Water And Land Management Institute (WALMI) Dharwad was established by Karnataka Government under World Bank assistance on 28.05.1985 at Bheemarayanagudi to train staff of Irrigation and Agriculture Departments and Command Area Development Authorities (CADAs). The Institute was registered as Society called ‘WALMI Society’ on 16 June, 1986 under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act 1960 [Registration No. 74/86- 87. The institute was shifted from Bheemarayanagudi to Belagavi during November 1985 and subsequently to Dharwad during April 1986 in view of certain logistic advantages like communication, education and expertise in Dharwad.