SDNO (SINCID) is an association of experts engaged in water management for food and rural development in Slovenia, is Non Governmental Organization (NGO), it is an association in public interest according to the Decree of Awarded Status, it is a Legal Person in accordance with Legislation on Associations in Slovenia and Decree of Registration (Official Gazette of RS No. 60/95).

SDNO (SINCID) is a member of Slovenian Association of Engineers and member of ICID - International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage since 1992 (as Society in former Yugoslav Association on Irrigation and Drainage it was constituent member of ICID since 1950 and constituent founder of ICID).


Purpose and expert area

Committee associates experts from the field of water management, rural land development, flood protection, irrigation, drainage, water retention activities, erosion, protection of the environment. The objective of the Committee is to promote optimal and rational ways of water management and rural land development for reasonable crop production of high quality by taking into account the latest state of the art in the field of science and technology. Members of the Committee are engaged in the Committee's work through their expert knowledge, beyond any outside influence.



Some activities of SINCID:

Slovenian National Committee of ICID - SINCID is implementing and promoting different activities in the field of water management for food production and rural development such as:
- educational by organizing seminars, conferences, symposiums, demonstrations, study tours, etc.
- extension and consulting by designing, development, initiating and promoting new scientific and technical achievements, etc.
- organizing the construction of objects for new developments, etc.

Organizational and educational activities
SINCID organized several international ICID events like: Workshop on Drainage and Environment in 1996; SINCID organized conference on "Drought Mitigation and Prevention of Land Desertification" in april 2002. SINCID organizes study tours for its members to different neighbouring countries for exchanging ideas, getting new ideas, etc.

Water harvesting in Karst Region of Slovenia
There is approx. 44 % of the area of Slovenia karstic where prevailes shallow soil (sandy loam) with poor water retention capacity and where forest fires occure during dry periods. SINCID has designed and implemented the construction of several water ponds equiped with plastic liner in Karst region of Slovenia..

Implementation of drainage in Slovenia
Drainage has been executed on 33 % of the arable land in Slovenia so far. The most efficient drainage system prooved to be the system of horizontal drainage pipes in combination with perpendicularly implemented mole drainage filled with gravel. SINCID played a very important role in the implementation of drainage systems in Slovenia. Drainage systems in general are not sufficiently maintained due to lack of financial sources.

Implementation of National Irrigation Programme (NIP)
NIP has been prepared and coordinated by SINCID. Drought occures quite often in Slovenia. One of the potential measures to mitigate drought is irrigation. NIP is supposed to overcome the defficiency of water for crop production during drought (vegetable, fruits, hops and some other field crops) and manage the country to become selfsufficient with these products. Several studies have been accomplished in past necessary for irrigation planning and management as "Crop-Yield-Evapotranspiration and Yield-Water-Application Relationships for Irrigation Planning and Management", etc.; they were financially supported by PL 480 USA Programme.