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This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the role of 'soft components'—social and institutional investments—in agricultural water management (AWM) interventions at the mesoscale (community or sub-catchment level). Through meta-analyses and case studies across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the report argues that high initial social capital and participatory methodologies are critical for the sustainable adoption of AWM technologies. It highlights a significant gap in the monitoring and economic valuation of these soft components and their long-term environmental and social impacts.