20 EVENT @ AGROBiz | September-October. 2025
20 EVENT @ AGROBiz | September-October. 2025
Building smarter irrigation futures
• The 4th World Irrigation Forum( WIF4) focused on water, food, and environment in a changing climate.
• Participants discussed sustainable irrigation, climate adaptation, and digital agriculture.
• Malaysia’ s hosting reinforced its regional leadership in sustainable agricultural practices.
BY ADELINE ANTHONY ALPHONSO
THE Fourth World Irrigation Forum( WIF4) and the 76th International Executive Council( IEC) Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage( ICID) drew to a successful close in Kuala Lumpurreinforcing the global commitment to advancing sustainable irrigation and water management for food security.
The week-long event, held from Sep 7-13, was jointly organised by ICID and the Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage( MANCID) under the theme“ Is Irrigation a Sunset Industry?”.
The forum brought together more than 1,200 participants from over 60 countries, including government leaders, experts, researchers, and practitioners in irrigation, drainage, and agricultural water systems.
WATER FOR TOMORROW
Agriculture and Food Security Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, officiated the opening ceremony, where he emphasised that irrigation must be recognised as critical infrastructure essential to national food production and resilience. He called for countries to invest in modern, efficient, and sustainable irrigation systems to safeguard agriculture amid climate uncertainty.
“ Just 20 per cent of the world’ s cultivated land is irrigated, yet it produces 40 per cent of the world’ s food.
“ In the Quran, Allah reminds us in Surah Al-Anbiya:‘ And We made from water every living thing’. This eternal wisdom underlines that water is not only the foundation of life, but also the foundation of security, prosperity, and peace,” he said.
Marco Arcieri
Mohamad also stressed that Southeast Asian countries must strengthen regional cooperation in water management to address shared challenges, particularly in the Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins. He urged member states to invest in joint research, harmonise standards, and modernise irrigation networks across nearly 90 million hectares of irrigated land in the region.
Mohamad explained:“ Food security is a shared destiny. With a population of over 600 million people, Southeast Asia faces rising food demand, water scarcity, and the growing threat of climate shocks. Yet our region also has enormous potential if we act together.”
CID President Dr Marco Arcieri said the forum provided a timely opportunity to re-evaluate irrigation’ s relevance in the modern era.
“ The question of whether irrigation is a sunset industry challenges us to reflect on how we can reinvent the sector for sustainability,” he noted, stressing that irrigation remains vital to feeding the world’ s growing population.
The forum also featured technical sessions, panel discussions,
FUTURE-READY IRRIGATION: The 4th World Irrigation Forum officially opens with Mohamad Sabu and Marco Arcieri, highlighting national efforts toward smart water management.
and side events focusing on four sub-themes:
• Challenges of irrigation and drainage for food security in a changing world.
• Technology and modernisation in agriculture.
• Innovative policies, service delivery, and financing mechanisms.
• Nature-based solutions to enhance ecosystem resilience.
These sessions encouraged collaboration between countries to address shared issues such as water scarcity, soil degradation, and rising production costs.
SHAPING POLICY AND PRACTICE
Delegates agreed that the future of irrigation lies in innovation and cooperation. Many highlighted the potential of digital technologies, precision agriculture, and climate-smart water management to increase productivity while conserving natural resources. The importance of youth participation and capacity-building in the water and agriculture sectors was also featured prominently in the discussions.
In conjunction with the forum, the 4th World Irrigation and Drainage Prize was awarded to Dr Zhanyi Gao of China for his outstanding contributions to advancing global irrigation and drainage systems.
The WatSave Awards 2025 recognised individuals and organisations for their innovations in water management, while the Best Paper Award by Wiley went to Edson Costa-Filho, José L. Chavez, and Huihui Zhang for their research on evapotranspiration estimation methods.
As the forum concluded, ICID reaffirmed its commitment to supporting member countries in achieving sustainable agricultural water management in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs). The outcomes of WIF4 will help guide future policy frameworks and strengthen international collaboration on water, food, and climate resilience.
In his closing remarks, ICID President Dr Marco Arcieri commended Malaysia’ s leadership in hosting the global forum, saying it provided a crucial platform to address shared water and food challenges.
“ The discussions at WIF4 have reaffirmed that irrigation is not a sunset industry but an evolving force for sustainability and resilience,” he said.
Malaysia, as host, was lauded for its strong leadership in bringing together global stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences. Organisers expressed optimism that the discussions and partnerships formed during WIF4 would continue to shape more inclusive and adaptive irrigation systems in the years ahead.- @ AGROBiz