by Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Ahmad Salahuddin, Gio Karlo Evangelista, Manoranjan Mondal
On World Water Day 2025, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) highlights the critical need for research-driven solutions in rice farming to optimize water use. As the global population rises and freshwater resources become increasingly scarce, investing in water-efficient technologies is one of the most essential interventions for sustaining rice production. IRRI has been at the forefront of this mission, developing and implementing innovative water-efficient solutions.
Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, providing a vital source of nutrition and livelihoods for billions. However, rice cultivation is also one of the most water-intensive agricultural activities, consuming up to one-third of the world’s freshwater resources.
Freshwater is in crisis. Agriculture consumes nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater, and 40% is used for rice cultivation (FAO 2016). With more than 3 billion people depending on rice as a dietary staple, ensuring food security while managing water resources sustainably has become a global priority.
On top of the growing consumer numbers, issues like inefficient irrigation practices, unsustainable water allocations, and climate change threaten freshwater availability. This generally puts agricultural productivity and ecosystems at risk. Rapid urbanization and industrial expansion further exacerbate water stress, particularly in regions where competing demands for water are intensifying.
Different regions face distinct challenges in managing water for rice farming. In South and Southeast Asia, heavy reliance on monsoon rains and excessive groundwater extraction, particularly in India and Bangladesh, has led to severe depletion. In contrast, unpredictable monsoon patterns disrupt planting cycles. In Africa, limited irrigation infrastructure forces farmers to depend on rain-fed systems, making rice production highly vulnerable to droughts and climate variability. IRRI is addressing these challenges through its region-specific R&D initiatives, water-saving innovations, and resilient farming practices to secure sustainable rice production.
Innovative Water-Saving Technologies in Rice Farming
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) has been widely adopted as a water-saving technique for decades. It allows rice fields to dry intermittently rather than remain continuously flooded. The practice reduces water use by up to 30% and methane emissions by up to 48% without impacting yield. Rice farmers in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam have field-tested and validated AWD. AWD is particularly crucial for the Barind area of Bangladesh, where groundwater depletion is a serious challenge. Given the region’s low water availability, AWD is essential for sustainable groundwater management, helping farmers optimize water use without compromising productivity. During the 2023-2024 dry season, AWD implementation led to a 20% reduction in water use, a 16% decrease in pumping time, and a 6% increase in yield. Additionally, it helped lower irrigation costs, reduce methane emissions, and decrease Global Warming Potential (GWP), contributing to Bangladesh’s climate resilience goals. Scaling up AWD adoption can significantly improve agricultural sustainability, ensuring long-term water security while enhancing productivity and farmer profitability. AWD is also a strong proponent for carbon financing and carbon trading, allowing countries to benefit from the global carbon market.
Similarly, another solution, Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR), eliminates the need for flooded fields during seedling establishment, significantly reducing water use while improving soil health and lowering labor costs. These innovations are particularly relevant for farmers in water-scarce regions, where traditional rice farming methods are no longer viable. In comparison to puddled transplanted rice (PTR), mechanized and precision DSR provides multifaceted benefits to the farmers, including increment in productivity, water management (25-30 percent), reducing drudgery (40%), and global warming potential reduction (32-44 percent).
IRRI is proactively working on scaling DSR in the Indian subcontinent in partnerships with National Agricultural Research & Extension partners and stakeholders. Recent findings suggest that the adoption of agronomic practices such as drip irrigation in conservation agriculture (CA)-based DSR systems (DSR fb zero-till maize/ zero-till wheat) results in 15% higher grain yield with 70% irrigation water savings.
IRRI and the Philippines Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) have developed AutoMonPH, an IoT-based decision support tool designed to improve water governance over gravity-based irrigation systems to enhance irrigation efficiency. This system allows for real-time monitoring, better stakeholder coordination, and optimized water allocation, ensuring that available resources are used more efficiently. From 2017 to 2020, 178 AutomonPh sensors were tested and evaluated using the field and landscape systems across different regions among 1709 farmers.
Additionally, IRRI has expanded its research into groundwater monitoring systems, leveraging its experience in Nepal to explore sustainable groundwater use for dry-season irrigation in the Philippines.
Water challenges vary across different agroecosystems, requiring tailored approaches. As climate change alters rainfall patterns, IRRI is developing drought-tolerant and flood-tolerant rice varieties to help farmers adapt to extreme weather conditions. These climate-resilient rice strains enable farmers to sustain yields even in regions prone to erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, or flooding.
The Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP) initiative, implemented in Vietnam and Bangladesh, equips agricultural extension agents and farmers with data-driven tools to manage water resources more effectively in the face of climate change.
The growing demand for water necessitates a collaborative approach to ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. Governments, businesses, researchers, and farmers must collaborate to scale up water-efficient technologies and promote policies that ensure equitable water distribution. As climate change accelerates, the urgency for research, innovation, and policy-driven solutions has never been greater.
IRRI also promotes water management strategies by mobilizing water user groups for effective water management at the field level. It is crucial for reducing irrigation water use and improving water productivity in rice farming. Proper field design and land gradient adjustments by adopting laser land labeling technologies help direct water flow efficiently, minimizing waste. Land leveling ensures even water distribution across the field, reducing excessive water use. Micro-irrigation techniques further optimize water use by delivering precise amounts directly to the crop root zone.
The Cluster Farmer Field School (CFFS) model, is a climate-smart and nature-based water management approach designed to optimize sluice gate operations in coastal polder ecosystems. By implementing this model in multiple locations, IRRI, in collaboration with NARES and NGOs, has improved land productivity through better water management. This integrated approach has enhanced agricultural productivity, reduced crop failure risks, and increased income for farming communities while promoting better community-level water governance through the involvement of farmers and Water Management Organization (WMO) members across various polders.
Additionally, improved crop management strategies, such as adjusting planting calendars to minimize evaporation losses, applying mulch, and harnessing residual soil moisture, contribute to enhanced water efficiency in rice farming.
A Call for Collective Action
The challenges of water scarcity in rice farming demand a collaborative approach. Governments, businesses, researchers, and farmers must collaborate to scale up water-efficient technologies and ensure fair water allocation policies. As climate change accelerates, investing in research, innovation, and policy-driven solutions is no longer optional, it is imperative.
On this World Water Day, IRRI remains committed to reshaping the future of rice farming through science-driven, water-efficient solutions. By embracing sustainable water use practices, advanced technologies, and climate-smart policies, we can achieve global food security and freshwater sustainability for generations.
