1 ICID News Update ForJanuary Private Circulation 2008 Only NeNeNews UpdaUpdaws tetete INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Established 1950 January 2009

From Secretary General’s Desk... President’s Message Dear Friends, Dear Colleagues operation and maintenance, but new The year 2009 is indeed special for ICID and Friends, irrigator and professional skills. New as it connotes our Diamond Jubilee Year knowledge, new ways of doing I take this and signifies the richness of the institution business, and new thinking lie at the opportunity to having experienced many swings in its heart of the advances required. invite you to the 5th cherished mission to contribute for Global Asian Regional By coming together as a world body in Peace and Prosperity. With the decision in December, we will have a th th Conference and to hold the 60 IEC together with 5 ARC 60th IEC meeting unique opportunity to put our minds to in New Delhi by expanding the schedule to be held in New work collectively on the most severe for nearly a week spanning between Delhi from 6-11 challenges facing the irrigation and December 6 and 11, 2009, you would December 2009. agri-food sectors at this point in have the advantage of benefiting from history. both the Regional Congress and IEC I am indeed grateful that the Indian workbodies. National Committee (INCID) with the I therefore invite you to jot the dates of December 6-11, 2009 on your In his Presidential message (please see support of Govt. of India, Ministry of Water Resources and Central Water calendars, and New Delhi as the place the adjoining box), President Chandra had to be. Let us avail ourselves of the flagged the opportunities that New Delhi Commission have agreed to host these two concurrent events which richness, diversity and culture of India. offers for a productive workbody and Let us explore together this land of Council meetings by larger attendance. are of highest importance within ICID and to the Asia region as well. ancient civilization, wonder and These meetings are being organized at excitement - the home to the Taj short notice by hosts, INCID as the The theme of the 5th Asian Regional Mahal, and our own ICID Central decision in shifting IEC venue was just Conference is Improvement in Office. In addition to the business side recent. Our website brings out the full Efficiency of Irrigation Projects of the meetings, there is sightseeing, details of the first information bulletin through Technology Upgrading and shopping of gold, silver, precious which will also be available in an exclusive Better Operation and Maintenance. gems, silk, spices, and handicrafts, website for the ARC / 60 IEC, being This theme is very significant given and visits to some of the finest water designed by INCID. that the largest irrigated region in the resources projects in the world. It is my pleasure to join President Chandra world lies in Asia, and some of the Please come with your families and and INCID Chairman Bajaj in extending a oldest irrigation schemes are also found in Asia. Not coincidentally is experience some of the finest hearty welcome to New Delhi, home for hospitality of our hosts, INCID and your Central Office. We look forward to also the fact the largest number of mouths to feed reside in Asia, and the CWC, as well as the ICID Central the golden opportunity of receiving you Office, who I know will go all out to with family in your Central Office during number is growing! How to feed and clothe this burgeoning population is a provide a most pleasant and fruitful the occasions which is not far from the IEC and Asian Regional Conference. venue for the conference given its central challenge for the world community, location amidst the embassies and high considering the enormous pressures I look forward to welcoming you to commissions of the Diplomatic corps. on land and water resources in Asia, Delhi. dwindling supplies of water, and the Best regards, extensive pollution. Current irrigation Yours truly, infrastructure cannot sustain the demands for food and fibre. Productivity and will M. Gopalakrishnan require not just improvements in Chandra Madramootoo Secretary General, ICID efficiency, technology, and better President, ICID

An Update on Topic 2.3 World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul, latest Draft Topic Scoping Paper and of 5th World Water Forum Turkey from 16-22 March 2009. A Draft Draft Session Plan are also available on Topic Scoping Paper and a Draft Session VMS of WWF-5 and on the ICID website. ICID is the Coordinator for Topic 2.3 Plan is continuously reviewed, updated The Scoping Paper for Topic 2.3 will form Water for Food for Ending Poverty and and circulated to the Consortium Partners the basis for the presentations and Hunger of Theme 2 - Advancing Human / Consultative Partners through various discussions to be organized under four Development and the Millennium channels including Virtual Meeting Space sessions addressing the following key Development Goals (MDG) for the 5th (VMS) of WWF-5 and ICID website. The questions:

Managing Water for Sustainable Agriculture • Water for Food and Rural Development 2 ICID News Update January 2009

Session I - How to achieve the Non Irrigated Agriculture addresses this challenge and endeavours required food production to meet the to demonstrate effective irrigation growing demand? Sixty percent of the agricultural production practices in its member countries. Our is coming from non-irrigated farms Session II - How can food market contribution would be through knowledge covering 1.2 billion hectares of land. We measures boost rural development development and technology transfer. and poverty alleviation? can add to these six billion hectares of natural grass land and pastures which ICID working groups under theme ON- Session III - Water for bioenergy or are contributing to human food chain. In FARM advocate a paradigm shift in food? spite of such a relatively vast rain fed knowledge and practices related to Session IV - How can better water cultivated and non cultivated areas within irrigation : management reduce poverty and the human access to be utilized for its hunger? - A synthesis. (Wrap-up welfare, its contribution to the human • Irrigation principles and practices. Session) food basket is limited. • Appropriate technology. • Modern irrigation practices. A total of 14 hours have been allocated The productivity of rainwater, (also by the Forum Organizers for Topic 2.3, referred by some as green water), in • Irrigation principles and practice during which Sessions I, II and III will be these regions is relatively low. There is organized in parallel with a duration of 4 considerable scope for improvements, It has been more than half a century hours each while Session IV will be a which could enhance the world food since the scientific approach to the plenary session with 2-hour duration. supplies. ICID in cooperation with other concepts of irrigation water management Session I will act as the introductory international agencies, concerned with has commenced and yet, many basic session, followed by Sessions II and III global food security, may bring the issue principle of irrigation science remain in whereas in Session IV the findings of within their working group activities to ambiguity. The basic concepts of irrigation previous three sessions will be integrated. play an important role in this endeavor such as irrigation water requirement and Each Session will be handled by a which would certainly contribute to the irrigation efficiencies are being Convener, Co-Convener and a Reporter enhancement of food security and more questioned. besides the panelists chosen from importantly to improve livelihoods in Consortium Partners and Consultative rural areas. Potential Evapo-transpiration, which is Partners for Topic 2.3. usually calculated indirectly from The scattered researches show that non meteorological data, is used as an For further details please visit ICID irrigated agricultural production, website as well as on VMS of WWF-5 indirect reference for crop water particularly the grain production, can be website. requirement. There are considerable over doubled by : better management of estimations involved in this procedure Dr. Saeed Nairizi on rainfall, some agro-technical improve- due to assumptions made in this context. ments, investments in infrastructures This includes evaporation from bare the Strategy Theme and technology, biotechnological land, which is not consumed by crops, ‘On-Farm’ enhancements and farmers’. the full land coverage by crop canopy, which is not normally the case, and no ICID workbodies are grouped under four Irrigated Agriculture constraint on availability of moisture for Strategy Themes, namely, Knowledge, evaporation. There is also over estimation Basin, Systems and On-Farm. During The world irrigated agriculture with area resulting from using meteorological data 59th IEC meeting at , Pakistan, covering 18% of cropped land is which are mainly collected from synoptic Vice President Hon. S. Nairizi (Iran) producing 40 percent of world’s harvested weather stations, whereas the crop may Theme Leader – ‘On-Farm’ made his food production. experience less temperature in the field. presentation on ‘On-Farm’. In brief, the So, less evapo transpiration may occur presentation brought out key issues. This demonstrates importance of irrigated agriculture where obviously much in real world. There are statistics showing that more attention has been devoted. The than a billion people of world don’t have expansion of area under irrigation and Efficiencies are another misconception access to adequate food for their survival increase in yield per hectare has taken in irrigation practices. Irrigation water and another billion people are under- place in many parts of the world during loss is quite a vague concept, depending nourished due to the existing gap between last 50 years. But it seems that we are on the angle and scale you look at it. the food demand and supply. However, approaching the upper limit of global They differ from farm level to basin level. there is a great potential to increase the water resources development to be There may be considerable losses of agricultural production to meet this allocated to agriculture, hence limited water due to deep percolation and run off demand. How this potential can be opportunities exists for expansion of at farm level, which are the main elements realized through irrigated and non- irrigated farming. However, great potential causing poor farm irrigation efficiency. irrigated agriculture is the question which exists in water productivity enhancement. But, if irrigation efficiency is considered many researchers, scientists and at basin level, there may not be any organizations have been trying to address ICID as the major NGO focusing on the losses at all. In large basins, losses of during the past few decades. irrigation and drainage worldwide water upstream would be a hopeful

Managing Water for Sustainable Agriculture • Water for Food and Rural Development 3 ICID News Update January 2009 resource for downstream water users. So • Modern Irrigation Practices conventional recommendation and New Additions to approaches for irrigation efficiency It is very unfortunate that after such a ICID’s TDS Database improvement, appeared in many text long history of modern irrigation practices, (December 2008) book and other documents should be majority of farmers in developing countries reviewed accordingly. Here again, ICID are still suffering from low crop yields due The additions during the months to the can contribute to clarify this ambiguity. to their unawareness of proper irrigation TDS Database are: practices. The low investment support, Article Section – 53 additions (Articles Deficit irrigation is another promising restricts use of modern irrigation / Papers) management practice for productivity concepts. improvement. It has been demonstrated (i) Irrigation and Drainage – The It is, of course, the responsibility of the that the maximum water productivity for Journal of the ICID, December governments to construct a vital bridge to 2008, Vol. 57, No. 5 (8 nos.) grains at farm level may be accomplished transfer the accessible knowledge of at around 50% of conventional irrigation (ii) Canadian Journal of Plant Science, irrigation practices to the farmers to water requirement. ICID work bodies can 2008, Vol. 88, No. 3 (7 nos.); Vol. orchestrate concerted research actions improve their livelihood. Presumably the 88, No. 4 (4 nos.); and Vol. 88, No. 5 (3 nos.) to provide a guideline for proper technical extension services, which are normally and managerial approaches to deficit designated to act as such a bridge, have (iii) WMO Bulletin, April 2008, Vol. 57, irrigation practices. limited effectiveness to do so. No. 2 (7 nos.) ICID as a ‘knowledge base NGO’ may (iv) Hydropower & Dams, 2008, Vol. The treated wastewater could be a consider these issues as a strategic 15, No. 5, Special Issue on HYDRO reliable source of water for agriculture. In commitment and use its capacity through 2008: Progressing World Hydro Development (6 nos.) spite of the relatively long history of using all work bodies and find solutions to wastewater effluent for agricultural communicate with the poor irrigation (v) Mausam, October 2008, Vol. 59, purpose, there are not many source water users. No. 4 (5 nos.) books available to provide the users with (vi) Rural 21 – The International Journal the appropriate techniques and Ministerial Conference for Rural Development, 2008, Vol. management practices for wastewater 43, No. 5 (5 nos.) on Water reuse. These topics could be considered (vii) Indian Journal of Power and River by ICID Working Groups. The Ministerial Conference on Water Valley Development, September- held on 22 December 2008 on the October 2008, Vol. 58, Nos. 9 & 10 • Appropriate Technology (2 nos.) shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan Seventy percent of world irrigated land marked the speeding up of the issue of Book Section – 11 additions; till date uses surface irrigation systems, water management and the first important 31124 additions have been made to particularly in developing and emerging step for the implementation of the TDS database. The Text Delivery Service countries. It is therefore very important to decisions made by Heads of State and (TDS) has received one request during define the shortcomings and problems Government on 13 July 2008 in Paris for the period from India. which are limiting the agricultural the Union for the Mediterranean. The Text Delivery Service (TDS) production in these regions. database can be accessed by visiting Firstly, the Ministers adopted the ICID website: www.icid.org. The farmers in these regions are typically guidelines of a Strategy for Water in the under educated, have low capacity to Mediterranean, permitting the challenges 2009 and the first funds will be finalised invest and obsessed with traditional of climate change and its impacts to be for the ministerial conference on farming systems. The basic irrigation met and tackled. This Strategy, which sustainable development in Monaco knowledge and practices such as when will be submitted to the same Ministers before the end of March 2009. and how much water to apply are not in 2010 will make it possible to handle exercised. The historical management problems exceeding the means of action Please contact Mr. Omar Salameh, experiences actually govern their of any single country or organisation. E-mail : [email protected] for behavior. They have no access to data more information. providing mechanism or agencies for Secondly, the Ministers drew the attention setting up an appropriate irrigation of governance bodies of the Union for the New IUCN President schedule for their farms. Simple flow Mediterranean, in view of the rapid elected measuring devices are not available. development of new equipment projects Lack of proper education and available in the domain of water, consistent with Mr. Ashok Khosla from India has been funds should be the limits for any the Strategy. From this perspective, they elected as the new President of advance technology to make significant have already identified an initial series of International Union for Conservation of impact on crop production increases. In projects which will be discussed as from Nature (IUCN). Mr. Khosla once held the this respect ICID On-Farm WG can focus January 2009. These projects will be position of Director in the United Nations on appropriate and low cost technology completed during the Fifth World Forum Environment Programme and is Chairman development to meet such challenges. on Water to be held in Istanbul in March of a Delhi-based Development

Managing Water for Sustainable Agriculture • Water for Food and Rural Development 4 ICID News Update January 2009

Alternatives. The social enterprise 2001 by the worst drought in a th promotes commercially-viable, environ- decade. Out of a population of 32 60 International mentally-friendly technologies for rural million in the State, some 27 million Executive Council communities of the southern hemisphere. people were affected. Meeting (IEC) and He succeeds Mr. Valli Mossa, who has 5th Asian Regional served as IUCN president since the (Source: UNESCO Water Portal bi- Conference (ARC) IUCN world conservation congress in monthly Newsletter No. 209, October Bangkok 4 years ago. 2008 at http://www.unesco.org/water/ The 60th International Executive news/newsletter/209.shtml) Council will be hosted by the Indian Facts and figures National Committee on Irrigation and about water and International Drainage (INCID) in India together th natural disasters Agricultural Training with the 5 Asian Regional Conference (ARC) during 6-11 December 2009 Centre (IATC) The world is experiencing a dramatic at New Delhi (India). increase of suffering from the effects The International Agricultural Training The theme of the 5th ARC is of disasters, ranging from extreme Centre in Israel has announced their “Improvement in Efficiency of droughts to huge floods, caused by programmes scheduled between 19 Irrigation Projects through the poor water and land management March - 06 April 2009 : Technology Upgradation and and possibly by climate change. Better Operation and • Water and Crop Production Maintenance”. The sub-topics The burden of loss, of course, is Management included are: greatest in poor countries than in rich ones, where 13 times more people The Crop Production Management (i) Supply management including die from such events than in rich programme focuses on developing the pipe distribution system; ones. tools needed by transitional countries to (ii) Organizational management; Some 75% of the world’s population improve local conditions in supplying (iii) Demand management; food for their country. lived in areas affected at least once (iv) Irrigated area drainage; by earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood (v) Command area improvement, or drought between 1980 and 2000. • The Role of Agro-technology in Poverty Alleviation and Food water conservation, technology improvement, and As a result of disasters triggered by Security earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood or (vi) Legal aspects and gender drought more than 184 deaths per Increasing population, desertification, issues. deforestation and draught are some of day are recorded in different parts of Deadlines (revised): the world. the reasons to improve the management of crop production methods and systems Submission of “Summary and Floods accounted for over 65% of in order to supply the worlds growing Conclusions” (450-550 words) – people affected by natural disasters, need for food and food related products. 30 April 2009, Intimation of while famine affected nearly 20%. acceptance – 31 May 2009, and IATC announces that tuition scholarships Receipt of full text of accepted papers Between 1973 and 1997 an average (which greatly reduce the total cost) are – 31 August 2009 of 66 million people a year suffered limited, calling for early registration. flood damage, making flooding the Contact: Member Secretary, Indian most damaging of all natural disasters. National Committee on Irrigation and For further information about the Drainage (INCID), C/o Central Board programmes please visit their website From 1991 to 2000, drought has of Irrigation and Power (CBI&P), www :galilcol.ac.il, or contact the been responsible for over 280,000 Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Programme Director, Ms. Carmel Barouk deaths and cost tens of millions of US Delhi 110021, India. Tel: 91-11-2611 at [email protected]. dollars in damage. 5984, 91-11-2611 1294, Fax: 91-11- 2611 6347, E-mail: [email protected], The Indian state of Orissa experienced [email protected] massive flooding in 2000, followed in

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE 48 Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021, India, Tel : 91-11-2611 5679, 91-11-2611 6837, 91-11-2467 9532 Fax : 91-11-2611 5962; E-Mail : [email protected]; Website : http://www.icid.org Editor : Dr. Vijay K. Labhsetwar, Director; DTP : K.D. Tanwar, Central Office

Managing Water for Sustainable Agriculture • Water for Food and Rural Development