Scaling Climate-Smart Water Solutions: IWMI’s Innovation Bundles and Pathways to Impact under CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact Initiative

As climate variability, water stress, and food insecurity intensify across agrifood systems, innovation alone is no longer enough—scaling innovation equitably and sustainably is now the imperative. Under the CGIAR Scaling for Impact (S4I) Initiative, Action Area of Work 2 (AoW2) focuses on unlocking and scaling climate-smart water innovations—from precision irrigation and circular economy models to landscape-scale planning and institutional transformation. 

At the heart of this effort is the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), leading efforts across 14 countries in Africa and Asia to co-design and scale bundled innovations that respond to pressing challenges such as water scarcity, degraded landscapes, and unsustainable irrigation practices. In line with its scaling principles, IWMI’s approach prioritizes demand-responsive solutions, multi-stakeholder engagement, and adaptive learning systems that ensure relevance, uptake, and long-term sustainability. 

Pathways to Scale: From Innovation to Transformation 

IWMI’s work under AoW2 is built around three innovation bundles, each representing an integrated set of solutions tailored to different scales and entry points for system change. 

 Innovation Bundle 1: Solar Irrigation and Farm-Level Water Solutions 

IWMI is supporting the co-development of solar-powered irrigation technologies, groundwater monitoring systems, and farmer-led irrigation development (FLID) strategies. These interventions aim to lower energy costs, expand water access, and empower smallholder farmers through inclusive service delivery models. 

Key examples include: 

• Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya: Designing solar irrigation bundles with flexible ownership and service models to suit local agri-entrepreneurs and cooperatives. 

• Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi: Integrating solar pump sizing tools with groundwater governance frameworks and decision-support dashboards for soil and water conservation (SWC). 

• Nepal: Piloting volumetric water allocation models for more equitable and efficient use in large irrigation schemes. 

• Bangladesh, India: Implementing impact sprints, on-grid solar pilots, and data-driven groundwater tools to support smallholder productivity. 

These farm-level innovations demonstrate how bundled technologies—when aligned with local demand and market systems—can drive inclusive scaling and transform irrigation practices at scale. 

Innovation Bundle 2: Landscape-Scale Soil and Water Management 

Beyond individual farms, IWMI is promoting innovations that support the management of entire watersheds and agro-ecological landscapes. This includes tools for landscape governance, adaptive planning, and water accounting that help countries optimize resource use under growing climate pressure. 

Current scaling efforts include: 

• Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi: Delivering innovation ecosystem assessments and synthesis reports that map enabling conditions for landscape-wide adoption of SWC and water-smart practices. 

• Bangladesh: Developing seasonally adaptive irrigation advisory services using real-time and spatial data. 

• Uzbekistan, Egypt, Morocco: Operationalizing water accounting tools and interactive dashboards that inform national and subnational planning and investment. 

IWMI’s landscape-scale work integrates technical innovation with institutional diagnostics, ensuring that policy coherence, governance capacity, and investment flows support sustainable scaling. 

Innovation Bundle 3: Water-Related Circular Economy Solutions 

To address the dual challenges of water scarcity and environmental degradation, IWMI is scaling circular economy approaches that enable water reuse, waste recovery, and resource efficiency across food and water systems. 

Ongoing initiatives include: 

• Morocco and Egypt: Co-developing cost-benefit methodologies to support national water reuse strategies and piloting safe, efficient reuse models. 

• Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi: Assessing innovation ecosystems to design viable business models and policy incentives for circular solutions. 

These efforts contribute not only to climate adaptation and resource recovery, but also to green job creation and environmental sustainability—making circular water innovations central to just transitions. 

What’s Next: Scaling with Systems Thinking and Partnerships 

IWMI’s approach to scaling goes beyond deploying technologies -it focuses on embedding innovations within systems that sustain long-term impact. This involves engaging users and institutions from the outset, adapting solutions in real-world contexts, strengthening enabling environments through policy and finance, and leveraging partnerships to scale both horizontally and vertically. 

Grounded in local co-creation, evidence-based policy support, and adaptive learning, IWMI’s work under AoW2 aligns with national priorities and complements other CGIAR initiatives on climate resilience. In 2025, IWMI is intensifying efforts in 14 countries actively integrating water innovations into national strategies. With innovation bundles as the entry point and systems change as the goal, IWMI is helping scale what works -sustainably, inclusively, and urgently.