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From
Scaling for Impact Program
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Published on
21.08.25
By Eisen Bernard Bernardo
Drought and extreme heat are threatening the livelihoods of poor farmers around the world, who often rely on rain-fed agriculture. A potential solution is climate-resilient irrigation, a game-changing practice that helps farmers produce more crops with less water, even in the face of erratic rainfall. This sustainable approach can boost agricultural productivity, strengthen economies, and potentially feed 1.4 billion more people by 2050, making it essential for a growing global population.
In a special article published by the World Bank, Transforming Lives Through Climate-Resilient Irrigation: Game Changers for a Livable Planet, one of the highlights is the success story of the Viet Nam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VNSAT) Project. The International Rice Research Institute, through the VNSAT Project, addressed the issues of climate change adaptation and mitigation by equipping over 156,000 rice-farming households with climate-smart practices.
IRRI deployed high-tech methane-tracking technology on 40 farms in Can Tho to help farmers reduce emissions. Through the use of sensors and a smartphone app, farmers can now employ the “Alternate Wetting and Drying” technique to optimize water use, which has resulted in a reduction of 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions.
Encouraged by the project’s success, the Vietnamese government is now expanding these sustainable farming practices to the 1-Million Hectare High Quality and Low Emission Rice (1mHa) Program. Since its launch in late 2023, CGIAR Initiatives like the Asian Mega-Deltas and Excellence in Agronomy have supported the program by providing technical inputs, developing national technical guidelines for the 1mHa Program, and organizing events to strengthen knowledge exchange, demonstrate innovations, and build collaboration among key stakeholders.
The work is currently being continued by the new Scaling for Impact Science Program (S4I), together with the Sustainable Farming Science Program and the MKCF-funded RiceEco, USDA Fertilize Right, and World Bank-funded MOM-P projects. S4I is supporting efforts to scale up the project by providing technical advisory in Vietnam through innovations in precision DSR (Direct Seeding Rice) and nutrient management. The program is also utilizing digital tools, including the e-extension platform and EasyFarm, while engaging in policy formulation and developing MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) systems that create incentives for these sustainable practices.
Check the full story here: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2024/06/04/climate-resilient-irrigation-game-changers
