Presentation made to the Panel discussion on ‘Optimizing water infrastructure for smallholder farmers’ All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Agriculture & Food for Development October 11, 2016 by Julie Van der Bliek. Existing research suggests that investments in small-scale water management technologies generate positive productivity and economic impacts, including increased net farm incomes, improved land and labor productivity, and important indirect bene ts. Farmers directly bene t when they grow more staple and high-value crops. More reliable access to water, and growing domestic, regional and international markets, also give farmers the con dence to invest in productivity-enhancing fertilizers, agricultural management strategies and agrochemical inputs. In addition, investments in water management and irrigation can reduce poverty indirectly by increasing non-agricultural rural and urban employment, and serve as a bu er for farmers from climate variability risks, becoming an essential part of adapting to climate change while supporting food and nutritional security.