In compliance of the MoU that was signed with ICID in December 2009, IRNCID launched “ICID – International Research Program for Irrigation and Drainage (ICID-IRPID)”, the Nodal Centre for Central Asia and Middle East, in Tehran on Sunday, 16 October 2011 in the hands of ICID Secretary General M. Gopalakrishnan.

The ceremony was graced by the presence of Honorable Ministers, His Excellency M. R. Atterzadeh, Deputy Minister of Energy, His Excellency Dr. S.R. Sajadi, Deputy Minister of Jihadet Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, ICID Office Bearers PH Peter Lee, VPH Dr. S. Nairizi, VPH Gao Zhanyi, VP Samia El Guindy, and several Chairs of Working Groups and a galaxy of experts in Research and Technology, besides many Chairmen of ICID National Committees. The role of IRNCID Secretary General, Mr. S. A. Assadollahi in organizing the special launch ceremony is praiseworthy.

The strength of the new Programme lies in the MoUs signed in quick succession during IEC with several NCs (like, Egypt, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mali, Ukraine, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan) that would create a new ‘Knowledge Base’ and exchange them by cooperative efforts.

Dr. Mohammad Javad Monem is the first Programme Manager of the new ICID-IRPID Centre in Tehran.