Prior to Kick-off meeting, the World Water Council (WWC) also held its 49th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on 12-13 May 2013 at Seoul. As a member of Board of Governors of President Dr. Gao Zhanyi represented ICID in the BoG.

President Gao and Mr. Akif Ozkaldi, President of Turkish National Committee of ICID (TUCID) from DSI Turkey introduced the ICID’s new initiatives ‘1st World Irrigation Forum’ (1st WIF) to the august gathering. Prof. Ben Braga, President of WWC accepted President Gao’s invitation to participate in the 1st WIF, scheduled to be held on 29th September-03 October 2013 at Mardin in Turkey.

President Gao also participated in the 48th BoG meeting of WWC held during 1-2 February 2013 at in Marseille, France. During both these meetings of WWC, the development strategy of WWC was discussed vividly. Taking advantage of the occasion, President Gao highlighted the issues of water and water management for food production, food security, poverty alleviation and rural development. President Gao was later appointed as a member of the Steering Committee of Water and Food Security Project jointly supported by WWC and the Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP).