Irrigation has been and will continue to be an agricultural and rural investment priority. Development of the irrigation sector faces multiple challenges, including water scarcity and degradation, competition over shared resources, and the impact of climate change. Innovations are needed to address these challenges, as well as emerging needs, and to promote productive, equitable and sustainable water management. These guidelines, produced by an inter-agency team, highlight experiences and lessons learned from global irrigation investment operations. They introduce innovative approaches, tools and references, and provide practical guidance on how to incorporate or apply them at each stage of the investment project cycle. The guidelines will be a useful resource for national and international professionals involved in irrigation investment operations.

This evaluation assessed the extent to which FAO’s work has been relevant and effective in supporting its Members to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). Water resources management is central to any consideration of agricultural production, ecosystems sustainability, rural livelihoods and climate change adaptation and resilience, issues that lie at the heart of FAO’s mandate. The evaluation found that FAO has a comparative advantage in several key SDG 6 target areas and addressed needs and demands from Members in all SDG 6 target areas. Irrigated agriculture (target 6.4) represents an area of high demand from Members and a dominant theme in the reviewed case studies. Regional initiatives are effective in addressing specific needs and challenges of individual regions. FAO has performed well in its custodial role for SDG indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2. However, overall FAO’s strategic approach to water-related activities remains. The links between agriculture and water quality and pollution (target 6.3) were not adequately addressed. Despite limited evidence on full transformational changes, the evaluation highlights several activities and approaches that, if nurtured, could form the basis for transformational change.