Kenya pushes data-driven irrigation agenda at World Water Week 2026

Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding climate-resilient irrigation and strengthening water resources management through the use of reliable data and digital technologies.

Secretary for Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management Joel Tanui said investment in irrigation and water infrastructure must be guided by accurate and timely information on water availability and demand.

Tanui made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at a side event during World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden, focused on the Water Availability and Demand (WAD) Tool and its role in supporting data-driven irrigation and water resources management.

World Water Week, running from August 23 to 27 under the theme ‘Water for People and Progress,’ has brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners and practitioners to discuss solutions to growing water challenges, particularly those linked to climate change and rising demand.

Tanui said Kenya's plans to expand irrigation, increase water storage and improve water resources management would require investment decisions based on sound evidence.

He noted that as the country seeks to place more land under irrigation, planners need reliable information on where water is available, the amount required and areas where storage and irrigation investments could generate the greatest impact.

The WAD Tool is designed to provide such information by bringing together satellite-based data, water accounting information and spatial analysis.

The platform provides insights into water availability, agricultural water demand, crop patterns, storage potential and water sufficiency, enabling decision-makers to assess the relationship between water supply and demand.

The tool was developed through collaboration between the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Its application is expected to strengthen the link between data, policy, planning and investment by helping authorities identify areas with potential for irrigation and water storage while improving the design and targeting of projects.

For Kenya, the approach comes as the government seeks to expand irrigated agriculture as part of efforts to boost food security and reduce the country's vulnerability to increasingly unpredictable rainfall.

Irrigation can help improve agricultural productivity and provide farmers with more reliable access to water, but its expansion also presents the challenge of managing a finite resource amid competing agricultural, domestic, industrial and environmental needs.

Tanui stressed the importance of understanding both water availability and demand before new investments are undertaken to ensure irrigation development remains within the capacity of available water resources.

Kenya has already taken steps to institutionalise the use of data in irrigation planning. In January 2026, the WAD Tool was officially handed over to the National Irrigation Authority, marking a step towards digitally enabled and evidence-based water governance.

The government said the platform would support irrigation planning, water allocation, investment decisions and the development of viable irrigation projects.

Tanui's remarks in Stockholm place Kenya's irrigation ambitions within the wider global debate on sustainable water management and climate resilience.

The government says the country's irrigation programme is intended not only to increase agricultural production, but also to strengthen livelihoods, improve food security and promote sustainable economic development.

As Kenya expands irrigation and invests in water storage, officials say the use of technology and reliable evidence will be critical in ensuring that water resources are allocated sustainably and investments deliver long-term benefits to communities.

The government is now seeking to turn water data into actionable knowledge, sound policy and investments capable of strengthening Kenya's resilience to a changing climate.