The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is contributing water-focused artificial intelligence expertise to a new UAE-led AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, launched in December 2025 in partnership with the Gates Foundation. IWMI’s involvement is delivered through the CGIAR AI Hub, where the institute is working alongside technology partners, including Microsoft, to advance AI-enabled tools for agriculture and water resilience.
The UAE initiative brings together four flagship efforts — IA|AI, the CGIAR AI Hub, AgriLLM and AIM for Scale — designed to accelerate the development and uptake of AI solutions that address food, water and climate challenges. Within this framework, IWMI is applying its scientific expertise to ensure AI tools respond to on-the-ground water realities, particularly in climate-vulnerable and data-scarce regions.
New technologies and AI can and will be gamechangers in the management of water and water risks
“Bringing together AI and scientific research is no longer optional if we are going to overcome looming challenges in food systems and water security. It’s how we can close persistent data gaps, understand climate risks in real time and help countries make smarter decisions,” said IWMI Director General Mark Smith. “New technologies and AI can and will be gamechangers in the management of water and water risks in agriculture and food systems.”
Among the contributions emerging from the CGIAR AI Hub is IWMI’s Global Hydrological Foundation Model, which integrates near-real-time global datasets with hydrological modelling to enable scalable and locally relevant forecasting. Building on earlier digital twin initiatives, the approach aims to reduce technical barriers and strengthen farmer resilience.
IWMI is also advancing the Limpopo Water Copilot, an AI-powered decision-support tool linked to a digital twin of the Limpopo River Basin, designed to translate complex water and climate data into accessible insights for managers and communities.
“For farmers on the frontlines of climate change, access to timely and usable information can make the difference between a good season and a failed one,” said Rachael McDonnell, deputy director general for research development at IWMI. “By using AI to translate complicated climate and water data into practical, locally relevant insights, we are helping bridge the gap between science and decision-making on the ground.”
Together, these efforts position IWMI’s AI-enabled water solutions as a key component of the UAE ecosystem’s ambition to convert global research into practical tools that support climate-smart agriculture worldwide.
