WORKING GROUP ON HISTORY OF IRRIGATION, DRAINAGE AND FLOOD CONTROL (WG-HIST) | International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage (ICID)

Future is often the reflection of the past. The rapid changes that are taking place around the world over a few decades have, however, cautioned us to learn from it. One can learn by studying the past processes, the causes of successes and failures, despite new complexities.

Working Group on History of Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control (WG-HIST) has worked over the years to motivate ICID National Committees in various countries to set up their national working groups and provide guidance to compile, publish, update and/or translate documents on history of irrigation, drainage, flood management, and river engineering, incorporating relevant agricultural, political, socio-economic, climatologic and geographic aspects for proper understanding of the technological developments. The WG has brought out many outstanding publications and presently exploring the possibility of compiling a book on “Water Sustainability through History”. The Group also organizes a History Seminar at the time of ICID Congresses, on regular basis.

Notification No. 2 of 2018 - Establishment of WG-HIST

Committee on assembling irrigation efficiency data (1974-1978) Constituted as Committee on History of Irrigation (1978). Renamed as Committee on History of Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control (C-HIST) in the year 1998 and again renamed as Working Group on History of Irrigation, Drainage and Flood Control (WG-HIST) in the year 2000

Mandate:

(a) To motivate ICID National Committees in various countries to set up their National Working Groups on History; (b) To provide guidance to compile, publish, update and/or translate documents on history of irrigation, drainage, and flood management; (c) To promote inter

Established : 1998

Membership

Sl. No.	Name	Email	Country	Position
1	Dr. Kamran Emami	kk*************	Iran	Chair
2	Dr. A. Hafied A. Gany	ha*************	Indonesia	Member
3	Dr. Ahmed Adam Ibrahim	ah*************	Sudan	Member
4	Eng. Ahmed Awad Hag Abd-Elnabi	en*************	Egypt	Member
5	Mr. Chaiwat Prechawit	c_*************	Thailand	Member
6	Mr. Charles L. Abernethy	ab*************	United Kingdom	Member
7	Dr. Dai Xiaoping - Young Professional	xi*************	China	Member
8	Dr. Dia El Din Ahmed El Quosy	lm*************	Egypt	Member
9	Mr. Gao Lihui - Young Professional	ga*************	China	Member
10	Dr. Gerhard Backeberg	ge*************	South Africa	Member
11	Mr. Ju Chang Kim	kl*************	South Korea	Member
12	Mr. Krishna Prasad	ne*************	Nepal	Member
13	Dr. Laszlo G. Hayde	l.*************	Hungary	Member
14	Dr. Masaomi KIMURA	mk*************	Japan	Member
15	Dr. Shivaji T. Sangle	sa*************	India	Member
16	Dr. Sinite YU	dr*************	Chinese Taipei Committee	Member
17	Engr. Sirika Ahmad Abubakar	si*************	Nigeria	Member
18	Prof. Dr. Yutaka MATSUNO	ma*************	Japan	Member
19	Prof. (Ms.) Chen Jing	ch*************	China	Observer
20	Dr. Yao Jianfeng	ji*************	China	Observer
21	Dr. Qazi Tallat Mahmood Siddiqui	qa*************	Pakistan	Provisional Member
22	Mr. Wang Li	wa*************	China	Provisional Member
23	Dr. (Mrs.) B. Dolfing	*************	Netherlands	Permanent Observer
24	Dr. (Ing.) Klaus Röttcher - Direct Member	k.*************	Germany	Permanent Observer
25	Dr. Ir. M. Ertsen (IWHA)	m.*************	Netherlands	Permanent Observer

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE+

In the long history of mankind, the 21st century would be very distinct from the other centuries and may be considered as the most challenging era for humanity. In this context, ensuring sustainability of water systems in changing and unknown circumstances is one of the most crucial challenges.

The development of societies in the last 5,000 years is closely connected with water management problems that have shaped the relevant society and its structures. In the course of the centuries, systems and methods worked out under these conditions have conclusively demonstrated their sustainability. Today, the knowledge and structural remains of these methods are not only interesting archaeologically and historically, but can also help solve current problems.

In view of Data, Information, Knowledge, Intelligence and Wisdom hierarchy studied in knowledge management, the water wisdom of the past which was achieved in a period of hundreds of years, can be regarded as a unique and irreplaceable gift from our ancestors to our generation.