁃ Rwanda: Hillside irrigation increased yields during the dry season and raised profits by up to 90%.

⁃ Indonesia: A forthcoming FLID project will develop 1,300 pumping stations and assess methane and CO₂ emission impacts with support of the Global Methane Reduction Platform for Development (CH4D).

• Promoting Inclusion and Gender Equity

Targeted efforts improved participation of women and marginalized groups.

⁃ Uganda: Women accounted for 21% of installations (versus 32% land ownership). Training and co-signatory requirements promoted equitable access.

• Strengthening Institutions and Policies

Programs enhanced institutional capacity and policy frameworks for sustainable irrigation.

⁃ Kenya: The National Irrigation Sector Investment Program (2025) provides the first harmonized national roadmap, embedding decentralized, private-sector irrigation supported by Results-Based Financing and digital tools.

⁃ Ethiopia: A new irrigation investment strategy builds on FLID and PPP lessons to guide future scaling. 

Key Contacts

• Gabriella Izzi, Senior Irrigation Specialist, gizzi@worldbank.org

• Regassa Ensermu Namara, Senior Water Specialist, rnamara@worldbank.org

• Ruyi Li, ET Consultant, rli10@worldbank.org

Product Overview

The Irrigation Operator of the Future (iOF) is a toolkit and a process that helps irrigation operators identify priority problems and practical solutions. The iOF uses a step-by-step facilitated approach that starts with a self-assessment to uncover core problems and their root causes. This is followed by a visioning exercise to identify actionable goals, and leading to the development of two plans: a short-term (100-day) and a long-term strategic action plan. The iOF enables operators to address technical, financial, and organizational challenges and has been piloted in settings like Kenya’s Perkerra irrigation scheme (serving 1,100 hectares and 1,600 farmers, 30% women), and Kosovo’s Radoniqi-Dukagjini irrigation company (covering 5,100 hectares of irrigated land). Other pilot countries include Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Further development of the iOF toolkit and process is underway to incorporate lessons learned and improve practical application.

Why This Matters

Irrigation operators globally are under pressure to perform better amid growing resource scarcity and uncertainty. Poor performance is driven by limited capacity, dwindling finances, and declining infrastructure conditions. Irrigation operators need to identify best-fit solutions to a wide range of challenges to deliver sustainable and efficient services and respond to dynamic challenges ahead. 

Key Highlights/Impact

• Participatory problem-solving helps identify practical, feasible solutions

⁃ Kenya: After acknowledging water shortages at the field level as a key challenge, stakeholders identified institutional and organizational challenges at the Irrigation Water User Association level as one of the underlying challenges.

⁃ Kosovo: Stakeholders voiced the negative impact of limited finances on the effective operation and management of the scheme and identified low billing and collection rates as one of the underlying causes driving this challenge.

• Collaborative action planning ensures short- and long-term priorities are clear.

⁃ Kenya: Stakeholders included concrete actions to respond to the institutional and organizational challenges at the Irrigation Water User Association level to address water shortages experienced by farmers in the field. This included amending the by-laws and enforcement committee and establishing a dispute resolution committee.

⁃ Kosovo: Stakeholders included concrete actions to address the low billing and collection rates to improve the financial sustainability of scheme operation and maintenance. This includes strengthening and accelerating the communication with clients and investing in software to update billing and collection management practices.

• Inclusive processes build momentum and ownership for lasting change.

⁃ Kenya: The iOF process gave people direction and clarity on the actions they can take with their current means in the short term and with additional means in the long term. As of 2025, the National Irrigation Authority estimated that around 80 percent of the action plan was implemented successfully and is planning to utilize the iOF to improve and expand another 32,000 hectares under the second pillar of Kenya’s National Irrigation Sector Investment Program.

⁃ Kosovo: The iOF process strengthened cooperation between the irrigation company and the three municipalities covered by their services and provided an entry point for working towards a bankable lending project.

• Fostering Global Knowledge Sharing and Partnerships- The iOF Community of Practice, launched in 2023, has advanced technical guidance, hosted global events, and built partnerships to strengthen policy and institutional frameworks for water-scarce regions. 

Key Contacts

• Amal Talbi, Lead Water Specialist, atalbi@worldbank.org

• IJsbrand de Jong, Lead Water Resources Management Specialist, idejong@worldbank.org

• Pieter Waalewijn, Lead Water Resources Management Specialist, pwaalewijn@worldbank.org

• Francois Onimus, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, fonimus@worldbank.org

• Lucy Banisch, Consultant, lbanisch@worldbank.org

Product Overview

Water Accounting and Hydro Informatics focuses on developing data-driven platforms, tools, and applications that transform diverse water, climate, and infrastructure data into actionable analytics for improved water management. It provides technical expertise, data integration, and institutional support to optimize water resource use, foster collaboration, and guide strategic investments.

Activities include developing and piloting fit-for-purpose monitoring tools (e.g., Irrigation Scan, remote-sensing-based water accounting) and creating country-level water informatics dashboards that combine in-situ and satellite data to deliver real-time insights on key water metrics such as precipitation, evapotranspiration, vegetation growth, and climate impacts.

Why This Matters

Water Accounting and Hydro Informatics addresses rising water scarcity, fragmented and poorly integrated data systems, and limited institutional capacity to use data effectively. Many regions face challenges in accessing, analyzing, and applying hydrological information to guide decisions. By linking remote sensing, hydrological modeling, and user-friendly interfaces, the initiative bridges the gap between raw data and practical decision-support, helping shift to evidence-based water management.

Key Highlights/Impacts

The hydro-Informatics portfolio brings together advanced digital and analytical tools that are now deployed in more than 30 countries across 7 regions. These platforms enable accurate multi-scale monitoring of water resources, optimize irrigation investments for greater efficiency, strengthen climate resilience for smallholder farmers, and integrate diverse datasets for holistic water management. These platforms help governments and partners turn complex hydrological and climate data into actionable insights that guide sustainable investments and policies.

In addition, the team provides water accounting for basin-level systematic and quantitative assessment of water supply, demand, accessibility, and use, offering a framework to improve transparency, guide equitable allocation, resolve competing demands, and support sustainable water governance and investment decisions.

Harnessing the power of remote sensing and Earth observation technologies, our tools span a comprehensive suite—including Water Accounting, Irrigation Performance Benchmarking, Water Informatics Dashboards, Smallholder Irrigation Tools, Water Harvesting Planning, Water Storage Monitoring, and Integrated River Basin Management Platforms. 

The portfolio operates across four focus areas:

1.Water Accounting & Resource Assessment: Enables real-time water balance monitoring and strategic planning through operational platforms in India (IWAP), Afghanistan (AWID), and the global portal (global.waterinag.org).

2.Irrigation Performance & Investment Prioritization: Automates performance benchmarking and investment targeting through tools active in India (EQIPA), Kenya, Nigeria, Georgia, Burundi, and Armenia.

3.Water Productivity & Agricultural Resilience: Enhances agricultural output and climate adaptation via platforms in Kenya (KWID, Water Tower Mapping), Ethiopia (Irrigation Atlas, Smallholder Tools), and Burundi (Climate Resilience Dashboards).

4.Institutional Capacity & Data Integration: Strengthens national water information systems, integrates multi-source data, and supports advanced analytics through tools such as India’s GEE-based crop and water storage monitoring systems. 

Key Contacts

• Poolad Karimi, Senior Irrigation Specialist, pkarimi@worldbank.org

• Willibroad Gabila Buma, ET Consultant, wbuma@worldbank.org

• Abdur Rahim Safi, ET Consultant, asafi2@worldbank.org

• Ruyi Li, ET Consultant, rli10@worldbank.org

Product Overview

The Handbook for Scaling Irrigation Systems, developed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), provides a comprehensive framework for expanding small-scale irrigation (SSI) systems in developing countries. It outlines technical, financial, and operational strategies to enhance productivity, sustainability, and inclusivity in irrigation. The handbook emphasizes participatory approaches, asset management planning (AMP), and innovative financing models to support smallholder farmers and improve agricultural livelihoods. Why This Matters

Smallholder farmers represent the majority of agricultural households globally, yet they often lack access to reliable irrigation. SSI systems offer a cost-effective, manageable solution that can significantly improve crop yields, food security, and climate resilience. Traditional large-scale irrigation systems are expensive and difficult to maintain, especially in remote or fragile contexts. The handbook addresses these challenges by promoting decentralized, inclusive, and sustainable irrigation models tailored to local needs and capacities.

IFC’s Role

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), as part of the World Bank Group, plays a pivotal role in supporting the expansion of small-scale irrigation (SSI) systems by leveraging its investment and advisory capabilities. IFC focuses on enabling private sector engagement in agriculture, particularly through agribusinesses that source from smallholder farmers and financial intermediaries that extend access to finance. IFC’s contributions include investment and advisory support, promotion of irrigation as a key input , development of financing models, collaboration with IFAD and support for food system transformation. Through these efforts, IFC helps create enabling environments for irrigation expansion, support innovative business models, and foster inclusive agricultural growth in water-stressed regions.

Key Highlights/Impact

• SSI systems can yield higher returns than large-scale irrigation with lower investment and maintenance costs.

• AMP provides a structured mechanism for assessing infrastructure condition and planning investments over time.

• Participatory approaches involving farmers in design and operation enhance system sustainability and ownership.

• Innovative financing models, including green and blended finance, improve access to irrigation for smallholders.

• SSI supports environmental sustainability by reducing land degradation and promoting efficient water use.

• Case studies from Ethiopia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nepal, and India demonstrate successful implementation of SSI systems.

• Future outlook includes integration of ICT, gender equity, and climate-smart practices to broaden impact. 

Key Contacts

• Richard Colback, Industry Specialist, Irrgation, IFC (rcolback@ifc.org)

• Raul Munoz Castillo, Lead Global Technical Specialist, International Fund for Agricultural Development r.munozcastillo@ifad.org