Agricultural Water Management

The field of agricultural water management covers irrigation and drainage as well as water management in rainfed agriculture. Worldwide, irrigated agriculture covers 18 percent of all cropland (about 277 million hectare), and is estimated to produce 40 percent of all crops. Rainfed agriculture covers 82 percent of the cropland, and produces 60 percent of the crops.

World Bank support for agricultural water management reached a high of $1.1 billion in FY10. This amounts to about a fifth of all lending commitments to the water sector, and to more than a quarter of the commitments to the agriculture, fishing and forestry sector rural development.

Recent concerns about, on the one hand, rising food prices and food security and, on the other hand, increasing water scarcity, climate change, and the high proportion of water used in agriculture are drawing attention to the urgent need to improve water management in both irrigated and rainfed agriculture.

More information on Agricultural Water Management can be found in the publication "Reengaging in Agricultural Water Management: Challenges and Options"

Publications on Agricultural Water Management