ICID invites nominations for WatSave Awards 2011

International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)  launched its Global Water Saving (WatSave) program by setting up the WatSave Work Team (WT-WATS) in the year 1993 with the objective of promoting and recognizing water conservation success amongst member countries. ICID has been compiling and disseminating information on water saving/ conservation practices adopted by member countries worldover through publications, website and organizing regional workshops. As a part of the WatSave activities, ICID instituted WatSave Awards in the year 1997. The award(s) are presented each year to an individual or a team of individuals for OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION to water conservation/water saving for increasing the beneficial and/or efficient use of water to develop and improve the sustainable use of the critical resource. The WatSave Awards 2011 will be made during the 62nd meeting of the International Executive Council to be held in October 2011 at Tehran, Iran.

(ICID) is seeking nominations through ICID National Committees/ Committee for the WatSave Awards 2011 from individuals/ team working in the area of irrigation, drainage and flood management.

Categories of the Award(s)

The Awards are given in the following four categories –

1. WatSave Technology Award

This award may be given to work promoting and encouraging the best technological applications or projects which have been successful in saving water and/or recovering waste waters/low quality waters.

2. WatSave Innovative Water Management Award

This award may be given to innovation promoting non-technological interventions and/or innovative land and water management/techniques for increasing the availability of water for different uses; Promoting research that leads to substantial savings in water applications or uses; or Promoting development of new policies/approaches for water saving leading to cost effective and beneficial use of water.

3. WatSave Young Professionals Award

This award may be given to water saving/ conservation work by young professionals (less than 40 years).

4. WatSave Farmer Award

This award may be given to farmers for proven water saving success story to promote successful water conservation.

Selection process

All nominations received from the National Committees will be reviewed by a panel of five judges, one each from the four regions of ICID (The Americas, Africa, Asia-Oceania and Europe) and the fifth from any region but there shall not be two judges from the same country. A judge will not evaluate a nomination from his/her own country. The panel will be appointed by President, ICID in consultation with the Chairman of the Working Group on Water Saving for Agriculture (WG-WATS).

Deadline for receiving the entries is June 30, 2011