On 22–23 January 2026, experts from NGO “Primavera” and the Institute of Water Problems and Land Reclamation of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine held the second working meeting with representatives of the Hradyzka Water User Organization (Hradyzk Irrigation System, Poltava region).

The meeting was conducted within the framework of the project “Decision Support for Investment Attraction by Water User Organizations”, with the Dutch consulting company MetaMeta acting as the main project partner.

During the meeting, the results of developing a Decision Support Tool for investment attraction by Water User Organizations were presented, using the Hradyzk Irrigation System as a pilot case. The tool is based on scenario planning and risk management and enables the justification of investment project scenarios for the modernization of irrigation infrastructure, the implementation of water- and energy-saving technologies, and the optimization of irrigation management with the active involvement of WUO members. The discussion focused on possible scenarios for the modernization of the Hradyzk Irrigation System, taking into account the results of scenario modeling, the feasibility of introducing alternative energy sources and water storage solutions at different stages of project implementation, and the practical value of the developed tool for shaping long-term development strategies for Water User Organizations and individual farms.

Special attention was paid to the need to consider current and future challenges related to climate change, manifested in increasing irrigation water demand and water scarcity during dry summer periods, instability of energy supply and fluctuations in energy prices, changes in Ukraine’s role in international and European agricultural markets, as well as the need to modernize irrigation infrastructure in order to reduce service costs for water users and attract investments from international donor organizations.