The "Information and reporting system for water and agriculture in Asian monsoon areas" is funded by the Japanese Government through project GCP/INT/861/JPN: "Evaluation Study of Paddy Irrigation under Monsoon Regime" (ESPIM).

By providing a possibility to assess and monitor the irrigation and drainage sector in the Asian Monsoon region in general and the paddy production systems in particular, the ESPIM-project will help address the three main issues of major importance related to irrigated agriculture:

• the impact of irrigation and drainage in paddy production on the natural water balance;
  
• the role of irrigation and drainage in paddy production in global food production and food security;
  
• the relation between irrigated agriculture and the environment in the Asian Monsoon region.

The immediate objectives of the ESPIM-project to address these issues are defined as:

1. developing an information and reporting system for water in agriculture under monsoon regime;
   
2. promoting and developing improved monitoring capacities regarding irrigation and drainage;
   
3. assisting in policy-making processes for improving management of agricultural water resources.

The "Information and reporting system for water and agriculture in Asian monsoon areas" of the ESPIM-project reports on the achievements of the project and provides information on the following issues:

• Country data - Quantitative and qualitative data regarding water resources and irrigation on the country level.
  
• Spatial data - Spatial information on water resources and irrigation.
  
• Assessment tools - Tools to assess the performance of irrigation schemes.
  
• Policy & Institutions - Background documents to assist policy-making processes on agricultural water resources management.
  
• Capacity development - Proceedings on workshops and conferences.