September DRAINAGEDRAINAGE 2017 | News Update NEWSNEWS UPDATEUPDATE
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INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONCOMMISSION ONON IRRIGATIONIRRIGATION ANDANDSeptember DRAINAGEDRAINAGE 2017 | News Update NEWSNEWS UPDATEUPDATE Water secure world free of poverty and hunger through sustainable rural development SEPTEMBER 2017 production will need to increase by 50 percent new President and three new Vice Presidents for From Secretary General's Desk... globally. Increasing climate variability due to the next three years, will be debating some very climate change requires the food production important issues that would help the network systems to be more resilient to the vagaries realize the ICID Vision 2030, such as: Financial of the climate, both at local level as well as sustainability of the ICID network; Monitoring at global level. mechanism for smooth implementation of the Considering such a global scenario, ICID has Road Map; Some constitutional changes required reoriented its vision and direction and developed for implementation of the Road Map; Enhancing a Road Map to take its member National international cooperation; Strengthening NCs; Committees on a path to “The Future We New membership subscription formulae; and Want” and enable them to fulfil their national Appointment of a new Secretary General. mandates in respect of food security through The Agenda Notes for the meetings associated better agriculture water management. In order with 68th IEC have already been sent to to align political powers behind the irrigation members and are also available for download Dear Colleagues, and drainage sector, during the 2nd World from <http://www.icid.org/agenda.html>. How close are we to Zero Hunger? Well not Irrigation Forum (WIF2), the participating I would like to remind ourselves that ICID close enough, according to “The State of Food Ministers had decided to establish a High Level remains committed to keep the carbon footprints Security and Nutrition in the World, 2017” Advisory Group (HLAG) on “Partnership for of its events to a minimum and had therefore Report by FAO released earlier in March this Agriculture Water Management”. I am happy decided not to distribute hard copies of the year. After steadily declining for over a decade, to inform that the first meeting of HLAG has Agenda at the meeting. Patrons are, therefore, global hunger appears to be on the rise. It is been scheduled on 10 October 2017 wherein requested to download the Agenda Notes from presently affecting 11 percent of the global Ministers and high officials from more than 10 ICID website to their laptops/ tabs before population. At the same time the estimated countries are participating. they leave for Mexico and be on the lookout number of people undernourished increased to The 23rd ICID Congress with the theme for the updated version of the Agenda during 815 million in 2016. Food availability in many “Modernizing Irrigation and Drainage for a new the meeting. of the affected countries has resulted from Green Revolution” will start with the Congress A couple of interesting Technical Tours have been reduced import capacity while access to food Plenary on 8 October 2017, with “N D Gulhati arranged by the host National Committee which has deteriorated in part due to reduced fiscal Memorial Lecture” to be delivered by Dr. Fellipe would give you a better picture of agriculture potential to protect poor households against Areguin followed by General Reports on the two water management in Mexico. I look forward rising domestic food prices. These countries Questions 60, and 61. Detailed programme at to see you all in the historical city of Mexico. need to be gain greater self-sufficiency in food in a glance is made available inside this issue. Please arm yourself with a suitable Spanish order to tide over global geo-political mishaps. Patrons are requested to please check the ‘Daily Dictionary before you board the plane. There is more than enough food produced in Program’ during the meeting that would be With Best Wishes the world to feed everyone, yet these 815 made available, for any updates. million people go hungry. As reflected in The Road Map developed after intensive Sustainable Development Goal 2, one of the discussions over the past two years will be greatest challenges the world faces is how to launched by President Dr. Saeed Nairizi during ensure that a growing global population has the Plenary Session of the 68th Meeting of the enough food to meet their nutritional needs. To International Executive Council. The Council, Avinash C. Tyagi feed another two billion people by 2050, food scheduled for 14 October, apart from electing the Secretary General Webinar Highlights Water Accounting in context of growing uncertainty (in Arabic) Dr. Yasir A. Mohamed on the topic on 3 April on Water Accounting & Water for Food, 2017 by Dr. Wim especially for the Arab region. Water scarcity has many implications, Bastiaanssen and Helmed by Dr. Yasir A. Mohamed, Director and it is possible that different reporting 18 July 2017 by General of the Hydraulics Research Centre, approaches, generally called Water Dr Amgad Elmahdi HRC-Sudan along with Amani Alfarra, Accounting systems, can be appropriate to (Australia) organized FAO panelist, the webinar highlighted addressing them. The Water Accounting+ its seventh webinar. water scarcity in Middle East and North framework is a tool for quantifying and The fi rst in Arabic on Africa and the status of water resources reporting the status of water resources 5 September 2017 on the that are not systematically measured or at the basin or administrative unit level. theme Water Accounting+ reported due to absence of a reporting The webinar is a part of .(ﺓﻱﺉﺍﻡﻝﺍ ﺓﺏﺱﺍﺡﻡﻝﺍ) To elaborate more on the topic, ICID in system. To cease the ongoing crisis, Water coordination of the Webinars organized the World Water Council (WWC) initiative 1 News Update | September 2017 Accounting (based on open access data) better comprehension of the subject matter. Through this webinar, ICID aims to provides a methodology to collect data He also discussed about better planning of introduce standardized water accounting in a systematic manner. Recurrent water water use in agriculture, thereby linking it procedures that quantify the watershed accounting information can timely inform to the issue of climate change preparedness. process, assess a safe level of exploitable all the stakeholders about the situation- water volume and fix the maximum amount The online discussion and the expert better or worse. of water that could be allocated/used by consultations aimed to consult a broad the irrigation sector. Around 50 participants from all over the group of stakeholders – experts in the world participated. Ms Amani Alfarra topic or people interested to learn more For those who missed the webinar from FAO, initiated the webinar with her - to build a common understanding on may access the ICID website for live opening remarks and a brief introduction. “what is water accounting”, “how it can recording info on the topic supported Dr. Amgad from Australia and VP Dr. be done and used”, and gather evidence with presentations and collected resources. Wahaba from Egypt were part of the panel. on why and how “water accounting” can For more info visit- http://www.icid.org/ Dr. Yasir Mohamed introduced the Water help decision making and planning, and icid_webinars_past.html Accounting concept, the multiple types of in particular, to manage water scarcity for approach and the WA+ with examples for a very demanding sector i.e. agriculture. l Drought at the Focus of International Development Partners Drought, a devastating natural hazard, to drought-impacted populations around affects a significant proportion of the the world. global population, particularly those living The HelpDesk is in line with the mission in semi-arid and arid regions. Drought of IDMP to provide stakeholders with can also exacerbate social tensions and policy guidance, scientific information, fuel civil unrest. The consequences for and best practices for integrated drought agricultural communities can be stark, management. With its “Ask” function and often reversing gains in food security “Find” function, the HelpDesk enables and poverty, hampering efforts to reach stakeholders to contact experts directly for SDG1 and 2. advice and access extensive collections of In recent years, the world has watched stakeholders within and beyond the drought management knowledge. drought unfold in many countries, drought community. The new HelpDesk was launched on the devastating the livelihoods of farmers Presented by the Global Framework on first day of the annual meeting of the IDMP across the continent. And recently in Water Scarcity (WASAG), the UNCCD Advisory and Management Committee, the Somalia, it raises the spectre of famine. event featured presentation highlighting Programme’s governing bodies. The launch Building on the momentum provided by the existing best practices drawn from coincides with in time for the COP13. It the SDGs, the Paris Climate Agreement different contexts, sharing of knowledge is based on the successful model of the and recent efforts by UN Water, FAO, and promoting an integrated, holistic Integrated Flood Management HelpDesk and others, to support national drought drought intervention. <http://www.droughtmanagement.info/>. management policies, the COP13 event The World Meteorological Organization was held in Ordos, China from 6-16 and Global Water Partnership have September, 2017 on the theme Predict- joined with other partners to launch Plan- Prepare: Stop Drought becoming a an online HelpDesk for the Integrated famine. The conference aimed to promote Drought Management Programme (IDMP) a proactive, integrated action to engage designed to provide tailored guidance Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture A showcase programme on the Global climatic conditions pose a challenge, but Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture the network guarantees to stimulate and by FAO was held on 27 August, 2017 in City advise all nation governments irrespective Conference Centre, Stockholm. The event of their location. He further added that, one opened with welcome remarks from Mr.