Mr Pasquale STEDUTO, is currently FAO's Chief of the Water Development and Management Service (AGLW); he became Chair of the IPTRID Management Committee (MC), replacing Mr Kenji Yoshinaga until his position as Director of AGL Division is filled. His area of expertise covers water-use efficiency and productivity, and crop water relations and modelling. Before joining FAO, Mr Steduto was a researcher/scientist at the CIHEAM Mediterranean Institute of Agronomy. In early January 2006 a decision will be taken on the continuity of his appointment as Chair of the MC in line with the announced FAO reform.
Mr Carlos GARCÉS-RESTREPO became IPTRID's new Programme Manager as of 1 March 2005. A Colombian national with an agricultural engineering background, he holds a Ph.D from Cornell University in Water and Soil Engineering. The new Programme Manager has 30 years of professional experience divided almost equally between Asia and Latin America and to a lesser degree in Africa. He is a specialist in water management with an emphasis on the performance of irrigation and drainage systems, from small to large scale. He has also worked extensively as an irrigation institutions specialist, particularly in relation to irrigation management transfer and water user associations. He has occupied several posts as team/project leader or programme head of both research and development projects through the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system, at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), the International Water Research Institute (IWMI), and other private organizations. He has been associated with FAO since early 2002, first as a consultant with IPTRID, then as Technical Officer of the Water Service (AGLW), and later as Assistant Programme Manager of IPTRID. During his extensive professional career, he has had long-term assignments in Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Italy, and undertaken short technical missions to more than 20 countries around the world.
Mr Maher SALMAN has recently been appointed as a Technical Officer for IPTRID to support its activities in the Near East region and to manage the Programme's information system (WCA-InfoNET). His career has included research studies in the Syrian Arab Republic and the United Kingdom on agricultural water management with a focus on the Near East. Prior to his research activities, he served as a water engineer at the Ministry of Irrigation in the Syrian Arab Republic, following project development in the Euphrates and Tigris Basin. He first joined IPTRID in 2001 as a consultant to assist in the development and management of WCA-InfoNET, which he then managed. During his assignment as a consultant, he was heavily involved in IPTRID activities related to capacity development, especially those in his area of interest.
Mr Dominique DURLIN a Technical Officer seconded by the French Government to IPTRID for a two-year assignment. He will assist the Programme Manager in the implementation of activities related with the uptake of research and exchange of technologies. He will also contribute to the organisation of technical missions, and provide a technical support to the on-going project of IPTRID having a capacity development component. Mr Durlin has been a consultant for the past 30 years, including different posts of adviser for the Minister of Water and Environment of Chad, manager of the Food Aid Fund (Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture), evaluation expert for the European Union in Senegal, Laos, Rwanda, as well as soil scientist or agronomist in different projects in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Madagascar, Niger, Nepal, Syria, Algeria, and Yemen among others.
Ms Virginie GILLET joined IPTRID in early October 2005 as an Associate Professional Officer in continuation of staff support to the Programme by the Government of France since 2001. Ms Gillet holds an MSc in social administration of water from the Centre national d'Etudes Agronomiques des Régions Chaudes, Montpellier, France. She has been involved in irrigation management transfer studies in Mexico and most recently worked as an FAO consultant in support of Aquastat. Among other activities, Ms Gillet, will work closely with IPTRID senior staff in support of current activities under the IWMI-IPTRID cooperation in Africa, and will be involved in both the Programme's emerging Latin American efforts and ongoing activities in Asia.
Ms Claudia SCHUBERT joined IPTRID in mid-November 2005 as a Volunteer for two months. She is studying water management at Dresden University of Technology, Germany, which concentrates on engineering and natural sciences. Her field of study is water conservation. Ms Schubert assisted in completing the web site for the Virtual Centre for Water in Agriculture, supported the institutional mapping and needs assessment studies undertaken by national consultants in Cambodia and Vietnam under the ESPIM Project, and assisted on issues related to the WCA-InfoNET information system performance and development.
Mr Federico PATIMO joined the IPTRID Programme as Clerk since September 2005. He provides assistance to Staff as required but his main duty is the running of the new IPTRID Database. He manages the transition from the old system to the new and more efficient system which has become an excellent tool of data administration. He maintains and updates the database and daily sends IPTRID publications upon requests or to forthcoming events/ IPTRID workshops.
Mr Kenji YOSHINAGA, the former Director of FAO's Land and Water Development Division (AGL), and thus Chair of IPTRID's Management Committee, left FAO in July 2005 after four years to take up a post in Japan. During his association with the Programme, Mr Yoshinaga was a firm supporter and an untiring collaborator. The Secretariat wishes to acknowledge herewith his continous efforts in assisting and backstopping our activities, his tireless promotion of the Programme and the goodwill that he always showed towards it. His transparency and friendship will be missed.
Mr Jean VERDIER, a French government-seconded Senior staff member, departed at the end of September 2005 after 32 months with the Secretariat. During his stay, Mr Verdier was Regional Manager, Western Africa and Mediterranean Region (8 months), and Deputy Programme Manager (the remaining period). Mr Verdier was instrumental in the Programme's relationship with French partners and donors and he shares responsibility for the authorship of the IPTRID Partnership Programme 2003–2005, which set the stage for our activities during that period. He has also been heavily involved in the Programme's efforts in North and West Africa and in the monitoring and evaluation of activities funded by France. Mr Verdier returned to France and continues working as a civil service official.
Ms Sara FERNANDEZ left the Secretariat after 40 months on 30 September 2005. For two and a half years, Ms Fernandez has acted in her capacity as Associate Professional Officer, funded by the Government of France. She has been responsible for providing support to IPTRID activities in French-speaking Africa and played an important role in the Programme's global survey on irrigation modernization. The latter part of her stay, under IPTRID funding and as a Technical Officer saw her involved with the Virtual Centre project and in the design of an IPTRID Country Selection Criteria approach. Ms Fernandez departed to conduct her PhD studies at ENGREF, Montpellier, France.
Ms Federica DI BATTISTA worked 3 months (February–May) as a Volunteer with IPTRID. As an environmental engineer of the University of Florence, she produced a report on the availability of water resources in Italy in collaboration with ICID National Committee in Italy. An abstract of the report was submitted for publication in the ICID journal.
Ms Federica PAGNOTTELLA worked as temporary Clerk with IPTRID for two months. She was responsible for testing and inputting entries in the new Access mailing list, database and dispatching documents. She supported the logistics for the Workshop in Beijing.
Mr Jacob KIJNE (January) was engaged to produce the Final Report of the Aral Sea Basin initiative and to present a seminar on findings and the way forward in early 2005.
Ms Veronique BALESTRA (January) spent three days at IPTRID helping to design an information and communication strategy for IPTRID
Mr James LENAHAN (January). Staff from the GWP spent three days at IPTRID helping to design an information and communication strategy for IPTRID
Mr Simone MORINI (short contracts during the period February–December) Designer; he produced the layout and Indesign for Grid 23 for publication in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. He also produced the layout and Indesign of Issue Paper 5, he created a master CD rom for the Aral Sea Basin Initiative Report and prepared the CD rom of the IFAD Report.
Mr Francois GADELLE (March) produced a mission report - Executive summary of the Appropriate water-lifting technologies in West Africa, in English and French, an IFAD/IPTRID publication. He went on mission to West Africa to promote/disseminate Water Lifting Technology report produced in collaboration IFAD/IPTRID.
Ms Gabriella IZZI (March–June and September–October) reviewed, organized and upgraded IPTRID's web site; upgraded the joint IPTRID/AGLW webpage on Modernization of Irrigation Systems; merged the web pages from IPTRID on Inventory of Capacity Building Programmes for Irrigation Modernization and AGLW page on Education and training Courses in Irrigation and Flood Control; reviewed and updated AGLW webpage on Irrigation Management Transfer; analyzed the web-logos corresponding to IPTRID's WCA InfoNET webpage and submitted a report on the above actitivies.
Mr. Douglas Vermillion (April–May) was hired to undertake the IPTRID TriennialExternal Evaluation to assess the overall progress and achievements of IPTRID; review the Programme's planning and implementation process; assess the comparative advantage of IPTRID in relation to other international organizations; provide recommendations for enhancement and improvement of the performance of the programme.
Mr Alain VIDAL (April–May) second member of the IPTRID Triennial External Evaluation.
Mr Gerald CORNISH (April–June) prepared Issue Paper 5 on International trade agreements and their implications for irrigated agriculture development in collaboration with Ms Sara Fernandez.
Ms Rosemary Dawn ALLISON (April) Editor; worked with IPTRID on the language editing of the Egypt report.
Mr Wilfried HUNDERTMARK (May–August) produced a paper in collaboration with Ms Sonia Tato which was presented at the ICID International Workshop on Design and Implementation of capacity development strategies, Beijing 14/9/2005 during the 19thCongress of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage as part of the activities of the ICID Working Group on Capacity Building, Training and Education.
Ms Zengyun LIU (May–June) Designer: In-design layout of Aral Sea Basin and Egypt documents.
Mr Ennio LEPRI (July and December) set up the Virtual Centre for Water in Agriculture project's platform based on the FAO corporate internet knowledge management system.
Ms Christine MACLELLAN (July) Editor; translated from Italian into English ‘Disponibilità idriche in Italia e la loro utilizzazione in Agricoltura’ an ITALICID/IPTRID document.
Mr Julian PLUMMER (July) Editor; did the English editing for Grid 23 and Issue Paper 5.
Mr Jian Chun GONG (August–September) Designer: translated GRID 23 into Chinese and prepared the layout in Indesign ready for printing.
Mr Gerald MAXWELL (August) Designer: designed the web banner and visual identity of the CISEAU homepage, which is the web site of the Virtual Centre for Water in Agriculture project.
Mr Francisco Alfredo Mandl (August) Translator; translated Grid 23 into Spanish.
Mr Amin Mohamed MASHALI (September) Translator; translated Grid 23 into Arabic.
Ms Frederique BANOUN (September) Translator; translated Grid 23 into French
Ms Helda ISHAQ (September–December) helped develop a contact list for Institutes/persons in the water sector of the Arab countries and analyzing topic tree, screening, classifying and submitting information to WCA infoNET.
Mr Muhammad Kaleem ULLAH (September–December) was hired to analyze the topice tree, screening, classifying and submitting information to WCA infoNET.
Mr Rhodri P. THOMAS (October–November) Editor/Designer: supplied a translation from French to Englsih of the Virtual Centre for Water in Agriculture web site. He provided the material for the design of a brochure about the management of irrigation-induced saltaffected soils. He prepared the material for an electronic conference which is planned to be held in January–February 2006.
Ms Margaret Farrell (December) Editor; editing of the APPIA manual.
