IWMI’s VFTs are integrated with Virtual Reality (VR) to provide an immersive and interactive experience with a 360-degree field of view and user agency to navigate virtual environments at their own pace and preference. VR VFTs also offer a powerful, immersive way for non-academic audiences to explore and understand the complex realities of Africa’s agriculture and water management systems without physically traveling.

By virtually stepping into remote farms, conflict-affected regions, and critical river basins and similar spaces, users gain firsthand insights into local challenges. This technology minimizes the carbon footprint of site visits, making it an eco-friendly alternative, while also fostering connections between smallholder farmers and potential investors, enabling informed decisions that support local development and resilience in areas often overlooked by traditional outreach methods.

Real-world locations are captured and overlayed with multimedia materials and data to craft a narrative. This includes “hotspots” users can select embedded with interviews, 360 photographs, information boxes and demonstration videos. Tabs can also be included to direct users to websites, publications and live data graphs. By creating these immersive, real-time experiences, IWMI fosters stronger connections between diverse stakeholder such as smallholder farmers, investors, partners and researchers, advancing sustainable solutions in agriculture and water management. Furthermore, these VFTs incorporate ethical standards, ensuring privacy and conflict sensitivity in fragile environments, and continually evolve to enhance User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) to address stakeholder needs effectively.