India's National River Linking Project (NRLP), which has been on the drawing board for some three decades, is the largest inter-basin water transfer planned to date in India or elsewhere. The idea has waxed and waned depending upon the political dispensation at any given point in time. Under the Challenge Program for Water and Food, IWMI undertook a broad strategic exploration of the basic idea of NRLP and its assumptions. This Highlight examines few contentious issues of the NRLP that received considerable attention in the national discourse.

Ethiopian economy predominantly depends on rain-fed agriculture. The sector is anticipated to support the whole economy and to change its structure. However, the country is highly affected by drought and millions of people are left without sustenance frequently. As an option, small scale irrigation schemes are important to reduce vulnerability and increase productivity. In this aspect, it is important to consider the implication of gender in irrigation crop farming under small scale scheme.

CGIAR-CPWF Project “International Training and Research Program on

Groundwater Governance in Asia: Theory and Practice” was designed and

implemented by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) to address the

deficiencies in human capacity of managing groundwater in the two large basins of

the world- the Indus-Gangetic basin and the Yellow River basin. The basic premise of

the project was that proper groundwater management needs to be built on informed

knowledge of professionals from the region, with emphasis on inter-disciplinary

Irrigation has a large potential to increase agricultural output and yield per unit area. However, the long term sustainability increased production, together with degradation of the soils (and associated water bodies) in irrigated areas may be irreparably damaged by inappropriate watering schedules. In Ethiopia, surface and groundwater irrigation has been promoted intensively throughout the country. While many projects focus on individual or scheme level water access, very little is known about the sustainability of irrigation in Ethiopia.

Examines the concept of water efficiency, the impact of water recycling and implications for water management. Distinguishes between "wet" and "dry" water savings, and explores opportunities for creating "wet" savings-savings that make more water available for use in a basin.