Dear Reader,
On GRID
You have in your hands our first issue of GRID for 2006 and, as we had promised, we will try to publish our flag magazine twice a year from now on. While we had initially decided that our issues would contain 16 pages the overwhelming contributions received have required that once again we increase the number of pages, this time up to 28. We are grateful for this support and want to encourage our readers, particularly those in the developing world, to send us their contributions and share with us their experiences, problems and solutions.
In this issue we have our second Interview, a feature that we want to make permanent. On this occasion, our distinguished guest is our Chair of the IPTRID Consultative Group, Mr Peter Lee. Through an event that took place after the selection of our interviewee he became the President of the International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and, thus, by pure coincidence our two interviews so far ended up featuring the outgoing and incoming Head of ICID, one of our Central Partners.
Our work
We had a successful 2005 and we hope you have had the opportunity to read our corresponding Annual Report which has been put out recently. During our governance meetings held in Beijing in September 2005, our main organ agreed to slightly re-orient our mission based on the manifested desire of our stakeholders. I think it is proper that we reproduce our new mission here as it will be our guiding path for the near future and beyond:
“To improve the uptake of research, exchange of technology and management innovations by means of capacity development in the irrigation and drainage systems and sectors of developing countries to reduce poverty, enhance food security and improve livelihoods, while conserving the environment”.
With an ever changing world and still besieged by poverty and hunger, IPTRID seeks to find its niche as a facilitator in providing the link between research and development. We want to assure that already existing research results, technology and management innovations will reach the farmers’ field to ease his burden and improve his livelihood. Irrigation and Drainage (I&D), as a unit, holds the key for a productive and sustainable agriculture in many areas of the world where, often, water scarcity adds another constraining element. Thus, the application of selective elements of Irrigation and Drainage research and technology that fits particular needs will go a long way in pursuing our goals.
We will continue our work within the framework of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. However, with Agriculture as the main user of the water resource and the increasing competition with other sectors, our Irrigation and Drainage focus is as valid today as it was decades ago. Investments in I&D are again on the rise and the proper application, utilization and disposal of water for agriculture needs to be kept at the forefront. We will pursue our donors and work with our partners and governments to continue to show and assure them of the great relevance and need for our Programme.
Carlos Garcés-Restrepo
IPTRID Programme Manager
