Nepal will be hosting the 8th Asian Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage from May 2-4. 

The event, jointly organised by the Department of Irrigation (DoI) of Nepal Government and the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), will be the first major event in the country where more than 600 participants, including scientists, researchers, academicians, and government officials working in the field of irrigation, drainage and water resources, according to Madhav Belbase, vice-president of the ICID. “The event is being organised to exchange ideas and learn from the global practices especially in the field of water resources, which has become crucial topic for the present world,” said Belbase, who is also the president of the Nepal National Committee of the ICID. 

The organisers of the event, being held with the theme of “Irrigation in Support of an Evergreen Revolution”, are planning to invite Indian Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari as special guest. “There are several issues related to water resources with India. The event will also provide a forum for two countries to discuss on these important issues,” added Belbase. 

During the conference, scholars of 22 countries will present over 100 papers on several sub-themes like irrigation, ecosystem services, and aquatic biodiversity; enabling Water Users Institutions (WUIs) for sustainability of irrigation systems; coping with recurring droughts and floods in the context of climate change, accoring to 

the organiser.