Mozambique launches digital platform to improve irrigation monitoring
Mozambique launched the Irrigation Performance Assessment and Diagnostic Tool (IPADT), a new digital platform that will monitor irrigation performance and accelerate the modernization of agricultural water management across the country. Jointly developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and the National Irrigation Institute (INIR), IPADT represents a significant leap forward for the country’s irrigation sector.
The platform leverages satellite-derived data from FAO’s WaPOR portal , an open-access resource providing near real-time information on crop water use and productivity across Africa and the MENA region. By integrating remote sensing data with field observations, IPADT delivers standardized indicators that enable users to compare agricultural seasons, benchmark performance and inform strategic decisions.
Tailored to serve the Chókwè Irrigation Scheme in the lower Limpopo Basin, one of Mozambique’s key agricultural regions, the platform supports irrigation managers, engineers, monitoring specialists and GIS experts to improve the performance and sustainability of irrigation systems.
The formal handover of the IPADT to the National Irrigation Institute took place at a workshop held from May 4-6, in Maputo, Mozambique. Speaking at the workshop, Delfim Villisa, director general of INIR reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to integrate the tool into its monitoring systems for effective use and promotion of its progressive expansion to other regions.
“We are confident that Mozambique’s irrigation sector is moving towards an increasingly data-driven approach, digital innovation and systematic performance analysis, which represents key elements to face current challenges that we are facing including climate change and variability,” said Villisa.
Participants also received hands-on training in data analysis, dashboard management and the interpretation of performance indicators to equip them for effective use and maintenance, and integration into existing monitoring frameworks.
Muluken Adamseged, IWMI’s deputy country representative for Ethiopia and researcher on Innovation Scaling, emphasized that the Irrigation Performance Assessment and Diagnostic Tool offers managers a strong evidence base for water-smart decisions. “The true measure of scaling is not only in how many irrigation schemes adopt the tool, but how deeply national systems institutionalize trust in the evidence it provides.”
IPADT is expected to enhance irrigation monitoring, boost water-use efficiency and foster data-driven decision-making in Mozambique’s agricultural sector. This aligns with national ambitions to promote sustainable water management, bolster climate resilience and ensure food security for communities across the country.