The 4th World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) and the 76th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), which were be held from 7 to 13 September 2025 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vice President of Jiangsu University (JSU) and Academic Leader in Water saving Irrigation Equipment and Technology Prof. Li Hong has been awarded the ICID Watersave Award, which is the highest award in the international irrigation and drainage technology field and is only awarded to one person worldwide every year.

This forum, with the theme of "Sustainable Water Resource Management and Climate Adaptive Agriculture", attracted over 400 experts, policy makers, and industry practitioners from around the world in the field of irrigation and drainage. Prof. Li Hong was awarded Watersave Award for her outstanding contributions in the field of "Intelligent Sprinkler Irrigation Equipment and Systems Assisting Agricultural Water Conservation".

Prof. Li Hong has long been dedicated to innovative research on water-saving irrigation equipment and technologies. She has made pioneering contributions to the original development of low-pressure sprinkler irrigation technology, low-pressure uniform sprinklers, variable-rate sprinklers, water-fertilizer mixing devices, as well as the creation of new types of water-saving irrigation equipment such as reel-type irrigation systems. Intelligent management and control systems for farmland irrigation and drainage, based on crop water and nutrient demand information, along with a new generation of irrigation equipment, have been widely applied in field management for irrigation and fertilization in crops such as rice and wheat in plain areas, as well as in hilly tea plantations. These advancements have significantly elevated the technical standards and application efficiency of water-saving irrigation in China. This award not only reflects her personal academic influence but also signifies further international recognition of China’s leading position in the research, development, and application of water-saving irrigation technologies.

Founded in 1950, ICID is the most authoritative non-governmental international organization in the field of irrigation and drainage worldwide. Its member countries represent over 90% of the world's irrigated area. Since 1997, ICID has established the Watersave Awards, which include four categories: Technology Award, Innovative Water Management Award, Young Professionals Award, and Farmer Award. Among these, the Technology Award represents the highest honor for technological innovation in this field.

(Source: Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology)