Pre-Launch Presentations
WCD Chair addresses irrigation community

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 24 October - In October, members of the international irrigation community came to Cape Town to participate in the 51st International Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and the 6th International Micro-Irrigation Congress organised by the South African National Committee of ICID.

The meeting provided an opportunity for WCD Chair, Kader Asmal, to update ICID members on the process that led to the completion of the WCD Report and to respond to their questions.

During the meeting, ICID President and WCD Forum member Professor Bart Schulz raised a number of concerns about the WCD process and in particular the lack of opportunity for the Forum members to review a draft of the WCD report prior to publication.

In response, Professor Asmal noted that everyone had been given an opportunity to present their case to the Commission and review the various studies prepared as input to the Commission's discussions. However, as an independent body, it was incumbent upon the Commissioners to determine their own response based on a collective reading of the WCD Knowledge Base.

The outcome of the ICID Cape Town meeting is well aligned with the Commission's recommendations, namely to make existing irrigation systems more productive.