Rainfed farming is the main source of income for 64% of the Sahelian people, who are mostly rural residents. Just 3% of farmland has irrigation systems in place, despite the possibility to irrigate up to two million hectares of land. Water availability for irrigation is essential for small farmers to maintain their way of life and to promote wealth and harmony in their local communities. After heads of state adopted the Sahel Irrigation Initiative (2IS) in 2013, PARIIS is the first regional project to be designed. It focuses on combining local knowledge with low-cost, straightforward technologies to irrigate farms and maximize their potential. Approximately 390,000 farmers – 49 percent of them women – benefit from the initiative, which is operational in more than 2,000 locations throughout the participating nations and will irrigate more than 20,000 hectares. Benefits include reduced irrigation costs, improved food security, more farmer revenue, and higher resilience to climate change.