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Who We Are
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) is a leading scientific, technical, and professional not-for-profit international organization working in the field of irrigation, drainage, and flood management to the promote and achieve sustainable agriculture water management.
As a knowledge-sharing platform, we are dedicated to improving the status of agricultural water management practices including rain-fed agriculture, supplemental irrigation, deficit irrigation and full irrigation. Our other core activities focus on the drainage of agricultural lands and the management of extreme climate events such as flood and droughts.
What We Do
ICID brings together various stakeholders and experts from various disciplines on an international platform to deliberate on technical, agronomic, socio-economic, environmental and managerial complexities for the development, management and operation of irrigation, drainage and flood management works. The aim is to attain sustainable agriculture water management through exchange of experiences, ideas, good practices and promoting them widely among the member countries and stakeholders. As a knowledge hub, ICID through its technical working groups generates knowledge by compiling and collating research data and disseminating them to all stakeholders through various channels.
Our Members
Membership of the Commission consists of National Committees (NCs) who represent their countries and are organized under the departments responsible for irrigation, drainage or agricultural water management. NCs generally include multi-disciplinary professionals such as planners and policymakers; water managers; irrigation and agriculture engineers; research scientists and educationists working in the related areas. Companies, institutions, and individuals can also participate in ICID activities through their respective NCs or as Direct Members (DM). Presently, ICID membership network covers over 90% of the irrigated area of the world.
Key Focus Areas
ICID draws together a pool of more than 500 eminent professionals/experts from varied disciplines involved in the development, planning, design, operation and management of irrigation, drainage and flood management works from all over the world. These professionals through technical and strategic working groups/workbodies address many topics and provide assistance to bring out various publications, reports and manuals on specialized topics. Though the topics addressed by the workbodies change over time, the following list outline the current domain of activities:
- Modernization and revitalization of irrigation schemes
- Sustainable on-farm irrigation system development
- Water-saving in agriculture
- Role of irrigation in rural development
- Environmental impacts of irrigation and drainage
- Global climate change and agricultural water management
- Use of poor quality water for irrigation
- Sustainable agricultural drainage
- Managing water scarcity under conflicting demands
- Institutional aspects of irrigation
- Capacity development
- Regional issues of irrigated agriculture
- Sustainable development of tidal areas
- Comprehensive approaches to flood management
- Bio-fuel and food
- History of irrigation, drainage and flood control
In addition, issues related to specific regions are addressed by regional working groups representing Africa, Asia, America, and Europe. To address specific issues Task Force (TF) is also established from time-to-time to undertake a specific activity and complete it within the stipulated time.
Knowledge and Information Exchange
Various technical working groups organize meetings on the key focus areas as part of their Annual Meeting. Additionally, ICID organizes triennial World Irrigation and Drainage Congress and World Irrigation Forum. Regional Conferences, Micro Irrigation Conferences and Drainage Workshops are also organized to address and discuss issues of global/regional importance.
ICID brings out a peer-reviewed research journal 'Irrigation and Drainage' made available to all NCs and DMs on a complimentary basis. The Commission over six decades through the rich experience of its members has developed a robust knowledge base by bringing out many special publications, position papers and proceedings which can be accessed by its members free of cost.
ICID publications that include quarterly ICID News, monthly News Update and weekly e-Bulletin helps to disseminate information and knowledge among the members and keep them abreast with the latest information. ICID Website (http://www.icid.org) helps in knowledge management process through an Integrated Library Management System (ILMS), which provides easy access to all available ICID resources. Besides the website also provides information on NCs, membership, workbody activities, publications, database, awards, webinars, and upcoming ICID events, etc.
Programs and Initiatives
- Launched ICID Webinar Service as part of Knowledge Management
- World Irrigation Forum (WIF) a triennial multi-disciplinary forum to engage experts from various disciplines for sharing and learning
- N.D. Gulhati Memorial Lecture delivered by eminent experts during the triennial Congress for international cooperation
- Promotion of multi-disciplinary engagement for a sustainable solution to water management in agriculture
- Encouraging Young Professionals to take up a career in agriculture water management by sponsoring their participation in ICID activities/events and provide support for their capacity development
- Established ICID Young Professional's e-Forum (IYPeF) as a LinkedIn Group with 320+ members to provide a dynamic platform to all Young Professionals to participate and discuss issues pertaining to Agriculture Water Management
- Products and Services Directory in Irrigation and Drainage sector provides a platform to manufactures/consultants and experts to exhibit their services and expertise
Recognizing and Rewarding Excellence
- World Irrigation and Drainage Prize (WID Prize) for lifetime achievement in the irrigation and drainage sector
- Water-Saving (WatSave) Awards presented annually for outstanding contributions in four categories: Technology, Management, Young Professionals, and Farmers
- Recognition to Heritage Irrigation Structures (HIS) and their inclusion in ICID Register of HIS
- Recognition to World Water System Heritage (WSH) as part of WWC Members Initiative
- Best Paper Award presented annually to recognize the outstanding research paper contributed to ICID Journal 'Irrigation and Drainage’
Partnerships and Liaison
ICID partners with UN-Water and has close affiliation/liaison with UN Agencies like FAO, IFAD, UNEP, UNESCO, WHO, WMO, and other international professional organizations like ADB, AWC, GWP, ICARDA, ICOLD, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IGS, IHA, IUCN, IWRA, IWMI, ISO, AARDO, WWC, World Bank, etc. with an aim to bring together various stakeholders for sustainable agriculture water management. ICID actively contributes to various global dialogues and initiatives such as the World Water Fora, World Water Development Reports, etc. to ensure that agriculture water management practices are undertaken within the overall framework of integrated water resources management to achieve the overall aim of sustainable development aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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