Food security

To address food insecurity and inequitable access to water resources, we work on innovative approaches that enable the rural poor to store, access and use water for productive purposes.  We also focus on improving water productivity and efficiency in irrigated agriculture, which is the largest consumer of fresh water, and we research and develop innovative engineering and governance solutions, for example tools based on remote sensing. Remote sensing data, especially when combined with validation on the ground, can inform researchers, decision-makers, and water users so that they can achieve better yields with less water. In this way, tools that enable the study of trends in water supply, demand, accessibility and use – that is, water accounting - enhance solutions for better balanced water availability and consumption.

Less conventional water sources, such as alluvial aquifers, saline water and wastewater, are becoming increasingly important and together with partners, we co-create and disseminate knowledge about these. Enhancing the access and use of these resources can make a crucial difference in food production in water scarce regions. For example, wastewater reuse in agriculture has many benefits in regions such as the Middle East, where groundwater is over-abstracted and desalination is too costly. Treating and using this water in a responsible and safe manner requires a holistic approach, that also carefully considers impacts on human health and the environment.

Our research and education programmes also cover different ways to finance, manage and operate irrigation. These range from large commercial enterprises, to government-funded collective irrigation schemes and farmer-led irrigation, in which farmers invest in and operate their farms. These modes of investment, types of technology and actors involved all affect irrigation performance and sustainability under different political and socioeconomic conditions.

IHE Delft works with governments, knowledge institutions and other partners to develop and implement solutions that make a lasting impact on the productive use of water for crop production in an ecologically and socially sustainable manner. Our expertise includes irrigation and civil engineering, water productivity and water accounting, agronomy, water resources engineering and management, rural development and sustainability, farmer-led irrigation and remote sensing for agricultural water management.