IFAD Asia

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Sri Lanka’s irrigation systems comprise up to 30,000 interconnected tanks. How can satellite data help restore them? In #SriLanka, satellite observations helped identify and monitor water bodies, supporting restoration efforts and improving water availability. These tanks, or reservoirs, require regular upkeep to maintain their overall functionality. The IFAD-funded Smallholder Agribusiness and Resilience Project (SARP) aims to restore 260 of them. To support tank restoration, IFAD, SARP and ESA’s Global Development Assistance (GDA) Programme mapped the presence, extent and dynamics of water bodies across the SARP project area. Monthly satellite-derived maps identified over 10,650 water bodies. The hydrological signature derived for each tank enables local authorities and communities to analyse historic tank usage and prioritize tanks for restoration. ESA’s Global Development Assistance (@esa_gda_) Programme supports international financial institutions such as IFAD in leveraging Earth observation data for their operations. Read the technical note at ifad.org/en/w/publications/w… @esa | @ESA_EarthOnline | #FinancingTheFirstMile

Between 2018 and 2025, IFAD-cofinanced programmes reached more than 450,000 rural people, improving their productivity, assets and incomes, according to a report by IFAD’s Independent Office of Evaluation. The findings were discussed at a national workshop that brought together representatives of the government, development partners, the private sector and Indigenous Peoples, marking 30 years of partnership between IFAD and Cambodia. “Learning from experience is essential to directing investment where it can make the greatest difference and ensuring that the benefits endure,” said Reehana Raza, IFAD Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “As we mark 30 years of partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia, we are looking ahead to how our cooperation can respond to the changing needs of rural people.” The evaluation assessed seven investment projects between 2018 and 2025, worth a total of US$948.6 million, including US$338.2 million in IFAD financing. According to the report, integrated support combining agricultural extension, irrigation, inputs, productive assets, farmer organizations and finance generated strong productivity and diversification gains. These findings offer important lessons for future investments, helping to strengthen rural livelihoods, expand economic opportunities and ensure that development gains endure. Read more at ifad.org/en/w/news/ifad-inve… #FinancingTheFirstMile

On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the evidence points to a clear connection: rural economies are central to poverty reduction, food security and economic stability. In rural areas, small-scale farmers produce nearly half of the world’s food and underpin local and national economies. IFAD invests in their ability to access finance, markets, infrastructure and climate-resilient resources to raise incomes and better withstand shocks. The results are measurable. In recent impact assessments, IFAD-supported participants saw incomes rise by 34%, production by 35% and market access by 34%. These gains are particularly relevant in fragile or conflict-affected situations and areas exposed to climate extremes, where more than 50% of IFAD project participants live. In these contexts, IFAD-supported investments have delivered average income and production gains of around 30%. IFAD’s work in these settings also addresses drivers of fragility and instability, contributing to reduced conflict risk and forced migration alongside income and production gains. For IFAD, financing the first mile of development means directing resources, partnerships and opportunities to rural communities – where investments support livelihoods, food systems and long-term economic resilience. Read more at ifad14.ifad.org #EndPovertyDay #FinancingTheFirstMile

Food is never just food: in rural areas, it can become an engine for economic growth. On #WorldFoodDay, IFAD looks at how investment in the first mile of food value chains can strengthen rural economies, expand market access and raise incomes for small-scale producers. IFAD’s investments in food systems address the interconnected elements that shape how food moves from production to consumption – people, processes, infrastructure, institutions and natural resources. By supporting productivity, post-harvest handling, local value addition and market connectivity, these investments help producers capture a greater share of the value they generate. The results are visible at scale. Over the past three years, IFAD-supported programmes have helped 49 million people increase their incomes, 39 million improve their access to markets and 40 million raise production. Every US$1 in donor contributions translates into US$6 of investment on the ground through core contributions, loan reflows, investment income, borrowing and co-financing. In Meghalaya, India, a US$200,000 IFAD investment in machinery and cold storage is helping a local cooperative process pineapple and other produce into higher-value products. By connecting farmers to wider markets and reducing post-harvest losses, the investment has helped raise farmer earnings from INR 2–3 to as much as INR 12 per pineapple. Read more at ifad14.ifad.org #FinancingTheFirstMile