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 31 July 2020. 
For queries, please contact Dr. Sahdev Singh, Director (Knowledge Management) at icid@icid.org

ICID's Important Events Postponed
The 24th ICID Congress and 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 International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting will 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 are 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 Young Professional's Training Program YP-TP will also be organized preceding the 5th African Regional Conference.

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

South Africa to reopen agriculture sector, allow more manufacturing, retail
25 April 2020
South Africa plans to reopen its agriculture sector and allow some manufacturing and retail to resume as the country balances the need to restart economic output and curb the spread of the new coronavirus, trade minister Ebrahim Patel said on Saturday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-safrica/south-africa-to-reopen-agriculture-sector-allow-more-manufacturing-retail-idUSKCN2270J9
 

Global Agriculture Robots Industry
24 April 2020
Agriculture Robots market worldwide is projected to grow by US$4. 9 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 22. 7%. Agriculture UAVs, one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 21.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-agriculture-robots-industry-000342345.html
 

Welcome to The New World Of Digital Agriculture
22 April 2020
An ecosystem scientist and an agricultural economist have outlined how agriculture needs to develop a more sustainable land management system through the integration of big data into crop and farmland usage, which they are calling digital agriculture.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2020/04/22/welcome-to-the-new-world-of-digital-agriculture/#3994d42910ce

 

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CLIMATE CHANGE 







David Attenborough Wants Remote Work to Continue Post-Pandemic to Curb Climate Change
26 April 2020
Sir David Attenborough, a new home school teacher, said that we should be working from home to help slow climate change. The naturalist and documentarian spoke about his thoughts on Earth Day with Christiane Amanpour.
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/david-attenborough-wants-remote-work-to-continue-post-pandemic-to-curb-climate-change/
 

We can flatten climate change curve
25 April 2020
There’s been another curve that’s commanded our attention, rising upwards at an unprecedented rate. It’s the impact of pollution on climate. Leading scientists have known about this for decades.
https://www.mcall.com/opinion/readers-react/mc-opi-let-schilling-support-hr763-20200425-gpzjl54rdvgcdeghdxsferrlua-story.html
 

Earth Day Rally Connects Coronavirus To Climate Change
23 April 2020
Pollution can lead to respiratory illness, which leads to a higher chance of dying from Covid-19. Earth Day turned 50 in New Haven on Wednesday with that connection in mind.
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/covid_earth_day_rally/

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  To 

DROUGHTS 







Germany may be looking at serious drought conditions this year
26 April 2020
Germany’s spring showers haven’t materialized this year, and that’s drying out the country’s most important river, prompting concerns that key industrial goods might have trouble making it to their destination.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/germany-may-be-looking-at-serious-drought-conditions-this-year/article/570796
 

What does it take to end a drought?
26 April 2020
Drought is a creeping disaster. You are in the middle of it by the time you realize it has begun. Its departure can be just as ambiguous. Sure, rain is the root of the issue, but when drought ends depends on how you were impacted in the first place.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-26/what-does-it-take-to-end-a-drought/12180508
 

Cuba's water reservoirs suffer from intense drought
23 April 2020
Cuba is currently suffering an intense drought and its water reservoirs are below 50 percent of storage capacity. Until April 21, there were 4,230 million cubic meters of the precious liquid, reported on Thursday Granma daily.
https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=54914&SEO=cubas-water-reservoirs-suffer-intense-drought


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 FLOODS






At least 300 families displaced by floods in Tana River
26 April 2020
The residents have been displaced by floods barely three months after returning to their homes after water levels left them living in displacement camps in December. In Kajiado Central sub-county, several villages have been cut off by raging flash floods leaving residents fearing for their lives
https://www.kbc.co.ke/at-least-300-families-displaced-by-floods-in-tana-river/
 

Yemen and the DRC: flash floods leave behind devastation
25 April 2020
The United Nations is working with the government of Yemen to assess the needs of 14,700 internally displaced people who have been caught up in the floods in Aiden. The government has now declared the southern port city a disaster zone.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2020-04/yemen-flash-flooding.html
 

Submerged roads, waterlogged fields: Spring thaw triggers Alberta floods
23 April 2020
Communities across northwestern Alberta are dealing with flooding caused by melting snow and ice jams on fast-flowing rivers. Flooding has submerged local roads and areas highways, waterlogged farmers’ fields and filled residential basements. Rivers, jammed with ice floes, are moving fast and high.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-overland-flooding-spring-thaw-1.5540860

FOOD SECURITY 








Crisis pushes Lebanese to seek food security
26 April 2020
As Lebanon’s protracted economic and financial crisis, compounded by the COVID-19 outbreak, threatens national food security, a local NGO is encouraging citizens to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
https://thearabweekly.com/crisis-pushes-lebanese-seek-food-security
 

The solution to food insecurity is food sovereignty
26 April 2020
The lockdowns have deprived millions of daily wage workers in cities from their income, pushing many families to the verge of starvation.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/solution-food-insecurity-food-sovereignty-200425143803134.html
 

With Schools Closed Worldwide, Food Banks Turn Their Attention to Feeding Millions of Vulnerable Children
24 April 2020
The United Nations estimates that 368.5 million children that normally rely on school meals for nutrition must now turn to other sources due to COVID-19. This week The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) announced a partnership to help provide meals to these children.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/04/24/2021980/0/en/With-Schools-Closed-Worldwide-Food-Banks-Turn-Their-Attention-to-Feeding-Millions-of-Vulnerable-Children.html 

IRRIGATION





Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project progressing
25 April 2020
Ghana’s quest to be self-reliant in food production will receive a major boost with the completion of the 2000-hectare Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Project (PLBIP) by the end of the year.
https://newsghana.com.gh/kpong-left-bank-irrigation-project-progressing/
 

Ukraine rivers drop to lowest level in 100 years, posing threat to agriculture
25 April 2020
This year the water level in many rivers across Ukraine, as well as in the Dnipro, the longest river of Ukraine and the fourth-longest in Europe, hit a record low for the last 100 years, experts said. A dry winter and fall have sparked concerns about low levels of water in the country’s waterways, rivers, and low levels of moisture in Ukrainian soil.
https://www.kyivpost.com/business/ukraine-rivers-drop-to-lowest-level-in-100-years-posing-threat-to-agriculture.html
 

Wetting Body Characteristics and Infiltration Model of Film Hole Irrigation
25 April 2020
Film hole irrigation is a relatively low cost and high efficiency irrigation method, which can significantly improve the efficiency of agricultural water use. In order to establish the quantitative model of film hole irrigation between cumulative infiltration and the wetting body and the irrigation volume model of crops, the infiltration process and wetting body characteristics of four different soils (Xi'an silt loam, silt, silt loam and loam) were studied in laboratory experiments and numerical HYDRUS simulation experiments.
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/5/1226 

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 







Sustainable Water Management Plan Endorsed by Balkan Countries of the Drin River Basin
26 April 2020
The ministers and representatives from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Greece, and North Macedonia endorsed the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the sustainable management of the Drin river basin. The Programme consists in more than 100 actions that aim to enable sustainable water management in the Drin Basin, that houses 1.6 million inhabitants. The Drin River Basin is an important source of water for drinking, fishing, energy, agriculture, tourism, and biodiversity in the region.
https://exit.al/en/2020/04/25/sustainable-water-management-plan-endorsed-by-balkan-countries-of-the-drin-river-basin/
 

Improving water resource management in Colombia and Ecuador
24 April 2020
Manaaki Whenua Senior Scientist, Andrew Fenemor says the goal of the project is to improve rural livelihoods for the largely indigenous communities in these two high altitude catchments.
“By applying knowledge from locally-generated land and water inventories, communities and agencies are showing real inspiration to improve the way they manage these steep lands and their water use, which in turn is building a sense of community and improvinge rural livelihoods and incomes.”
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/about/news/snippets/improving-water-resource-management-in-colombia-and-ecuador

 

Data sharing, cooperation for Mekong River management
22 April 2020
The greater data sharing, transparency and cooperation between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and dialogue partners will improve management of the Mekong River, the Mekong River Commission said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50715582/data-sharing-cooperation-for-mekong-river-management/

[Top]

Workshop on Effective Ways of Cooperation with Other Specialist Groups Dealing with the Evolution of Water Culture and History at the Hellenic Open University
Hellenic Open University in Patras, Greece, is organizing a one-day workshop on 06 September 2020 in the University.

The key theme of this workshop will be to look for effective ways of cooperation with other Specialist Groups dealing with the Evolution of Water Culture and History.
Website: http://wwetc2020.eap.gr/

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
 

[Top]

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 - The Journal of ICID }

Articles available via complimentary online access @http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ird

ICID e-Bulletin is a weekly compilation of news items on ICID-related issues in the domain of Agriculture, Climate Change, Droughts, Floods, Food Security, Irrigation and Water Resources Management that might be of interest to the ICID fraternity. The information contained in the BULLETIN does not purport to be exhaustive and is taken ''as it is'' from external sources and is freely available on the internet. No evaluation on the part of the ICID Central Office is being made in terms of the authenticity of the information that it may contain. ICID Central Office makes no guarantee, either express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information published. Your valuable feedback on the usefulness of the bulletin is solicited at icid@icid.org.
 

{ Compiled & Edited by Dr. Sahdev Singh, Ms. Prachi Sharma, Ms. Shreshta Sharma & Mr.Vincent Van Ross }

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