http://www.icid.org 9 April 2018

Agriculture                                                   Climate Change                                                             Droughts
Floods                                                           Food Security                                                                Irrigation
Water Resources Management                 Forthcoming Event                                         Latest Publication

AGRICULTURE

India's agritech startups are employing data mining and AI to improve crop yield, make farming profitable
26 Mar, 2018
Agritech startups seem to be having their moment in the sun. There are many startups like SatSure that are disrupting the Indian agricultural economy in unexpected ways. Intello Labs, for example, uses image-recognition software to monitor crops and predict the health of farm yields.
https://www.firstpost.com/tech/india/indias-agritech-startups-are-employing-data-mining-and-ai-to-improve-crop-yield-make-farming-profitable-4405901.html

Food prices grow for second month in global index
5 Apr, 2018
The food price index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) grew for the second consecutive month driven by robust increases in grains and dairy prices. However, FAO’s anticipates this year’s world maize and wheat production to decline based on early forecasts, said the organization in a press release.
http://www.business-review.eu/business/agriculture/food-prices-grow-for-second-month-in-global-index-164416

UK sugar beet yields hit record levels
5 Apr, 2018
Sugar beet growers are celebrating record beet yields from the 2017 harvest, following favourable weather throughout the season, as the lifting campaign came to an end just before Easter. Some 8.9m tonnes of sugar beet were processed through the four British Sugar factories, with the final average yield of 83.4t/ha, a significant increase on the previous record of 79.8t/ha.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/uk-sugar-beet-yields-hit-record-levels.htm

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CLIMATE CHANGE
BHP formally leaves World Coal Association over climate change stance
5 Apr, 2018
BHP has officially dumped its membership of the World Coal Association due to the lobby group's stance on energy and climate change, but will retain its membership of the United States Chamber of Commerce for now.
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/coal/bhp-formally-leaves-world-coal-association-over-climate-change-stance-20180405-h0yd0j

2°C cap on global warming won't save Arctic sea ice: studies
3 Apr, 2018
Even if humanity stops global warming in its tracks at two degrees Celsius, long seen as the guardrail for a climate-safe world, Arctic sea ice will still disappear in some years, scientists have warned. Holding the line at 1.5°C, however, would make a huge difference, according to two separate studies published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/189265-2c-cap-on-global-warming-wont-save-arctic-sea-ice-studies

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DROUGHTS
Cape Town introduces 'world's first water police' after drought
1 Apr, 2018
The South African city has gone three years without significant rainfall and its six dams are running dangerously low. At the beginning of February, officials introduced a series of water restrictions that are so draconian, they simply have no precedent worldwide. Residents were restricted to just 50 litres of water and a host of everyday practices are prohibited under a series of measures known locally as "level 6B".
https://news.sky.com/story/cape-town-introduces-worlds-first-water-police-after-drought-11313588

California almonds are back after four years of brutal drought
14 Mar, 2018
This year’s California almonds have had their share of turmoil. Frost and high winds at the end of February damaged parts of the crop, grown throughout the state’s Central Valley. Farmers tried to limit the losses, running water to heat the ground and, in some cases, flying helicopters over trees to keep cold air from settling. The full impact won’t be known until later this month.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-thirst-for-almonds/

Argentine farmers slammed by worst drought in years

3 Apr, 2018
Argentina is suffering its worst drought in at least a decade. The drought, which began in November, has caused big losses, reduced expectations of economic growth and raised concerns among farmers, government officials and experts in the world's third-largest exporter of soybean and corn.
https://nypost.com/2018/04/03/argentine-farmers-slammed-by-worst-drought-in-years/

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FLOODS
Heavy rain to enhance flood, mudslide risk in California
5 Apr, 2018
Residents of California are being put on alert for a renewed risk of flooding, mudslides and travel disruptions through the first part of the weekend. A plume of moisture from the tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, also known as an atmospheric river, will take aim at Northern and central California through Saturday.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/heavy-rain-to-enhance-flood-mudslide-risk-in-california-through-saturday/70004605

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FOOD SECURITY
Indonesia hungers for better food policy to overturn chronic food insecurity
5 Apr, 2018
Despite years of reasonable economic growth, 19.4 million Indonesians are still unable to meet their daily dietary needs. The 2017 Global Food Security Index ranks Indonesia 69th out of 113 countries, and its overall score (which is independent of relative country rankings) has barely increased over the past five years. 
http://www.afr.com/news/world/asia/indonesia-hungers-for-better-food-policy-to-overturn-chronic-food-insecurity-20180405-h0ydib

Research on global food security receives a boost in Canada

4 Apr, 2018
Research on global food security received a boost through a recent funding announcement by the government of Saskatchewan. The provincial government, through its Innovation and Science Fund, is providing the new Roots of Food Security research facility at the University of Saskatchewan with $800,000.
http://www.foodincanada.com/food-in-canada/research-global-food-security-receives-boost-canada-139358/

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IRRIGATION
China to spend $300 million on improved irrigation in southern Xinjiang
31 Mar, 2018
The Chinese government will spend 1.875 billion yuan ($298.92 million) to improve irrigation systems in the heavily ethnic Uighur southern part. The funds will be used to upgrade irrigation facilities and promote water-saving technology to boost farm output in southern Xinjiang, where it said most the region's poorest people live. Southern Xinjiang is a major producer of cotton and fruit.
https://www.todayonline.com/world/china-spend-300-million-improved-irrigation-southern-xinjiang

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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Groundwater level falling in almost 50% area of Maharashtra: India
22 Mar, 2018
The Nagpur-based Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)’s figures show that in around 50% area of the Maharashtra state, groundwater level has fallen in the last ten years. As the accompanying map shows, the maximum fall was registered in Vidarbha. The report shows that out of the state’s total geographic area of 3,07,713 square kilometres, the groundwater level has fallen in around 1.5 lakh square kilometers.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/groundwater-level-falling-in-almost-50-area-of-maharashtra/articleshow/63404707.cms

Saudi Arabia joins UN decade for global water security
25 Mar, 2018
Saudi Arabia has joined a UN-sponsored international decade to safeguard and improve the world’s water supplies. The “Action Water for Sustainable Development” decade was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2016 and begins this year. It will help focus attention on global water security during the next 10 years.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1273131/saudi-arabia

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

8th Asian Regional Conference, 2-4 May 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, on the theme: Irrigation in Support of an Evergreen Revolution.
Website:http://nencid.org.np/

69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the theme: Innovative and Sustainable Agri-water Management: Adapting to a Variable and Changing Climate.
Website: http://www.icid2018.org/

Global Water Security for Agriculture and Natural Resources (GWSAN), 3-6 October 2018, Hyderabad, India: An ASABE Global Initiative Conference.
Website: http://www.asabewater.org/ 

9th International Micro Irrigation Conference, 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://www.icid.org/conf_microirri.html

3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) & 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September, 2019, Bali, Indonesia, on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/

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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
Water Saving in Irrigated Agriculture in Egypt: Case Studies and Lessons Learned, November 2017
The Egyptian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (ENCID) has launched a new book titled 'Water Saving in Irrigated Agriculture in Egypt: Case Studies and Lessons Learned.' The publication is a compilation of successful water-saving innovation ideas at the farm level and is a rich source of reference work for all the professionals engaged in agricultural water management aspirating for "More and more crop per drop." For more info, kindly write to Encid@link.net
http://www.enc

 Directory on Irrigation and Drainage - Products and Services (Yellow Pages)


This new online service introduced by ICID is developed to help various stakeholders in locating required business information through a few clicks. The online directory enlists all the services and products being provided by consultants, manufacturing companies, dealers, and other professional institutions dealing in irrigation, drainage and flood management. This online service is totally FREE and can be availed of by any service provider by submitting the required information on ICID website <http://www.icid.org/ypaddform2.php>. To view this new service, please visit http://www.icid.org/ypsearch.php

International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), established in 1950 as a scientific, technical and voluntary not-for-profit non-governmental international organization has the Mission to Work together towards sustainable agriculture water management through inter-disciplinary approaches to economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound irrigation, drainage and flood management. ICID e-Bulletin is a compilation of news items of importance during the preceding week in respect of Agriculture, Climate Change, Drainage, Droughts, Floods, Food Security, Irrigation and Water Resources Management that might be of interest to the ICID fraternity. Feedbacks on the usefulness of the bulletin are solicited icid@icid.org

 

IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE - The Journal of the ICID














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


ICID e-Bulletin is a weekly compilation providing a snapshot of international media coverage of and commentary on ICID-related issues that does not purport to be exhaustive. The information contained in the compilationis taken as is from sources external to the ICID Central Office and freely available on the Internet. No evaluation on the part of the ICID Central Office has been made in terms of the authenticity of the information that they contain. The ICID Central Office makes no warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy.


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8th Asian Regional Conference, 2-4 May 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, Website:http://nencid.org.np/
69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August, 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Website: http://www.icid2018.org/