Bart Schultz
This organization focuses primarily on water management in the broadest sense, with an emphasis on its role in food production. The organization is based on National Committees in the member countries and country representatives. Currently, 60 countries are active members. Approximately 80% of irrigation and drainage systems, as well as flood protection facilities, are located in these countries. Additionally, there is the option of individual membership. The international secretariat is located in New Delhi, India.
ICID organizes annual meetings of working groups, committees, and country representatives, once every three years combined with the Congress, the World Irrigation Forum, or a Regional Conference. In addition, there are international Micro Irrigation Conferences and Drainage Workshops. The secretariat manages a website: www.icid.org, and there are various publications, the most scientific being the journal Irrigation and Drainage, published by John Wiley & Sons.
In 1983, I was approached about becoming the Netherlands representative for ICID in relation to my work at the IJsselmeerpolders Development Authority (RIJP). To be honest, I had never heard of ICID at the time, but after doing some research, it seemed like something for me. So, after receiving permission from the RIJP, I said yes.
My first appearance at an international ICID meeting was in 1984 at the ICID Congress in Fort Collins, United States. For me, this meeting was an eye-opener regarding the international world in my field. It also turned out that they were in the process of establishing a working group on drainage. During this meeting, I was told:
“You are Dutch, there is a lot of drainage in your country, why don’t you become the first chairman?”
So, in addition to being the Netherlands representative, I was suddenly also the chairman of the Working group on Drainage.
The Netherlands has been an active member of ICID since its inception in 1950, and has organized, among other events, the ICID Congress in 1993 at the Congress Centre in The Hague and the Regional European Conference in Groningen in 2011. Unfortunately, Netherlands membership was terminated in 2023. However, an attempt is currently being made to reactivate the membership.
I myself have attended virtually every annual meeting since 1984 and have learned a great deal about what is happening in the world regarding water management and flood protection. In my opinion, a number of points stand out:
- worldwide, there is more attention for irrigation than for drainage;
- irrigation and drainage are becoming increasingly important for global food production because there is virtually no room left for new land reclamation and increases in food production must primarily be achieved through increased yields per hectare;
- population growth occurs mainly in cities, while the rural population is declining;
- 80 to 90% of urbanization takes place in flood-prone areas, typically with insufficient flood protection. When a flood occurs, the focus is primarily on the influence of climate change rather than the generally low level of protection. Sea level rise is also often cited, whereas in a significant portion of flood-prone areas, land subsidence is occurring much faster than sea level rise.
All the above-mentioned matters are addressed in the annual international ICID conferences, and in more detail in the working groups. The advantage of the working groups is that, the longer you participate, the better you get to know the other participants, allowing you to hear much more than from the stages at the conferences.
I therefore hope that the Netherlands ICID Committee will be reactivated soon, making it possible once again, particularly for younger experts in the field of water management and flood protection, to participate in international ICID meetings and to exchange more knowledge within the Netherlands regarding this field, which is so important for our country as well.
