The Water Resources, Development and Management Service of FAO has developed several tools to be used as information systems in the field of sustainable development of scarse fresh water resources. These tools include an information system with statistics on rural water use, software on cropwater requirements and irrigation management and planning, and training material for people involved in irrigation and drainage development:   

• CROPWAT 
  Cropwat is a computer program for the PC. Its main functions are to calculate reference evapotranspiration, crop water requirements, irrigation requirements, scheme water supply, to develop irrigation schedules under various management conditions and to evaluate rainfed production and drought effects.   
    
• CLIMWAT 
  Climwat is a climatic database to be used in combination with the computer program CROPWAT. It includes data from a total of 3262 meteorological stations from 144 countries.   
      
• Irrigation Training Material
  A series of training manual related to the different subjects of irrigation and drainage has been produced by AGLW/FAO in cooperation with the International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI). The manuals are intended for use by field assistants in agricultural extension services and irrigation technicians at the village and district levels. A brief description of each training manual is provided.

• Water Harvesting training course
  Water harvesting is a proven technology to increase food security in drought prone areas. Erosion control and recharge of ground water are additional advantages of water harvesting techniques. The dissemination and adoption of Water Harvesting technology on a larger scale by farmers is hampered by the lack of trained field staff. To address these shortcomings, the Water Resources Development and Management Service (AGLW) of FAO has developed this training material.
  
  
• Participatory Training and Extension in Farmers’ Water Management 
  Through a participatory approach in extension, technical staff and other stakeholders put farmers in charge of water management at field and scheme level, promote the adoption of appropriate technologies and establish the necessary local capacity to put farmers in charge of water development and management.
  Participatory Training and Extension in Farmers’ Water Management is an essential tool to
  • Introduce effective water management technologies and practices
  • Put farmers in charge in water management
  • Establish effective support services
    
    
• Database on Education and Training Courses In Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control
  To promote training and capacity building in agricultural water management, AGLW and IDID composed a database on available training courses in Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control. The specific objectives of this database are to provide:
  • global information on the availability of education and training courses with relevant information on course content, duration, target group and conditions for admission.
  • education and training providers an opportunity to advertise relevant information on the availability of the course and to seek interested applicants.
  • potential trainees from irrigation, drainage and flood control projects opportunities to review and select appropriate training courses.