Water, as the main input for food production, has played the most significant role in population growth and societal evolution over much of the recorded human history. Numerous civilizations flourished and then became extinct because of the way they managed their agricultural water. By being a direct or indirect part of 7 out of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, water assumes inclusive dimension both as a natural resource for rural development and an essential input commodity for industrial and human (life-style) consumption. Under the limiting natural resources, climate change and rising conflicts, the task of ICID network has become even more critical and daunting. The newly emerging and competing demands for water, coupled with the uncertainty of impact of climate change on food productivity, have challenged the ICID stakeholders and partners to redouble their efforts. ICID network, comprising National Committees (NCs) belonging to almost 80 Countries covering 96% of the irrigated area in the World, is made of irrigation and drainage professionals, farmers, policy makers, irrigation and drainage industry, researchers and the academia. NCs include experts from water resources, irrigation, agriculture, rural development, hydro-power, environment and flood management sectors. In majority of countries NCs are hosted within one of the related Government Departments dealing with the above subjects and include Officers, representatives from Research Institutions, Universities and private sector companies. It aims to advocate an integrated environment fostering multi-disciplinary innovations in order to increase land, water and crop productivity in a sustainable manner, under the threat of a changing climate. The activities carried out in order to achieve ICID’s organizational goals are flexible and monitored every year at the annual meeting of the International Executive Council (IEC), while the strategies themselves are reviewed and fine-tuned every three years.

The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), established in 1950 is the leading scientific, technical and not-for-profit Inter-Governmental Organization. ICID, through its network of professionals spread across more than a hundred countries, has facilitated sharing of experiences and transfer of water management technology for over half-a-century. ICID supports capacity development, stimulates research and innovation and strives to promote policies and programs to enhance sustainable development of irrigated agriculture through a comprehensive water management framework. The mission of ICID is to stimulate and promote the development and application of the arts, sciences and techniques of engineering, agriculture, economics, ecological and social sciences in managing water and land resources for irrigation, drainage, flood management, for achieving sustainable agriculture water management.ICID is dedicated to enhance the world wide supply of food and fibre for all people and believes that food security at various levels: global, national, local and household, and provision of assured livelihood starts with stable agriculture production. ICID encourages public private partnership in development and management of water resources.

Water use expanded at over double the rate of population growth in the twentieth century. The population is predicted to grow further by 2 billion to 9.3 billion in 2050. Combined with changing diets, we will need to produce almost 50 per cent more food to meet demand. This means the available pool of water faces greater stress. At the same time, climate change is predicted to have a massive impact on water availability by drastically altering hydrological regimes across the globe. We need to find smarter, more efficient ways to use water, and make agriculture more productive, to meet the rising demand for food and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s goal on zero hunger. And we need to do this while preserving the natural resource base and the integrity of ecosystems. This is where the Global Framework for Action to Cope with Water Scarcity in Agriculture in the Context of Climate Change – launched by FAO and partners at the climate meeting in Marrakech in late 2016 – comes in. The Global Framework is designed to bring together key players across the globe and across sectors to tackle the collective challenge of using water better in agriculture to ensure food security for all. It is an initiative for partners from all fields and backgrounds to collaborate in supporting countries and stakeholders in their commitments and plans related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement (including implementing nationally determined contributions) and other plans and programmes related to agriculture and water.

La Direttiva 2000/60/CE ha istituito un "Quadro per l’azione comunitaria in materia di acque e rappresenta uno dei fari per le politiche ambientali dei singoli stati membri". Essa è stata recepita nel nostro ordinamento normativo con il D.L.vo 152/2006. Con tale direttiva la Comunità Europea ha sancito che l’uso delle risorse idriche (superficiali, sotterranee, di transizione e costiere), nel rispetto del principio di sostenibilità, non possa prescindere dal preservare il capitale naturale per le generazioni future (sostenibilità ambientale), con l’allocazione efficiente di una risorsa limitata (sostenibilità economica), con la garanzia dell’equa condivisione e dell’accessibilità per tutti di una risorsa fondamentale per la vita e la qualità dello sviluppo economico.Per entrambi i piani, il contesto naturale di riferimento, in coerenza con l’attuale quadro normativo europeo e nazionale, è rappresentato dall’unità fisiografica del Distretto Idrografico. In Italia sono stati individuati 8 Distretti Idrografici , cosiddetti “Di riferimento”. Il distretto Idrografico dell'Appennino Meridionale è tra i più grandi d'Italia, sviluppandosi per oltre 68.000 Kmq, interessando 7 regioni (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Molise e Puglia), 25 province, 1.663 comuni con un popolazione di circa 14 milioni di abitanti; esso si connota come un territorio complesso dotato di sufficienti disponibilità di acqua (oltre 28 Miliardi di m3 tra risorsa idrica superficiale e sotterranea), anche se non omogeneamente allocate e distribuite. Altri elementi antropici che lo caratterizzano sono i 2.100 Km di coste, 1.400 Km di reti superficiali per la distribuzione della risorsa, 7.000 Km di reti di trasporto su gomma e ferro e circa 840 aree naturali protette.

Funzionario Direttivo esperto di programmazione dell'uso della risorsa idrica - Lotta alla siccità ed alla desertificazione.Basilicata Province River Basin Authority Officer - Water use programming, monitoring and management. Dryland Systems programming, monitoring and management.

Responsabile della Segreteria

Ricercatore Tecnologo esperto in programmazione dell'uso della risorsa idrica - Lotta alla siccità ed alla desertificazione.