The Commission thrives on its worldwide network of experts from multifarious disciplines from 70 countries, who came together in the interest of global water management. All are members contribute to this higher cause by offering their voluntary services. 

Currently, there are two different kinds of membership categories; National Committees and Direct Members.  National Committees (NC) represent their countries mostly through their government departments responsible for irrigation, drainage or agricultural water management. 

Companies, institutions, and individuals can also participate in ICID activities through their respective NCs or as Direct Members (DM). Professionals, individuals and officers of a government or of an institution or institutions - government and non-government; and companies, effectively representing interests within the scope of the objects of the Commission can participate in ICID activities through Direct Membership, to further the objects of the Commission in their countries or sovereign areas.

In the course of our activities and events conducted throughout the world, we associate with many different kinds of NGOs, national governments, researchers, corporate sectors, civil society organizations, and individuals. They are not necessarily members of ICID network but our associates and an important part of ICID fraternity. For more details, please visit: https://icid-ciid.org/view_page/2

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Why African agriculture is central to solving world hunger and climate issues?

24 October 2025

The agricultural sector sustains 70% of Africans, most of them women, and contributes roughly 30% of the continent’s GDP. Despite this, African farmers receive only $140 per year on average, compared with $1,300 globally. 

Source: https://www.zawya.com/en/world/africa/why-african-agriculture-is-central-to-solving-world-hunger-and-climate-issues-fd2v8efg

 

‘We found 23,000 worms!’ The soil project bringing life back to the land

22 October 2025

Soil is the second largest carbon store after the oceans, but it’s being steadily degraded. One farming community is pioneering a soil health project to show how organic regenerative agriculture can restore this vital ecosystem.

Source: https://www.positive.news/society/we-found-23000-worms-the-soil-project-bringing-life-back-to-the-land/

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World's penguins under pressure from cumulative climate impacts

24 October 2025

For the world's population of penguins, survival may now depend on a new way of understanding climate change, as scientists suggest examining the cumulative impact of marine heatwaves, storms, or heat surges instead of addressing them in isolation.

Source: https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/world-s-penguins-under-pressure-from-cumulative-climate-impacts/

 

Multi-century global and regional sea-level rise commitments from cumulative greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decades

24 October 2025

Sea levels respond to climate change on timescales from decades to millennia. To isolate the sea-level contribution of historical and near-term GHG emissions, we use a dedicated scenario and modelling framework to quantify global and regional sea-level rise commitments of twenty-first century cumulative emissions. 

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02452-5

 

Critical intervention points for European adaptation to cascading climate change impacts

16 October 2025

Here we analyse cascading climate change impacts on the EU, originating from outside the region, and identify critical intervention points for adaptation. Using network analysis, we integrate stakeholder-co-produced impact chains with quantitative data for 102 countries across foreign policy, human security, trade and finance.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02455-2

Road Map to ICID Vision 2030- and Three-Year Rolling Plan
The water crisis, one of the most complex challenges of the 21st century, stems from a multitude of factors such as climate change, rapid population growth, inefficient consumption patterns, increasing demand, and mounting pressure on limited water resources. These issues have made a fundamental revision of water management and governance approaches inevitable. Global estimates indicate that by 2050, over two-thirds of the world's population will face water stress. https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/RoadMaptoVision20230-2025.pdf

Guidelines for Irrigation with Reclaimed Water
Using wastewater or poor-quality water for irrigation is one of the eight technical strategies proposed in the roadmap to 2030 ICID Vision “A water-secure world free of poverty and hunger through sustainable rural development”. Reclaimed water is considered a stable alternative water source for irrigation which is increasingly used worldwide. 

https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/GuidelinesforReclaimedWater2025.pdf

Environmental Drainage
This book begins by discussing general environmental issues. It then delves into the pollutants found in drainage water, with a particular focus on soil and water salinity, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The residues of chemical fertilizers and animal manure, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are major environmental pollutants. 

https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/EnvironmentalDrainage2025.pdf

Guide to Innovated Irrigation and Drainage Management under the Changing Climate
Agriculture is a significant global user of freshwater resources, accounting for 70% of usage and contributing up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, it is both a contributor to and a victim of climate change. The Working Group on Climate is dedicated to addressing the mitigation and adaptation challenges faced by agricultural water management in the context of a changing climate. https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/ClimateChangeGuideBook2025.pdf

The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025, Mountains and glaciers: water towers - The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and glaciers: Water towers calls attention to the essential services and benefits mountain waters and alpine glaciers provide to societies, economies and the environment. With a focus on the technical and policy responses required to improve water management in mountains, the report covers critical issues such as water supply and sanitation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and energy security, industry, disaster risk reduction and ecosystem protection. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000393070

ICID Publication - Historical Water Sustainability, 2023

The latest data from WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas (August 2023) show that 25 countries housing one-quarter of the global population face extremely high water stress each year, regularly using up almost their entire available water supply. And at least 50% of the world’s population around 4 billion people live under highly water-stressed conditions for at least one month of the year. https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/HWS-ePublication.pdf

ICID Publication - Compendium World Heritage Irrigation Structures (2014-2022)

Since the dawn of human civilization water has been an enabler of societal development so much so that we started believing “Water is Life,” a common phrase in most languages. And, life is multi-dimensional involving not only a physical aspect but also economic, social, cultural, political, religious, and spiritual concepts.

https://icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/WHISCompendium-ePublication.pdf 

ICID Publication - Water-Saving in Agriculture - A Roadmap to ICID Vision 2030

This publication is in a way to celebrate the 7-decade existence and relevance of ICID which started with a handful of members and has grown to represent more than 90% of the world irrigated area.

https://www.icid-ciid.org/icid_data_web/Watsave_eBook2022_comp.pdf