| SCOPE | OBJECTIVE | THEMES | PAPER SUBMISSION | | GUIDELINES | KICKOFF MEETING |

For online paper submission register at: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fwif2013

Growing food security concerns due to demographic pressure, combined with increased competition for water and climate variability have once again brought forward the importance of irrigation to grow more food. The plight of the poorest of farmers, the small-holders is likely to be worsened under water-scarcity and climatic variability endangering their food security. The increasing pressure on natural resources, particularly land and water, stemming from complex water-food-energy linkages also means that increase in food production cannot be achieved through mono-disciplinary approaches. Expansion of irrigation therefore has become more critical in all its forms and interactions, requiring inputs from all stakeholders and actors working within the irrigation and agriculture sector, particularly with the small-holder farmers.

Modernization of irrigation services, through upgrading existing infrastructure and improving irrigation management, is a challenging technical and institutional task. New solutions are needed, based on new management options and widely available technologies. One of the most significant changes in institutional arrangements in recent years has been the participatory irrigation management movement through formation of water user associations.

Agriculture Water Management (AWM) encompasses a range of options from rainfed farming to full irrigation. The approaches of various actors involved in agriculture water management are changing, at a satisfactory pace in some areas but slowly in others. Globally there have been changes in knowledge, attitudes and policies regarding agricultural water management and the environment.

In order to address these issues and fulfilling ICID’s mission and objectives of contributing to food security, ICID is bringing together all the stakeholders involved in irrigation of all types and all scales under the umbrella of World Irrigation Forum (WIF). It will include policy makers, experts, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, private sector and farmers, among others.

With the mission to stimulate and promote the irrigation, drainage and flood management. The objective of the WIF would be:

• Support multi- disciplinary  discussions towards the solution to water management in agriculture in the 21st century
• Exchange latest irrigation and drainage policies, innovations and technologies
• Develop liaison/ collaboration among various national / international institutions/ organizations/ private sector working for irrigated agriculture
• Explore and formulate concrete inter-disciplinary proposals,and
• Advocate political commitments.

Mardin as the venue provides opportunity to see Irrigation systems acting as facilitators in GAP (South Eastern Anatolian Project), a multi-sectoral and integrated regional development project based on the concept of sustainable development with its basic aim to eliminate regional development disparities by raising people's income level and living standards.

For a sustainable agriculture water management an in-depth understanding of the implications of population growth, changing demographics due to rapid urbanisation, and frequent extremes due to climate change on water resources availability and irrigation management is needed to ensure a steady growth in ‘Global Food Production’. “The Future We Want”, as an outcome of the Rio+20 recognizes the need to maintain natural ecological processes that support food production systems. How irrigated agriculture can meet these aspirations under the increasing food demands in the 21st Century requires a review of the policies, techniques, implementation strategies for a more sustainable water management under limiting natural resources – both land and water- under competing financial resources. The Forum will therefore strive to address the following theme, sub-themes. In addition other international workshops, special sessions and side events will be organized.

Main Theme:

Irrigation and drainage in a changing world: challenges and opportunities for global food security.

The sub-themes and related topics are:  

Sub-theme 1:  Policy, Science and Society Interactions

Topics:

Sub-theme 2: Challenges and Developments in Financing Irrigation and Drainage Sector

Topics:

Sub-theme 3: Integrated Water Management Approaches for Sustainable Food Production

Topics:

International Workshops

(A) Workshop on Water Wisdom and Sustainability

Water wisdom of the past and relevant case studies; Wisdom and knowledge management; Water and sustainability; Case studies of sustainable historical water schemes; Using the tradition methods for creative and modern innovations in water engineering; Re-learning the lost knowledge; Synergy and combination of modern and traditional methods; Comparison of traditional methods with modern technology in rural areas

(B) Workshop on Developing Management Strategies for Coping with Drought and Water Scarcity

Drought Management Strategies: Quantification or categorization of drought; Predicting or forecasting drought; Drought management strategies under national, water management and end user levels; Implementation of strategies during real drought conditions; Effectiveness of strategies during real drought conditions

Coping with Water Scarcity: Quantification or categorization of water short regions; Concepts and main aspects of water scarcity; new developments and trends in coping with water scarcity in water stressed regions

Rainfall Management (Water Harvesting): Rainfall management tools; Strategies / policies for rainfall management; Effectiveness of rainfall management; Rainfall management effect on surface runoff and stream flow


(C) Workshop on Management of Water, Crops and Soils under Climate Change

Quantifying GHG emissions (N2O, CH4 and CO2) and carbon sequestration under current irrigation practices; Developing strategies and technologies for minimizing GHG emissions in water-managed production  systems; Use of improved crop varieties to cope with extreme events (floods and droughts); Soil management and tillage practices to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

Full Papers (preferably 10 pages, maximum on A-4 size) on the Sub-theme, topics and international workshops are solicited from potential contributors. The papers will go through a review process. Authors of selected papers would be invited to make a presentation in 15 minutes through maximum of 10-15 power point slides.

(a) Selected 3 best papers (one from each sub-theme) will be presented in the plenary sessions (one paper per plenary session) of the respective sub-theme.

(b) From among the papers received/ accepted under each sub-theme, six select papers will be presented in the 2nd and 3rd parallel sessions.

(c) Other papers can be presented as poster and the authors can participate in the panel discussions and formulation of recommendations

(d) Authors will be informed about the acceptance of his/her paper either for oral or poster presentation.

 Schedule for submission of full papers

Short Communications (preferably 4 pages (maximum) with an A-4 format), on various sub-themes and topics are solicited from potential contributors. The short communications have to describe new/promising products (equipment, software, models, management practices, institutional arrangements, etc.). Short communications will be invited to be presented briefly in 5 minutes through 3-5 slides.

(a) Selected 3 best short communications (one from each sub-theme) will be invited for a brief presentation at the plenary sessions (one short communication per plenary session) of the respective sub-theme.

(b) Six short communications under each sub-theme will be presented in the 2nd and 3rd parallel sessions of the sub-themes.

(c) Other short communications can be presented as posters.

Schedule for submission for the short communications:

Guidelines for authors

Paper Submission:

Papers / short communication must be submitted online after registering on the following URL: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fwif2013

The Secretariat,  Turkish National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (TUCID); Devlet Mahallesi Inönü Bulvari No. 16, 06100 Çankaya /ANKARA-TURKEY, Tel: +90-312-425-2059, Fax: +90-312-425-4614, E-mail: icid2013@dsi.gov.tr, Website: www.icid2013.org, www.worldirrigationforum.org

WIF COORDINATOR: Dr. Vijay K. Labhsetwar, Director, ICID, New Delhi, India. E-mail: icid@icid.org

The Kick-Off meeting of the 1st World Irrigation Forum (WIF-1) was held on 5 October 2012 at Istanbul (DSI 14, Regional Directorate Meeting Hall). Almost all members of National Organizing Committee of WIF-1 actively participated in the meeting. The Vice Chairman of TUCID, Mr. Cuneyt Gerek and President of SUEN, Prof. Dr. A. Mete Saatçi and Dr. Hüseyin GŰNDOĞDU, Vice President, ICID were also present at the meeting. Vice Chairman Mr. Cuneyt Gerek delivered the opening speech and Vice President Dr. Hüseyin GŰNDOĞDU informed the members about the developments, targets, organizational structures, and thematic issues etc.