Improving water efficiency is the imminent challenge faced in agriculture today. There is a need to innovate and change existing water policies, management practices and new water-saving techniques. A holistic approach involving all the stakeholders like farmers, corporates, government and civil society organisations is required to increase water productivity. Recognizing this need, ICID constituted WatSave Annual Award(s) in 1997 to identify and promote exceptional water conservation/saving practices in agriculture. They are presented every year to individuals or a team of individuals after evaluating actual realized savings; and not promising research results, plans or good ideas/intentions to save water. 

The award consists of an honorarium of US$ 2000 and a citation plague. The WatSave Awards are presented during the Annual ICID Executive Council Meeting (IEC). An autonomous international panel of judges adjudges the winners every year. 

Categories

WatSave Award has been categorised in four categories.

1. Technology Award: It is presented to recognise the best technological applications or projects developed; which has been successful in saving water and/or recovering wastewaters/low-quality waters.
2. Young Professionals Award: It is presented to recognize young professionals (below 40 years) contributing in original research and innovative water-saving techniques leading towards sustainability.
3. Innovative Water Management Award: It is presented to recognize non-technological interventions, innovative land and water management practices and policy interventions helping in increasing water availability for different uses. It aims to identify new policies/approaches for water-saving leading to the cost-effective and beneficial use of water.
4. Farmer Award: It is presented to farmer or farmer(s) who has successfully developed or implemented water-efficient farming techniques in the farms as well as the community.  

Nominations

The nominations are received through the automated online form submission system (https://icidevents.org/awards), which is announced at the beginning of every calendar year. ICID’s National Committees need to endorse their countries respective applications. The entries are open to all professionals/teams from ICID member countries as well as non-member countries. In case of entries from ‘nonmember’ countries, the nominations have to be routed through and validated by an active National Committee of ICID. Such National Committee should be aware of the nominee's to support the nomination.

Nominations are open for 2020 and the deadline for submission is 31st July 2020. 

WatSave - Scheme (PDF) and Nomination Form 

Winners of WatSave Awards 2019

1. Technology Award: Mr. TIAN Fuqiang (China)
For his work on "Water and Salt Regulation Scheme Under Mulched Drip Irrigation for Cotton in Arid Regions". Mulched Drip Irrigation (MDI), a surface drip irrigation method combined with a film of both saving water and labour and increasing crop yields.

2. Innovative Water Management Award: Mr. James Winter and Mr. Tony Quigley (Australia)
For their work on "Trangie-Nevertire Renewal: An Irrigation Infrastructure Modernisation Success Story" Transfer/sale of water to the Australian Government in return for funding to totally modernize the irrigation infrastructure of the Trangie-Nevertire Co-operative Ltd both off and on-farm.

3. Young Professionals Award: Mr. Ali Mahdavi Mazdeh; Mr. Mohammad Bijankhan; Mrs. Narges Mehri; Mr. Hadi Ramezani Etedali and Mrs. Fatemeh Tayebi (Iran)
For their work on "Applications of Constant Flow Rate Control Valve in Water Saving". MCOP includes a float-spring blockage system inserted into an ordinary orifice that maintains a quasi-constant flow by being insensitive to both upstream and downstream pressure fluctuations. 

4. Farmers Award: Mr. Karan Jeet Singh Chatha (India)
For his work on "Water Conservation by use of Sprinkler & Drip Technologies in Paddy Crop". Motivated the farmers towards Micro Irrigation Technology for Paddy crop and provided land for irrigation demonstration using solar panels. Practiced and promoted community-based water-saving irrigation practices.

 Link or WatSave previous years'