Tackling water challenges in agriculture offers a significant opportunity to enhance both operational efficiency and long-term resilience. Effective deployment of digital technologies fosters smarter water management, assisting farmers in minimizing waste, enhancing yields and adjusting to shifting climate conditions. To unlock their full potential, stakeholders should collaborate on implementing strategies that integrate policy support, infrastructure development and investment, and farmer-centred innovation. These strategies rely on four implementation levers: Build a robust data ecosystem –Digital water solutions in agriculture rely on precise, real-time and compatible data gathered from various sources such as IoT sensors, satellite imagery, weather forecasts and on-farm inputs. –Implementing standardized data-sharing platforms and edge computing technologies in rural regions will enable farmers and decision- makers to respond quickly to water availability, irrigation strategies and drought threats. –Broadening access to hydrological datasets will significantly improve predictive analytics for sustainable water management. Lever 2 Bridge the connectivity gap –Digital water solutions depend on high-speed connectivity and dependable infrastructure; however, rural agricultural regions frequently encounter restricted broadband access and ageing water systems. –The development of low-power IoT networks, satellite connectivity and cloud-based platforms will allow a greater number of farms to utilize real-time monitoring, precision irrigation and remote sensing technologies. –Collaborations between public and private sectors will help finance scalable connectivity solutions to address this digital gap. Lever 3 Empower farmers with digital upskilling and financial access –The effectiveness of digital solutions in water management relies significantly on the willingness of farmers to adopt these technologies. –Providing farmers with practical training, digital literacy initiatives and AI-driven advisory tools will encourage them to incorporate precision irrigation, rainwater harvesting and predictive analytics into their everyday practices. –Financial incentives such as water credit systems, micro-financing options for IoT devices and pay-as-you-go irrigation schemes will help smallholder farmers overcome financial barriers and facilitate broader adoption. Lever 4 Strengthen policies & partnerships –Governments, agribusinesses and research institutions must collaborate to develop supportive policy frameworks for the adoption of digital solutions. –Key actions include promoting climate-smart agricultural practices, incorporating water efficiency metrics into agricultural policies and setting regional benchmarks for water usage. –Enhancing collaborations among multiple stakeholders throughout the food supply chain will encourage investment in scalable digital innovations. 3Conclusion Targeted stakeholder engagement accelerates digital transformation and drives measurable results in water-smart agriculture. Lever 1 Harnessing Digital Technologies for Smarter Water Management in Agriculture 27

Harnessing Digital Technologies for Smarter Water Management in Agriculture 2025