ICID awards the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) awards for Irrigation Structures that are more than 100 years old and are still functioning.It includes both old operational irrigation structures as well as those having archival value. This recognition is on the lines of World Heritage Sites (as recognized by UNESCO). Maximum four awards under the WHIS category are given every year.
i. Tracing the history of and understanding the evolution of irrigation in the civilizations across the world.
ii. To select and collect information on historical irrigation structures from around the world, understand their significant achievements and gather knowledge about the unique features that have sustained the project for such a long period; .
iii. To learn the philosophy and wisdom on sustainable irrigation from these structures. a
iv. To protect/preserve these historical irrigation structures
i. Understanding of the factors that make the heritage structures sustainable and learn lessons therefrom.
ii. Education opportunity for professionals, students and the general public.
On behalf of ICID, INCID every year invites nominations from the major irrigating States in prescribed format and recommends the deserving proposals to ICID, which further evaluates the nomination through a jury of international experts. Upon the selection of the structure as WHIS, ICID may provide small-scale technical guidance to the project authority/ Corporations/ NGO through a team of experts from ICID for its further sustainability, conservation and safety management, as long as possible. More details in this regard can be accessed from https://icid-ciid.org/award/his/44
India received the highest number of awards (four) in the years 2020 and 2021. Prior to that, India received 2 WHIS awards in the year 2018.So far India has received 10 awards in the WHIS category. The details of these are given below:
INCID has submitted the following 4 irrigation structures for consideration under the 2022 edition of the WHIS awards