Monitoring and evaluating (M&E) the poverty impact of agricultural water investments may allow some conclusions about returns on different types of investments and their contributions to poverty reduction. This paper recommends the following: involve beneficiaries early in the M&E process --...

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...

Enterprises use credit to acquire productivity-enhancing assets. Rural enterprises in developing economies, however, often lack access to the credit they need. Key reasons for this lack of access include the low level and scattered nature of economic activity in rural areas, the enterprises'...

This Note outlines a larger report describing the changing context of demand and supply for agricultural water. It identifies the policy, institutional, and incentive reform options that will accelerate improvements in productivity and pro-poor growth in this sector. It articulates priorities...

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...

The agricultural sector, and in particular plant breeding, is one area where this flexibility of intellectual property rights (IPR) is quite broad. This note argues that policymakers need to pay close attention to the role that IPRs can play in agricultural development by providing incentives...

No silver bullet exists to improve cost recovery or water use efficiency of irrigation systems. However, many countries provide examples of successful reforms that policymakers and system managers can draw upon for inspiration and ideas. A successful system will have the appropriate mix of...