The global spread of COVID19 is the crisis experienced directly by some and indirectly by all of us, and hence calls for greater cooperation across the borders to turn the tide. Howsoever devastating COVID19 is, our resolve to fight it together and come back stronger is the need of the hour. ICID hopes that the members of national committees, their families and friends, personnel, and other people associated with them are all safe. We are also wishing the same for our international partners, direct members and other stakeholders.............................................................. for the complete mail, kindly refer to the mail sent dated 7th April 2020. 

Kindly find the president's message in this video. 
 

ICID Watsave Awards and Recognition of World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS)
WatSave Awards
For details, please visit: https://www.icid.org/awards_ws.html
WHIS Recognition
For details regarding nomination and criterion for the recognition, please visit: http://www.icid.org/awards_icid.html
From this year onwards, ONLY ONLINE NOMINATION FORM SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED at  https://icidevents.org/awards

The deadline for receipt of the entries for WatSave awards and WHIS from the National Committees along with the completed ‘Nomination Form’ and related details to the ICID Central Office, New Delhi (India) is 30th June 2020.

For queries, please contact Dr. Sahdev Singh, Director (Knowledge Management) at icid@icid.org

ICID's UPCOMING EVENTS 
 The 24th ICID Congress and the 72nd IEC Meeting

The 24th ICID Congress has been rescheduled to 6-12 July 2021 in Sydney, Australia, on the recommendation of Irrigation Australia Ltd., & Irrigation Australia's Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (IACID) because of COVID-19. The 72nd IEC will be held with the Sydney Congress in July 2021 instead of 71st IEC. For more information, please contact: Mr. Bryan Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Irrigation's Australia Limited (IAL) (Incorporating IACID); Email: bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au, info@irrigation.org.au; Website: https://www.icid2020.com.au/
The 71st IEC Meeting and the 5th ARC

The 71st IEC may be held along with the 5th African Regional Conference (ARC) and the Young Professional's Training Program (YP-TP) in 2020. Dates of 5th ARC and 71st IEC to be decided in consultation with the Moroccan National Committee (ANAFIDE), once COVID-19 situation is under control. Dates will be announced about three months in advance of the event.
The 10th International Micro Irrigation Conference (10MIC)

10th International Micro Irrigation Conference (10MIC) in Agadir, Morocco, will be a standalone event in 2021. Dates to be announced later

OBITUARY
With a heavy heart, we inform our readers that the former Secretary-General of ICID (1988 to 1992), Dr. R.S. Varshney, passed away on 06 April 2020. He was 90 years old. Dr. Varshneay was born in May 1930. He graduated in Civil Engineering in 1952, completed his masters in 1962 and obtained his Ph.D. in 1972. He joined the Irrigation Department, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1953 and became the Engineer-in-Chief and Head of the Department in 1987. He worked with the Government of Mauritius as Advisor/Projects Coordinator. He had rich and varied experience of over 35 years in the planning, design, construction, and management of river valley projects. He was considered to be a technical expert in dams. He was awarded the Jawahar Lal Nehru Research Award 1988 in recognition of his contributions to irrigation research in India. He was also closely associated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He authored several books on water resources engineering and management, which are considered to be standard reference material for undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering. ICID’s condolence message to Dr. Varshney’s family: “With great sorrow and a sense of loss that we received the news of passing away of Dr. Varshney a few days earlier. In these difficult times, visiting personally and paying our respects is quite difficult. However, the officers and staff members of ICID, as well as present and former officers of Central Water Commission, present our condolences and prayers.”

Cradle of agriculture in the Amazon region much older
11 April 2020
People began growing manioc and squash much earlier than previously thought, a team of researchers led by the Swiss university of Bern has found. A study shows that the earliest human inhabitants of Moxos plains began transforming the tropical savanna eco-region in Bolivia 10,000 years ago, that is 8,000 earlier than previously thought.
https://menafn.com/1100008601/Cradle-of-agriculture-in-the-Amazon-region-much-older
 

World Needs to Keep a Close Watch on Agriculture While Battling COVID-19 Pandemic
06 April 2020
During a lockdown, agriculture is excluded from all restrictions but, when the entire economy is under a lockdown, it is a challenge for farmers to carry out farm operations. Once the pandemic is brought under control, most sectors of the economy can be kickstarted, but agricultural production has strict planting and harvesting schedules and cannot be ramped up at will.
https://cipotato.org/blog/world-needs-keep-close-watch-agriculture-while-battling-covid-19-pandemic/
 

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CLIMATE CHANGE 







The Dutch have mastered water for a millennium. Could their new approach save coastal Louisiana?
12 April 2020
The Dutch have a new lesson: Building bigger, better infrastructure won’t be enough to overcome the threats posed by changing climate. Even the mighty Maeslant, the Dutch now concede, stands little chance against the storms, floods and rising seas predicted in the coming decades.
https://www.houmatoday.com/news/20200412/dutch-have-mastered-water-for-millennium-could-their-new-approach-save-coastal-louisiana
 

4 Ocean-Centric Technologies Fighting Climate Risks
12 April 2020
One small bit of good news is that, despite the surging levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the oceans, in part, seem to be stepping up to the task of absorbing their historical share of the additional carbon.
https://gritdaily.com/4-ocean-centric-technologies-designed-to-mitigate-climate-risks/
 

Long-living tropical trees play outsized role in carbon storage
09 April 2020
A group of trees that grow fast, live long lives and reproduce slowly account for the bulk of the biomass -- and carbon storage -- in some tropical rainforests, a team of scientists says.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200409141550.htm

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DROUGHTS 







Access Forex commits US$200 000 to feed vulnerable groups during lockdown
12 April 2020
Incessant droughts have crippled the country’s food security with distribution of mealie meal, for instance, becoming a challenge especially under the Covid-19 lockdown period due to limited supplies. The United Nations has put out the figure of 4.1 million people in Zimbabwe needing food aid because of shortages induced by climate change or recurring droughts and economic challenges.
https://www.chronicle.co.zw/access-forex-commits-us200-000-to-feed-vulnerable-groups-during-lockdown/
 

Australian farmers finally recovering after months of drought and bushfires
10 April 2020
Farmers in Australia are planting winter crops for the first time in four years after a record summer of bushfires was replaced with heavy rainfall.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/10/australian-farmers-finally-recovering-months-drought-bushfires/
 

Brazil lowers soy output forecast after drought
09 April 2020
Crop performance varies from state to state. While Rio Grande do Sul is poised for a 30.5pc drop in comparison to 2018-19 for soybeans, the weather has favored other regions.
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2095213-brazil-lowers-soy-output-forecast-after-drought


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 FLOODS






The latest flood outlook from the Conservation Authority
12 April 2020
The weather forecast indicates rain or snow will begin this evening and then transition to heavy rain tonight. Rain will continue Monday before changing to flurries Monday afternoon or evening. Total rainfall amounts of 20 to 30 mm are expected.
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/the-latest-flood-outlook-from-the-conservation-authority-2247839
 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Floods in Kinshasa
11 April 2020
In Kinshasa, the rains continued until March 2020 and forecast estimate that the rains will continue until June 2020, with possible new flooding. So far, the situation has not reached a level where there is a need to revise the operation to include new people in need.
https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/democratic-republic-congo-floods-kinshasa-operation-update-n-1-dref
 

Remembering the flooding of 2019
07 April 2020
Looking back on that day, Wipperfurth said the snow melt took place in a couple of hours, leaving lots of water flowing through farm fields. It didn’t help that the ground was still frozen. This year, it’s not, which allows stormwater to soak into the earth.
http://www.hngnews.com/deforest_times/news/government/article_938803a6-5f1c-51fe-bdb4-3c03be4f1f77.html

 

FOOD SECURITY 







A looming food import crisis
13 April 2020
THE Malaysian Government should look into the worldwide food security issues raised by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry deputy minister Sim Tze Tzin.
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2020/04/13/a-looming-food-import-crisis
 

The coronavirus pandemic could threaten global food supply, UN warns
13 April 2020
"Supermarket shelves remain stocked for now," the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a report released late last month. "But a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more."
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/10/asia/coronavirus-food-supply-asia-intl-hnk/index.html
 

Food security strategy helps Qatar face crises
10 April 2020
Food security is an issue that’s at the forefront of Qatar’s priorities on the developmental level, due to the essential role it plays in economic independence of the state and food security is also important to realize the 2030 Qatar National Vision.
https://www.gulf-times.com/story/660466/Food-security-strategy-helps-Qatar-face-crises


 

IRRIGATION





Water Uptake Patterns of Alfalfa under Winter Irrigation in Cold and Arid Grassland
12 April 2020
Crop reduction caused by cryogenesis and drought is a serious and global problem. The environmental stress caused by low temperature and drought during the overwintering stage of forage is the key factor leading to this low yield. In cold and arid grassland, winter irrigation can effectively alleviate the stress of alfalfa during overwintering, improve the survival rate of alfalfa, and significantly increase the yield.
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/4/1093
 

Water reuse for agricultural irrigation: Council adopts new rules | EU Council Press
08 April 2020
The EU is taking new measures to reduce the risk of shortages of water for irrigating crops. The Council today adopted by written procedure a regulation which will facilitate the use of treated urban waste water (reclaimed water) for agricultural irrigation.
https://www.pubaffairsbruxelles.eu/water-reuse-for-agricultural-irrigation-council-adopts-new-rules-eu-council-press/
 

Soil moisture sensing for forage irrigation
06 April 2020
There are many methods used by growers to determine when and how much to irrigate forages. Some decide to turn the water on after handling a shovel-full of soil. Other growers use a commercial model created by the manufacturer of their pivot.
https://hayandforage.com/article-2954-Soil-moisture-sensing--for-forage-irrigation.html

 

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 






Ensuring water security in South Africa
12 April 2020
Water security appears regularly in the top five global economic risks, according to the World Economic Forum. With increasing pressure from population growth and the need for water to support economic growth, South Africa’s water security is increasingly at risk. Additional threats are posed by climate change, land-use changes, declining water quality, and catchment degradation.
https://www.miningreview.com/energy/aurecon-plays-a-vital-role-in-ensuring-water-security-for-south-africa/
 

Afghanistan- Central Asia: Challenges of Fragile States for Regional Water Cooperation
08 April 2020
Central Asia, consisting of the southern former Soviet Union provinces, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, is enriched in natural resources. Central Asia, with the population of 60 million people, covers an area of 4 million square kilometers.
https://menafn.com/1099992467/Afghanistan-Central-Asia-Challenges-of-Fragile-States-for-Regional-Water-Cooperation
 

Hungary and Morocco enhance cooperation for better water management
08 April 2020
Morocco wants to intensify its cooperation with Hungary, particularly in the field of water resources management. The Moroccan Minister of Public Works, Transport, Logistics and Water, Abdelkader Amara, recently held talks in Hungary with Sandor Pinter, the Hungarian Minister of the Interior, responsible for the water sector, to establish a model partnership in the field of academic training.
https://www.afrik21.africa/en/morocco-hungary-and-morocco-enhance-cooperation-for-better-water-management/

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6th IWA International Symposium on Water, Wastewater and Environment in Ancient Civilizations: Traditions and Cultures 8-10 September 2020
The 6th IWA International Symposium which will be Co-organized by the Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey and the Hellenic Open University, Patra, Greece. It will take place at the Bogazici University (8 & 9 September) and in the Conference Hall of the Theological School of Halki in the island of Heybeliada, Istanbul, Turkey (10 September).
https://iwa-network.org/events/iwa-regional-symposium-on-water-wastewater-and-environment-traditions-and-cultures/

MinWat 2020 3rd International Multidisciplinary Conference on Mineral Waters: Genesis, Exploitation, Protection, and Valorisation. Postponed, owing to the international health situation concerning the epidemy of COVID-19, from May 2020, to 11-15 October 2020. For more details, please visit: https://iah.org/events/minwat-2020; Email: segratario@iahitaly.it
 

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World Water Development Report 2020 – Water and Climate Change
The World Water Development Report is the UN-Water flagship report on water. This yearly report, published by UNESCO/UN-Water, aims at informing the water and climate community about the challenges, opportunities and potential responses to climate change through water. FAO contributed to the report with expertise on agriculture and food security.
 Irrigation and Drainage (ICID Journal No.68.4)

The latest issue of ICID Journal, Irrigation and Drainage (No.68.4) published in December 2019 is now available online free via Wiley online library for all ICID office bearers, work body members and subscribers. Papers are available in easy to read PDF format. The journal provides access to the full text of all articles published in Irrigation and Drainage since 2001, as well as Tables of Contents and Abstracts. Early View service provides papers online as soon as they have been accepted for publication, which can be several months earlier than the papers published in print. Sign up for FREE Wiley Alerts – receive the table of contents via email as soon as an issue is published online: For 2019 Wiley has provided each ICID office bearer, work body member and subscriber a membership registration number. Your e-mail address is your user name and you can choose your own password.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1531-0361