Dear friends,
It is my great honour and privilege to announce the ICID 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) and the 76th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting, which will be held from 7 to 13 September 2025 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
World Irrigation Forum, since its very first conception and edition back in 2012 in Mardin, Turkiye, has always been through the years a flagship event of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), involving most important leaders of Governments, International Organizations, water management and irrigation professionals’ agencies, besides national and international financing donors. The present Forum (WIF4) is the fourth edition of this landmark event, and will be hosted by the Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (MANCID).
The Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (MANCID) was one of the first NCs to join ICID, from year 1958 and since then has always been playing a very active role in the activities of the Commission, both at the national and at the international level. Among its most prestigious members are to be acknowledged Mr. Shahrizaila bin Abdullah and Dato’ Ir. Hj. Keizrul bin Abdullah, who were Presidents of ICID from 1993 to 1996 and from 2002 to 2005, respectively. Mr. J.G. Daniel (from 1975 to 1978), Mr Shahrizaila bin Abdullah (from 1988 to 1991) and Ir. Mohd. Azhari bin Ghazalli (from 2006 to 2009) were also elected as Vice-Presidents of ICID. More recently, Dato’ Ir Nor Hisham Bin Mohd Ghazali has served as a Vice President for the term 2020 to 2023, whilst is currently a Vice President of ICID Dato’ Ir. Mohd Azmi Bin Ismail, serving for the term 2024 to 2027. Amongst the many initiatives organized, the Malaysian National Committee hosted the 7th International Drainage Workshop in Penang in 1997 and the 57th International Executive Council (IEC) meeting, the 7th International Micro Irrigation Congress and 3rd Asian Regional Conference at Kuala Lumpur, in September 2006.
On behalf of ICID, thus, allow me to convey my warmest invitation to all ICID member countries, to scientist and researchers, Academicians, International Organizations and political leaders all over the world dealing with sustainable water use and food security issues, to participate to these important events. It will indeed be a great opportunity for all the professionals to get their peer reviewed works showcased amongst the “who is who” of the agricultural water management sector.
The main theme of the Forum will be “IS IRRIGATION A SUNSET INDUSTRY?”, articulated through different sessions, which brings us directly to the very heart of the questions we will be dealing with in the following years, given the alarming scenarios and the complex challenges we have ahead of us.
On the one hand, we are all witnessing every day how the climate crisis is increasing the unpredictability of hydrological cycles, with extreme droughts and torrential rains becoming more and more frequent and powerful. Food security and water security, overall, are at great risk. On the other hand, we cannot ignore the incredible array of economic pressures, market volatility, and structural challenges agricultural sector is facing worldwide, creating conditions that continue to severely impact profitability and long-term sustainability for the farmers. Not to mention, of course, the energy issues: in a global context of erratic climate change and under the aleatory background of increasingly frequent geopolitical tensions, energy sustainability is the other, paramount challenge the world is facing, with rising energy costs and fluctuating interest rates that further strain operations for farmers, increasing production expenses.
Which is the role that irrigation can play? There is no doubt that irrigation development, along with proper mapping of areas potentially to be equipped can increase resilience of agriculture to climate change, fostering a more efficient and sustainable use of water resources, enhancing productivity per unit of land and increasing the annual amount of crop production, significantly. But, nevertheless, long-term planning and investment in irrigated agriculture remain fraught with uncertainty, in some cases. The fluctuating costs of inputs, the lack of somewhat adequate environmental policies and of suitable forms of governance, all contribute to a challenging environment for decision-making. This uncertainty has led to a more cautious approach to inward investment, which might limit the sector’s great capacity for innovation and expansion. Decision makers are therefore compelled to seek strategic guidance and explore new business models, in order to navigate these uncertainties effectively. And this is exactly the area where ICID can more significantly offer its support, by means of the huge knowledge sharing its scientific community can bring, of the articulated capacity building programs it can deliver, of the multifaceted relationships and interconnections with International Organizations and Donors it can offer.
Hence, for these reasons but not only for these, I like to say that coming to the 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) and the 76th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting will be a truly inspiring experience, both from the scientific and cultural point of view.
Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful, fascinating and sprawling city where huge skyscrapers tower overhead, with the glittering lights of the Petronas Towers overarching the urban area and making them look like Great Gatsby-style antiques. It has always been well known as the melting pot of Southeast Asia, as many different races and cultures make it a vibrant destination to visit. Once a British colony, it’s the place where you can see art deco buildings mixed with modern structures, making its wandering around on foot an amazing experience, worthwhile to try at least for once in a lifetime. In its side alleys, vendors are selling a huge range of quick bites, whereas entire streets are dedicated to an incredible variety of food display where an incredible, multicultural mix of people are used to gather. As a matter of fact, due to a very well-balanced multiracial society, choices of food are incredible, while different places of worship leave you in awe, as they are generally scattered throughout the city. If you haven’t visited it before, Kuala Lumpur is a feast for the senses and a wonderland of sights, smells, flavours and experiences, just waiting to be unearthed. If you’re planning a trip to the beautiful country of Malaysia, but aren’t sure where to start, visiting Kuala Lumpur is the must option you firstly need to take into consideration, rambling as it is with old culture heritage structures such as beautiful mosques and temples, and a lot of places to visit in its near surroundings.
I am sure that the ICID Malaysian National Committee MANCID will leave nothing to chance, nor anything unexploited for the success of this event, providing learning and hospitality at its best, surely delivering a memorable experience. For this purpose, MANCID has been arranging very interesting programmes for the accompanying persons, as well as several exciting study tours for the participants, including places of cultural importance and historical heritage. Therefore, I would like to extend once gain my most friendly invitation to all the delegates to join the 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) and the 76th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting, and to visit the Exhibition that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in next September. I will be looking forward to meet You all there.
Dr. Marco Arcieri
President of ICID
About
The World Irrigation Forum is the premier event of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), bringing together global leaders in water management, irrigation experts, and representatives from international and national financing agencies and governments. The upcoming forum, WIF4, marks the fourth edition of this significant event, co-organized by ICID and the Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (MANCID), will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from September 7th to 13th, 2025.
The forum features exchanges on the latest irrigation and drainage policies, practices, innovations, and technologies; the development of interdisciplinary proposals; collaboration among various institutions and organizations; and advocacy for political commitments. It provides an excellent platform for professionals to showcase their peer-reviewed work to experts in agricultural water management.
