Symposium International de l'ICID

ICID Symposium in association with UN-FAO

Monday, 12 October 2026 (14:00 - 16:00 / 16:30 - 18:30)

Chairman: President Dr. Marco Arcieri

The Symposium aims to provide a platform for irrigation and drainage professionals and the broad range of other stakeholders to share their knowledge and experience in sustainable agriculture water management focusing on irrigation management and its related/integrated aspects.

The International Symposium will be organized by ICID in association with UN-FAO

The theme of the Symposium is “Future Proofing Irrigation: Modernization and IWRM, Finance, Policies and Institutions

Presentation: country papers by ICID National Committees (NCs)

The ICID Central Office has circulated the ‘Concept Note’ of the International Symposium to the National Committees for the preparation of country papers for the Symposium, requesting them to submit their country papers to ICID by 30 June 2026. For the moment the National Committees of Japan, South Korea, Hungary, Ukraine, South Africa and Zimbabwe have expressed interest in submitting country papers for the Symposium.

Scope of the symposium

The symposium will provide a platform for irrigation professionals, policymakers, researchers, and development partners to examine the transformation of irrigation systems towards more resilient, efficient, and sustainable models. It will move beyond a technology-focused perspective and frame irrigation modernization as a comprehensive system-wide process encompassing service delivery, water resources integration, digitalization, governance, and financing within the broader context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Deliberations will focus on how irrigation systems can be “future-proofed” in response to increasing climate variability, water scarcity, and rising food demand. Particular attention will be given to improving irrigation service performance in terms of reliability, equity, and efficiency; integrating surface water, groundwater, and non-conventional water sources; and strengthening climate-resilient operational practices, including adaptive irrigation scheduling, drought monitoring, and risk-informed water allocation. The role of digital technologies such as remote sensing, automation, and data-driven decision-support systems will be examined as key enablers of improved system management and performance.

The symposium will also address critical cross-cutting dimensions, including the water–energy nexus, especially in the context of expanding solar-powered irrigation, and its associated risks and benefits. Discussions will further explore the importance of effective water governance, institutional coordination, and human capacity development to ensure that modernization efforts are sustained and scaled. In parallel, financing pathways for irrigation modernization will be examined, alongside policy and regulatory frameworks that support efficient and equitable water use.

ICID National Committees are invited to submit country papers based on the below given analytical framework to ensure consistency and comparability across submissions. Country papers should provide evidence-based assessments of irrigation systems, covering system performance, key challenges and risks, modernization pathways, governance and institutional arrangements, and financing mechanisms. Emphasis should be placed on both technological and non-technological dimensions of modernization, supported by quantitative indicators and practical experience, to enable meaningful cross-country learning and synthesis.