Solutions for Water Management, Agricultural Security Key Takeaways From ICID Meet

Visakhapatnam: The three-day meet of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) in Visakhapatnam suggested several measures to address challenges of water management, irrigation and drainage, so that water scarcity in agriculture sector could be tackled.

The international Congress brought together a global congregation of around 1,300 experts, researchers, and professionals from 40 countries.

Discussions were spread over 18 sessions to primarily address demand management and the supply side augmentation of irrigation water. There have been major takeaways from these sessions to tackle water scarcity in agriculture sector and attain global food security.

Recommendations of the three-day Congress include efficient operation of existing irrigation infrastructure, increasing efficiency of water use in irrigation sector, developing climate-resilient irrigation infrastructure, conjunctive utilisation of surface and groundwater resources in irrigation sector, empowerment and greater participation of women for water management, participatory irrigation management through water users’ associations, adoption of state-of-the-art technologies for better irrigation management, adequate financing for irrigation sector, increased international collaboration and technology exchange, water budgeting and accounting and other management tools.

Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (INCID) organised the international Congress in collaboration with the AP government.