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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kalyani Raghunathan

Kalyani Raghunathan is Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, based in New Delhi, India. Her research lies at the intersection of agriculture, gender, social protection, and public health and nutrition, with a specific focus on South Asia and Africa. 

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Natural Resources and Resilience

Claudia Ringler

Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR)

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Claudia Ringler

Bio

Claudia Ringler is the Unit Director for Natural Resources and Resilience in the Transformation Strategies Department. She coordinates research at the intersection of nature, agriculture, and development for tangible progress toward more equitable and resilient food systems. As co-lead of the CGIAR NEXUS Gains initiative, she drives research on the role of energy in transforming food and water systems and on climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as water and other natural resource interventions for increased equity and resilience.

Claudia has more than 200 publications in the areas of water and food security and equity in climate resilience, irrigation, and energy systems, developed in collaboration with partners across Africa and Asia. In 2021, she was awarded honorary life memberships by both the International Water Resources Association and the International Association of Agricultural Economics for her lifelong contributions to the fields of water resources economics and agricultural economics, respectively.

Claudia received a PhD in agricultural economics from the Center of Development Research, University of Bonn, and an MA in international development economics from Yale University.

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Publications

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Working Paper

Irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s Awash River Basin: An examination of physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures

2024Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework; Yimam, Seid; Arega, Tiruwork; Alemu, Tekie; Gonfa, Kidist H.; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s Awash River Basin: An examination of physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures

Using a representative sample of irrigation schemes, the study documents the physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures of irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s most intensively used river basin, the Awash. The findings show that about 20 percent of the equipped area of irrigation schemes in the basin is not being irrigated, while the number of actual beneficiaries on average exceeds the number of planned beneficiaries. The results also show significant knowledge gaps among irrigation scheme managers, extension agents, and leaders of water users’ associations (WUAs): 96 percent of them do not know the total water withdrawals or the irrigation water requirement per season. About 14 percent of the surveyed irrigation schemes have neither traditional water committees nor WUAs, and only 21 percent are organized in legally registered WUAs despite a substantial number of identified benefits of these organizations. Moreover, only 58 out of 489 irrigation schemes have women committee members. Many schemes lack a clear strategy for covering maintenance costs: almost 40 percent of schemes collect contributions from members only when the system fails, while 17 percent report no contributions for maintenance at all suggesting considerable risk of system deterioration and failure. The results challenge some of the assumptions about irrigation infrastructure in Ethiopia and confirm and quantify other assumptions in the literature.

Year published

2024

Authors

Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework; Yimam, Seid; Arega, Tiruwork; Alemu, Tekie; Gonfa, Kidist H.; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Mekonnen, Dawit K.; Yimam, Seid; Arega, Tiruwork; Alemu, Tekie; Gonfa, Kidist H.; and Ringler, Claudia. 2024. Irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s Awash River Basin: An examination of physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2287. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Ethiopia

Keywords

Africa; Irrigation Schemes; Infrastructure; Awash River; River Basins; Advisory Officers; Water User Associations; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

Toward integrated dam assessment: Evaluating multi-dimensional impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Sudan

2024Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab; Ringler, Claudia
Details

Toward integrated dam assessment: Evaluating multi-dimensional impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Sudan

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile is expected to influence many ecosystem services, such as flood regulation, hydro-electricity production, food supply, and habitat provision, among others. Understanding these impacts (positive and negative) requires a comprehensive evaluation framework. This study develops and applies an integrated simulation framework for assessing the impacts of the GERD on Sudan, focusing on the simultaneous economywide effects of riverine flood hazards, irrigation water supply, hydropower generation, and floodplain-dependent industries, namely traditional fired clay brick production. The simulation framework incorporates three models: a river infrastructure system model, a flood model, and a Computable General Equilibrium Model. Results indicate positive impacts for hydropower generation and flood control, marginal benefits for water supply to existing irrigation, and negative consequences for brick production and the construction sector. Assuming that the GERD starts its long-term operation in 2025, we find an overall positive economic impact on Sudan’s Gross Domestic Product in 2025, with an increase of up to just over 0.1%, subject to river flow conditions. Recognizing the differences in impacts across sectors and income groups, the study emphasizes the need for interventions that ameliorate negative effects. While the study captures several impacts, other effects on the environment, recession agriculture, and soil fertility require further investigation. Still, our findings underscore the importance of adopting an integrated simulation approach to dam evaluation, acknowledging the interconnected nature of water and related sectors in national economies.

Year published

2024

Authors

Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab; Ringler, Claudia

Citation

Basheer, Mohammed; Siddig, Khalid; Elnour, Zuhal; Ahmed, Mosab; and Ringler, Claudia. 2024. Toward integrated dam assessment: Evaluating multi-dimensional impacts of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on Sudan. Environmental Research Letters 19(10): 104067. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad7744

Country/Region

Ethiopia; Sudan

Keywords

Africa; Northern Africa; Eastern Africa; Dams; Evaluation; Flood Control; Hydroelectric Power Generation; Impact Assessment

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad7744 Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda

2024Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Birner, Regina
Details

How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda

While video extension is a recognized means to overcome the challenges posed by traditional agricultural advisory services, adoption has been limited. This paper presents two case studies conducted in Kenya and Uganda that explore the potential of video extension for promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. In Kenya, videos were rolled out by GROOTS Kenya, which predominantly serves women farmers. In Uganda, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries’ Agricultural Extension Services implemented the video rollout, focusing on both women and men farmers. We used qualitative research linked to both video rollouts to understand the benefits and challenges linked to the intervention. We also compared the implementation strategies used in the two countries to evaluate the suitability of videos as a “best fit” advisory provision tool. Both women and men farmers enjoyed watching the videos. They improved farmers’ access to information, resulting in increased knowledge and adoption of CSA practices. Costs involved in some practices affected their adoption as did lack of intrahousehold decision-making power, particularly for women. In some cases, infrastructural challenges complicated the video showings. The findings underscore the importance of complementing traditional agricultural extension with interactive and context-specific video content without replacing and neglecting other modes of extension, as well as the need for political support to ensure the scalability and long-term success of video extension initiatives.

Year published

2024

Authors

Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Birner, Regina

Citation

Aladesuru, Damilola T.; Kasule, James B.; Bosch, Christine; Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; and Birner, Regina. 2024. How do videos fit into current agricultural advisory services? Lessons from Kenya and Uganda. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2276. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152283

Country/Region

Kenya; Uganda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Agricultural Extension; Climate-smart Agriculture; Decision Making; Farmers; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

Blogs

Groundwater conservation and food security: Navigating pathways to sustainable agriculture
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 15, 2024

Groundwater conservation and food security: Navigating pathways to sustainable agriculture

By Vartika Singh and Claudia Ringler

Tradeoffs must be carefully managed.

To improve Africa’s soil health and plant nutrition, empower women farmers
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 06, 2024

To improve Africa’s soil health and plant nutrition, empower women farmers

By Claudia Ringler and Cargele Masso

A contintental summit offers an important opportunity.

World Water Day 2024: Invest in women for peace and water security
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 21, 2024

World Water Day 2024: Invest in women for peace and water security

By Claudia Ringler

Addressing global crises through a gender lens.

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Events

Building More Inclusive and Natural Resource-Secure Food Futures
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

December 12, 2024, 10:30 – 12:00 pm

Building More Inclusive and Natural Resource-Secure Food Futures

Also streaming on Please type your questions into the chat box with name, affiliation, and country. The event video, presenter slides, and podcast will be available in the days following the event. Throughout her career, Ruth Meinzen-Dick has made pathbreaking contributions to natural resource management and gender equity, drawing from her deep engagement with communities […]

Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan
Series/Special Event

 | 

September 10, 2024, 9:30 – 11:30 am

Agronomy and Policy Solutions for Effective Implementation of the African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan

CGIAR is pleased to support our regional and national partners in their implementation of the action plan emerging from the May 2024 African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Summit. As the seventh policy seminar in the CGIAR series on Strengthening Food Systems Resilience, this event will examine the outcomes of the AFSH Summit and consider […]

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]

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News

June 14, 2024 | Press Release

New study emphasizes tradeoffs between arresting groundwater depletion and food security

A new study published today in Nature Sustainability, reaffirms the world’s growing dependence on depleting groundwater systems.

December 12, 2023 | Press Release

Re-imagining Africa’s food security within the context of climate change and ecological sustainability

This press-release was initially published by WWF on December 12, 2023.  WWF, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IFPRI, CGIAR, and AfDB have released a new report to help African countries to achieve food security and implement climate and nature commitments. The report is based on a joint study, executed with the technical support […]

July 19, 2023 | In the News

Indonesia’s cassava push leaves bitter taste in Borneo rainforest (Context/Reuters) 

Although Indonesia has enough food to feed its people, it lacks variety beyond rice and tastes are changing as the country becomes wealthier, writes Context (by Thompson Reuters Foundation) in a piece on agricultural production of cassava in light of environmental needs and climate change.  About half the world’s population depends on rice as a […]

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