Working Group on Irrigation and Drainage in the States under Socio-Economic Transformation (WG-IDSST)
The principal goal of the Working Group on Irrigation and Drainage in States with Transition Economy is to facilitate a single platform of National Committees of ICID that belong to States characterized by transition economy, in overcoming certain mutual problems in Irrigation and Drainage.
It is well known that after the splitting up of former USSR States that were included in Warsaw collaboration or Soviet Union went through very difficult times to overcome the problems connected with changing economic, political and social situation, especially in rural area during the past two decades. These are characterized by some common features such as:
- reduced size and direction of government subsidy to agriculture, water management, irrigation and drainage;
- lack of investment not only in development of Irrigation and Drainage, but also in sustainability of these networks; and
- lack of States’ attention to Irrigation and Drainage.
As result, in all these States, one can recognize that there is a:
- reduction of irrigated area (it was 12 Mha or 5% of global irrigated area)
- significant loss of organizations responsible for supporting infrastructure of irrigation and capacity building in water management
- failure of Irrigation and Drainage science; an
- lack of interest of young professional in Irrigation and Drainage.
The WG-IDSST aims to promote innovative approaches and necessary instruments to provide sustainable irrigation and drainage management within IWRM plans and RD projects in the countries of transition.
Mandate:
- to develop and strengthen the network among the countries of transition on the basis of establishment of monitoring and evaluation of common problems in the States and bring it to the attention of decision-makers in states;
- to create database and exchange of information about changing situation in Irrigation and Drainage in these States and to attract global and national attention to existing trends affecting global and national food security and wellbeing of rural population; especially related to climate change and ability to adapt to it;
- to promote implementation of IWRM and broad-basing of stakeholders by popularizing the case studies and best practices explaining the real content of IWRM principles;
- to monitor the ecological situation in the transition states, including problems of closed basin (Aral Sea, Lake Chad, Lake Victoria, Caspian Sea), rivers deltas, salinization and water logging, land desertification etc.;
- to collect appropriate advance irrigation and drainage technology for use in transition states and its dissemination through capacity building; to promote involvement young specialists as providers of these innovations; pay specific attention to use of RS technology in I&D;
- to promote farmer’s and WUAs training to create awareness about agricultural water management.
- to increase the efficiency and functioning of the WG, intensify collaboration with other countries to share best practices and experience for development of irrigation and drainage in the States under socio-economic transformation.
Documents
Agenda for the 1st meeting of the WG-IDSST (4 September 2019)
Minutes of the 1st meeting of the WG-IDSST (4 September 2019)
