Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute

💧 More than 85% of Nebraskans rely on groundwater for drinking water, making it one of our state's most valuable resources. Protecting groundwater starts with understanding it.

Through the Nebraska Water Center's Know Your Well program, students, educators and well owners are learning more about the water beneath their feet through water quality testing, hands-on education and community partnerships.

Learn how this program is helping build awareness, encourage well testing and inspire the next generation of Nebraska water stewards: https://ow.ly/AoPT50ZaEIz

For decades, large-scale water projects have been seen as the path to growth and food security.

But what if they come at a cost?

In Niger, a billion-dollar dam project remains incomplete after years of investment—while smaller, more flexible solutions like small-scale irrigation could have delivered faster, broader benefits.

In the final installment of our series exploring the myths of smallholder irrigation, this blog by Dr. Douglas Merrey explores the tradeoffs of large projects and what they mean for development decisions: https://ow.ly/er4u50Z7IhA

In many Sub-Saharan African countries, less than 5% of renewable groundwater is used. Yet, irrigation development is often approached with extreme caution due to concerns of water scarcity.

What if the bigger risk isn’t overuse—but underinvestment?

As part of our series exploring the myths of smallholder irrigation, this blog discusses the tradeoffs between water sustainability, food production and economic growth: https://ow.ly/TbS550Z2L31

A brief published by researchers at DWFI and the National Drought Mitigation Center highlights the complex intersection water law, resource management and agricultural development across Tribal lands in the United States. Read more: https://ow.ly/eJfk50Z1SHr

Global collaboration continues to be essential to advancing practical water and food solutions. Nebraska Water Center Director Chittaranjan Ray and Senior Program Manager Jude Cobbing were recently in India, presenting at an international symposium, strengthening research partnerships, delivering training courses and learning from agricultural innovations on small- and medium-sized commercial farms.

In the latest issue of Irrigation Today, DWFI senior program manager Renata Rimšaitė makes the case that crop diversification is an important strategy for water risk management and economic resilience. "Crop diversity can help reduce irrigation demand or spread it more evenly over time, decreasing water pressure during critical periods,” writes Rimšaitė. "This can be especially important when wells decline, water quotas are reduced or pumping costs rise.”

However, she also says that transitioning to new crops requires new knowledge, equipment and marketing relationships, as well as policy frameworks, insurance programs and lending structures. Therefore, policy, technology and markets must evolve together to make adoption genuinely feasible for producers working on tight margins.

Read the article:

Crop diversity as an economic water strategy Economist Renata Rimšaitė examines how crop diversification can reduce irrigation risk and stabilize farm income, while noting the real barriers growers face in making the switch.

Join DWFI Water, Climate and Health's Jesse Bell and Summer Woolsey on May 21 for the National Academy of Medicine's Climate and Health Learning Collaborative webinar.

Their session will cover integrating climate and health into medical education, engaging public health and medical students in applied work, and advancing drought preparedness and health communication for healthcare providers and public health departments.

Their session will cover integrating climate and health into medical education, engaging public health and medical students in applied work, and advancing drought preparedness and health communication for healthcare providers and public health departments.

Register here: https://nam.edu/event/northern-great-plains-learning-collaborative/

For more than 20 years, Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day has helped students learn about healthy eating and physical activity, often with limited resources.

At a workshop hosted by DWFI’s Water, Climate and Health Program, which brought together leaders across agriculture, water, nutrition and health, a single conversation helped secure five years of funding to expand the program’s reach to thousands of Nebraska students.

It’s a powerful example of how bringing the right people together can turn ideas into action, and deliver lasting benefits for communities.

🔗 Read more: https://ow.ly/avov50YRlBu

Small-scale irrigation is too expensive, so subsidies are the solution.

That’s the common thinking. But the reality is more complex.

Across multiple countries, barriers like limited water access, lack of information, and weak supply chains often matter just as much—if not more—than cost.

Focusing only on price risks missing what actually enables farmers to adopt and succeed.

Read more: https://ow.ly/WN2350YW7g1