Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi

Programme Overview

Ageing conveyance infrastructure and inadequate drainage systems present critical operational risks across arid river basins, particularly within Central Asia.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ This five-day executive programme in Tbilisi addresses the technical, institutional, and environmental challenges of modernising irrigation networks. Delivered through practical engineering modules, the curriculum focuses on assessing physical asset conditions, mitigating conveyance losses, and rehabilitating secondary and tertiary canal systems using durable lining materials and modern hydraulic structures to restore overall scheme efficiency.

Participants explore sustainable drainage management and groundwater monitoring approaches essential for combating waterlogging and secondary soil salinisation in intensive agricultural basins. The course integrates international engineering frameworks, such as FAO Irrigation and Drainage Papers, with practical field diagnostics. Civil engineers and basin planners review canal modernisation techniques, sedimentation control, discharge measurement structures, and the hydraulic sizing of surface and subsurface collector drains suited to complex hydrological environments.

Beyond civil works, the training examines the institutional arrangements required for sustainable asset management and operational viability. Sessions focus on establishing robust participatory irrigation management mechanisms and strengthening Water Users Associations to handle operations, maintenance, and fee collection. By evaluating international donor funded modernisation methodologies, participants gain the practical capabilities needed to design, procure, and supervise infrastructure rehabilitation works that support basin-level water productivity and long-term system integrity.

Agricultural basins across Central Asia face acute water stress, worsened by deteriorated conveyance assets, extensive seepage losses, and secondary soil salinisation that depress crop yields.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Large-scale public investments and international development initiatives, including the Ferghana Valley Water Resources Management Phase II project, are currently committing substantial resources to canal modernisations, collector drainage restoration, and institutional reform. Delivering these complex investments requires immediate technical capabilities in modern canal design, flow control instrumentation, and sustainable drainage management to safeguard water resources, preserve arable land, and ensure project sustainability across basin authorities and water user organisations.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Tbilisi, Georgia, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Diagnostic surveys for deteriorated canal infrastructure using standard condition indices
• Methods for quantifying canal seepage: inflow-outflow testing and ponding procedures
• Sediment deposition dynamics and hydraulic capacity degradation in open channels
• Hydraulic modelling fundamentals for network modernisation and capacity restoration
• Economic prioritisation of canal reaches for immediate engineering intervention
• Engineering comparisons of lining types: cast-in-place concrete, shotcrete, and geomembranes
• Geosynthetic clay liners and composite lining systems for high-permeability soils
• Subgrade preparation, expansive soil stabilisation, and under-drainage systems
• Strategic thinking and direction setting
• Leading and developing teams
• Decision making and problem solving
• Communication and influence

It is designed for irrigation and drainage engineers from national and regional water authorities, basin water management organisation directors, engineers, and technical planners, project Implementation Unit (PIU) specialists working on donor-funded rural water schemes and others who want practical, current skills in leadership, management and communication.

The Growing Importance of Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi

Institutions change faster than ever: new policies, technologies and expectations from citizens and partners. Leaders and managers who can set direction, build teams and manage change make the difference between plans and results.

Strong leadership is a set of practical skills: deciding, communicating, negotiating, developing people and leading change. These skills can be learnt and improved with practice and feedback.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Set clear direction and priorities
• Lead and motivate teams through change
• Communicate and negotiate effectively
• Manage performance fairly
• Make sound decisions under pressure

Strong leadership, management and communication systems help organisations:

• Turn strategies into results
• Build motivated, capable teams
• Manage change with less resistance
• Improve relations with partners and stakeholders

This Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Irrigation and drainage engineers from national and regional water authorities
• Basin water management organisation directors, engineers, and technical planners
• Project Implementation Unit (PIU) specialists working on donor-funded rural water schemes
• Water Users Association (WUA) support coordinators and federation managers
• Civil and hydraulic engineers responsible for canal lining design and procurement
• Drainage and soil salinity specialists working in arid and semi-arid basins
• Operations and maintenance managers overseeing secondary and tertiary networks
• Technical officers from ministries of water resources, agriculture, and environment
• Hydrologists and water resources specialists working in Central Asian river basins
• Directors and senior managers
• Heads of department and unit
• Middle managers and team leaders

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training, participants will be able to:

• Assess physical degradation and operational bottlenecks in primary, secondary, and tertiary irrigation canals using standardised diagnostic frameworks
• Select and specify cost-effective canal lining materials and geocomposites to minimise seepage losses and extend asset design life
• Design and rehabilitate agricultural drainage networks to control shallow water tables and mitigate soil salinisation according to FAO standards
• Specify, install, and calibrate modern flow measurement structures and control devices for open-channel irrigation networks
• Develop structured Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) arrangements and continuous asset transfer protocols for Water Users Associations
• Formulate operation and maintenance plans that incorporate sedimentation management, weed control, and preventive structural repair
• Prepare comprehensive rehabilitation investment proposals aligned with international donor procurement and engineering quality requirements
• Explain current approaches to leadership in public and private institutions
• Set direction and priorities for their team
• Lead, motivate and develop people

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training Methodology

The training employs a practical, engineering-focused adult learning approach combining technical lectures, calculation workshops, real-world case reviews, and collaborative problem-solving.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Participants analyse anonymised scheme data from Central Asian basins to diagnose conveyance faults, run drainage spacing calculations, and evaluate lining alternatives. Group work culminates in the development and peer review of a comprehensive network rehabilitation plan, supported by open technical discussions that link classroom theory directly to field-level project implementation and international procurement requirements.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training, participants will be able to:

• Ability to conduct rigorous field condition assessments and quantify canal conveyance losses using standardised methodologies
• Competence in selecting and specifying appropriate canal lining materials suited to challenging geotechnical environments
• Capability to calculate optimal drainage network dimensions and collector layouts to prevent soil salinisation
• Proficiency in selecting, situating, and calibrating flow measurement structures for accurate volumetric water accounting
• Skills to draft practical operation and maintenance plans alongside institutional frameworks for Water Users Associations
• Readiness to contribute effectively to donor-funded irrigation rehabilitation projects through compliant design and monitoring plans
• Set clear direction and priorities
• Lead and develop teams

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Leadership and management
• Team development
• Change management
• Communication
• Performance management

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Team plans
• Coaching
• Change plans
• Stakeholder communication
• Performance reviews

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply leadership, management and communication within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in leadership, management and communication increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on leadership, management and communication. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to leadership, management and communication that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Tbilisi, Georgia brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how leadership, management and communication is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Georgia

Programmes, Workshops, Exposures, Training Courses in Tbilisi, Georgia by Risalat Consultants International

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Readiness Assessment
• Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi Training Manual
• Leadership Self-Assessment
• Team Development Plan Template
• Change Plan Template
• Negotiation Preparation Sheet
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Personal Development Plan Template
• Coaching Conversation Guide
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions set clear direction and priorities?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Condition Assessment, Asset Diagnostics, and Water Conveyance Efficiency), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions lead and motivate teams through change?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Modern Canal Lining Technologies, Materials, and Structural Works), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions communicate and negotiate effectively?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Agricultural Drainage Systems and Soil Salinity Control), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage performance fairly?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Flow Measurement, Control Structures, and Network Automation), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions make sound decisions under pressure?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Participatory Irrigation Management and Rehabilitation Planning), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Modern Irrigation Network Rehabilitation and Drainage Management in Tbilisi programme take place?

It runs from 20 Sep 2027 to 24 Sep 2027, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for irrigation and drainage engineers from national and regional water authorities, basin water management organisation directors, engineers, and technical planners, project Implementation Unit (PIU) specialists working on donor-funded rural water schemes, water Users Association (WUA) support coordinators and federation managers, and others who want practical skills in leadership, management and communication.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in leadership, management and communication?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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