Speeches
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage Summit
Good morning everyone, friends, all.
It is a great honour and pleasure for me to be here with you today at the Ambedkar international Centre, named after “the father of India’s constitution”, one of your country’s most important reformers and statesmen.
I also note this very special occasion, which marks the 75th year of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage.
We come together on the very day of foundation - the 24th of June 1950.
Since its establishment, the ICID has played a vital global role in advancing agricultural water management. This summit is a testament to the ICID’s enduring leadership and purpose, bringing together engineers, scientists, policymakers and practitioners from across the world.
With its headquarters in New Delhi and a membership of more than 100 countries, the ICID has served as a professional network and knowledge-sharing platform for generations.
Your mission - to enhance agricultural water productivity through improved irrigation and drainage, support sustainable agriculture, and promote knowledge and technology exchange - has never been more urgent than it is today.
Your presence today underscores our shared commitment to addressing the urgent issues surrounding water resources and agriculture.
In an era marked by climate uncertainty, rising populations, and shifting geopolitics, this summit serves as a beacon of hope and innovation.
It is through gatherings like these that we foster the partnerships and solutions necessary to tackle global challenges.
I particularly acknowledge the leadership of the Honourable Karlene Maywald, South Australia’s Water Ambassador, whose work continues to strengthen international cooperation on water management.
Her longstanding engagement with ICID and the Indo-Pacific region is a source of pride for our state.
As Governor of South Australia, I’m delighted to join you to reflect on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to manage water wisely in a changing climate, while sustaining the agricultural productivity that feeds our people and supports rural livelihoods.
Australia and India share several striking similarities.
We are both vast countries with highly variable climates and population growth that is driving demand for water. And we are both grappling with the dual challenge of water variability - either too much or too little - and the need to increase food production sustainably.
In India, about 75 per cent of freshwater use is dedicated to irrigation. Groundwater depletion is becoming an urgent national concern.
In Australia, about 70 per cent of water extraction is for irrigation. Severe and prolonged droughts have tested the resilience of our communities and prompted bold reforms.
Our response has included the development of highly sophisticated regulated water markets, adoption of smart irrigation technologies, and an enduring national conversation about water governance.
South Australia’s journey in water management has been shaped by both adversity and ingenuity.
Our agricultural sector is one of the most productive in the world, yet it operates in one of the driest climates.
These circumstances have necessitated creative approaches, such as the development of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which stands as a testament to cooperation across states and stakeholders.
This integrated water management strategy has not only enhanced agricultural resilience but also provided valuable lessons to share with the global community.
But this is not a challenge any of us can meet alone. Water and food security are shared global concerns.
The more we collaborate across governments, industry, and research, the more effective our solutions will be.
The importance of international collaboration has never been greater.
As pressures on land and water intensify, we must share innovation, policy approaches and technical expertise, and work together to ensure rural development and food security for future generations.
Today, I encourage all participants to consider the transformative potential of technology and innovation.
From precision irrigation systems to renewable energy-powered pumping solutions, advancements in technology are empowering farmers to do more with less or as it is said in India “more crop per drop”.
These innovations are not just tools of efficiency; they are lifelines for communities facing water scarcity.
It is vital that we continue to share these breakthroughs across borders, ensuring equitable access to the knowledge and resources that drive progress.
There is significant scope for mutually beneficial activities between Australia and India, including:
- precision irrigation, for example drip and sensor-based systems and soil moisture monitoring,
- digital agriculture platforms to guide real-time water use decisions,
- water policy reform, such as Australia’s experience in water accounting, trading and pricing and India’s focus improving water management and agricultural productivity,
- farmer-led innovation, extension services and university-agriculture links can support extension transformation, and
- scaling of climate-smart agriculture and adaptive farming practices from the local level upwards.
Australia brings strong institutional experience in water governance.
India offers invaluable lessons through its scale and adaptability through flagship programs such as the Atal Bhujal Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
I also see particular scope for collaboration between India and South Australia, building on the success of the ICID 24th International Congress and 73rd International Executive Council meeting in Adelaide in October 2022.
South Australia is internationally recognised for its expertise in dryland agriculture, precision agriculture and integrated water management.
We are home to some of the world’s most water-efficient farms. And we have invested deeply in science, technology, and policy to make every drop count.
We are eager to strengthen ties with India and ICID in three key areas:
- 1. vocational training, academic exchange, and business to business engagement
- 2. policy dialogue, technical assistance, or state-level MoUs to support institutional strengthening, especially in data systems and groundwater management, and
- 3. bilateral research on climate-smart irrigation, especially in flood and drought-prone zones such as the Eastern Gangetic Plains or the Murray–Darling Basin.
Education and capacity building are equally important.
By supporting training programs and exchanges between nations, we can cultivate a generation of water leaders who are equipped to manage resources sustainably.
South Australia has actively participated in such initiatives, hosting delegations and fostering collaboration with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
This summit is also an opportunity to explore policy frameworks that incentivise sustainable practices.
Governments must align regulatory measures, economic incentives, and environmental goals to achieve long-term water security.
I encourage dialogue on creating policies that reward innovation and prioritize the needs of rural communities.
South Australia’s experience in the Murray-Darling Basin - one of the most complex and contested water systems in the world - has shown how water trading, accounting and pricing can support both environmental outcomes and economic productivity.
These are lessons we are ready to share.
Equally, we recognise India’s leadership in driving large-scale programs such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, which aims to ensure the afore mentioned 'more crop per drop' through integrated water resource management.
These efforts resonate strongly with our own experience and reinforce the value of shared approaches.
There is much to be gained by investing in these partnerships. Because water knows no borders, and neither should innovation.
Together, we bring complementary strengths. South Australia offers decades of experience in water governance and technology. India brings urgency, ambition and new approaches that can inform and inspire.
Together, we can build a water-secure and food-secure future, not only for our own communities, but for the wider Indo-Pacific.
This summit, with its focus on food security in a changing world, technological modernisation, financing mechanisms and nature-based solutions, provides an excellent framework for ongoing cooperation.
These themes are not only relevant, they are essential to our collective resilience.
And as we look to that shared future, I again acknowledge Karlene Maywald for her tireless work building bridges between nations, sectors and communities in pursuit of a more resilient water future.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be with you today. I look forward to the partnerships that will grow from this dialogue, and to the shared future we can shape together.
As we celebrate ICID’s remarkable legacy, let us also look forward with determination. Together, we can forge pathway