ICBA News (2012)
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Peruvian congressman visits the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). |
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18 December 2012
H.E. Daniel Abugattas Majluf, Congressman from the Republic of Peru, and H.E.
Romulo Acurio, Consul General of the Peru Consulate in Dubai, visited the
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture on the 18th of December, 2012.
The Peruvian delegation was received by Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General
of ICBA; Dr. Ahmed Al Sharif, Deputy Director General of ICBA; and Dr. Mohamed
Amrani, Director of Research and Innovation at ICBA. The discussion covered an
overview of ICBA and its current researches programs as well as the food
security challenges and opportunities in the MENA region and South America.
ICBA is working on different crops that can be adopted in marginal environment
which include plants such as Quinoa, which delighted the Peruvian delegation
especially that Quinoa is an important plant in Peru. In this regard, Mr.
Abugattas expressed his interest in pursuing collaboration with ICBA.
Particularly, H.E. Congressman Majluf expressed his interest to see how ICBA can
assist Peru in its Nutrition Security Agenda, through Research and Development on Andean Crops such Quinoa.
“It was a great opportunity for ICBA to meet with the Peruvian delegation; ICBA
is keen to extend its support to as many regions of the world as possible and
welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with South American governments and
institutions” said Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Director General of ICBA.
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ICBA Scientists Celebrate World Soil Day |
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5 December 2012
The importance of soil as a critical component of good landscape management
through its contribution to food, water and energy security and as a mitigator
of biodiversity loss, competing demands for resources and climate change was
stressed by Dr Ismahane Elouafi, ICBA Director General, at the ICBA celebrations
for the inaugural World Soil Day on 5 December 2012. Dr Elouafi explained that
the concept behind the launch of World Soil Day and its current theme, Soil for
Life, arose from the land and soil related decisions from theJune 2012 UN
Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD Rio+20). Dedicating a day to the
UAE’s valuable natural resource which underpins the productivity of agriculture
provides scientists with the opportunity to engage the community.
Dr Mohamed Amrani, ICBA Director Research and Innovation added to Dr Elouafi’s
comments that sustainable management of the United Arab Emirate’s natural
resources through taking an integrated approach to landscape management is
critical. ICBA has played a major role in ensuring this sustainable management
through its collaboration with Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and GRM
International in a four year study to survey the soils of Abu Dhabi Emirate. The
study included field surveys, collection of soil samples, preparation of soil
and thematic maps, capacity building and
the development of an integrated Abu Dhabi Soil Information System. This system
facilitates easy access to soil data thus enabling informed decision-making for
researchers, policy makers, agriculturalists and farmers in the development and
management of land in the Emirate.
An animated film Let’s Talk About Soil by designer and animator Uli Streckenbach
in English,
Arabic,
French,
Spanish and
German, which was
released at the Global Soil Week (18-22 November) in Berlin Germany was shown as
part of the celebrations.
www.globalsoilweek.org
The event concluded with a presentation Linking Soils to Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security-Gulf States Perspectives by
Dr Shabbir Shahid,
ICBA Salinity Management Scientist, who outlined the status of soil and water
resources in the Gulf States, the challenges of climate change, and alternative
ways to achieve food security in the Gulf States.
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From
Classroom to real-life science: the ICBA-BITS Pilani, Dubai collaboration |
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29 November 2012
BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus (BPDC) is the offshore site of the top-ranking private
Indian university, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani. Its
location in Dubai International Academic City, which is adjacent to ICBA’s
research farm and headquarters, has proven a boon for a research collaboration
between the two institutions.
In 2009, BPDC signed a MoU with ICBA to collaborate in emerging areas of science
such as biotechnology towards improving agricultural productivity. As part of
the MoU, 13 undergraduate students from BPDC worked on Practice School (PS)
projects under the supervision of ICBA scientists, applying their classroom
knowledge to real-life situation/find solutions to problems in saline
agriculture. The joint work has benefited both the institutions and resulted in
some joint publications.
The MoU which expired on 9th October this year has been renewed for a period of 3 years to pursue collaborative research in the areas of mutual interests. Professor R. K. Mittal (Director, BPDC) accompanied by Professor G. Vijaya (Dean, Research and Consultancy), Professor D. J. Shariff (Dean, Instruction Division) and Dr Neeru Sood (Head, Biotechnology Department) visited ICBA and signed the MoU on 29th November 2012.
The MoU, besides facilitating BDPC students undertake their PS program at ICBA, allows sharing of the laboratory and field facilities of the two institutions, permits ICBA staff to pursue Masters and PhD programs in Biotechnology at BDPC, and enables participation of ICBA Scientists in the academic pursuits at BPDC as Adjunct Professors.
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ICBA Board
Meeting Outcomes |
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27 November 2012
Chaired by Mr Fawzi AlSultan, the ICBA Board of Directors met on 27 November 2012. During the meeting, the Board members discussed the strategic outcomes of the Foresight Symposium, which had brought together over 50 stakeholders including ICBA Board members and staff, representatives from the UAE Government, national and international partners, donors, and the private sector, as well as eminent scientists from universities and international scientific institutions. The creative results of the Symposium will identify strategic pathways including major initiatives for the next 10 years which will enablea new vision for ICBA.
As well, the Board reviewed and discussed amongst other topics corporate governance reforms, and ICBA’s strategic achievements.
Board picture caption:
Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak (Secretary General, Environment Agency –
Abu Dhabi), Mr Abdelrahim Al Hammadi (Assistant Under Secretary, Support
Services, Ministry of Environment and Water), Mr Adel Abdulla Alhosani
(Director, Projects Department, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development), Mr Mohammad
Jamal Al-Saati (Director, Operations Policy and Services Department, Islamic
Development Bank) and Dr Mahmoud Solh (Director General, International Center
for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas).
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ICBA Foresight Symposium |
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25-26 November 2012
At the Foresight Symposium Gala Dinner held on the 25 November in Dubai,
His Excellency Dr. Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water,
stressed that the United Arab Emirates supports ICBA in its roles as an
international center of excellence in the areas of integrated management of
saline water and marginal degraded land in developing countries.
His Excellency acknowledged that since its inception in 1999, ICBA had attained
regional and international prominence in the field of scientific research
collaboration with many partners and expressed his confidence that the next ten
years would strengthen ICBA’s role through the development of programs and
services. He commended the participatory approach of the symposium involving so
many representatives of research centers, academic and international
institutions, regional and national donors and decision-makers in the
development of a strategic plan which would strengthen the role of the center in
alleviating water scarcity exacerbated by challenges such as climate change.
In response, the ICBA Board Chair, Fawzi Al-Sultan, thanked the UAE Government
for its generous support of the Center and praised the leadership role of the
Minister of Environment and Water. Mr Al-Sultan acknowledged the importance of
scientific expertise in the planning for sustainable development at all levels.
The ICBA Director General, Dr Ismahane Elouafi, added her thanks to His
Excellency for his sponsorship, attendance and consistent, ongoing support of
the Center.
The stakeholders at the Symposium comprised delegates including: four ICBA Board
members and staff, UAE Government representatives (Dr Mariam Al Shenasi,
Assistant Under Secretary, led the team from the Ministry of Environment and
Water, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; and Mr Rashid Al Shariqi, Director
General, Abu Dhabi Food Control Agency), national and regional partners, donors,
private sector, and eminent scientists from universities and international
scientific institutions.
Following the outline of the objectives presented by Dr Elouafi on the first day
of the Symposium, the delegates worked together to look at the current and
future issues influencing water and agriculture, the role of ICBA as an
international center, the new scope of research focus and how research outcomes
could be transformed into developmental projects to improve the livelihoods of
farming communities. The creative results of the Symposium will identify
strategic pathways including major initiatives for the next 5-10 years to frame
a new research agenda and vision for ICBA in 2023.
The Symposium was facilitated by Dr Sohail Inayatullah, who is a political
scientist/futurist at the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies, Tamkang
University, Taiwan; the Centre of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism,
Macquarie University, Sydney; and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the
University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs.
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ICBA
with other Partners Organized International Conference GECS2012 |
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20-24 November 2012
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND HUMAN
SECURITY (GECS-2012): THE NEED FOR A NEW VISION FOR SCIENCE, POLICY AND
LEADERSHIP (CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY)
Environmental change in general and climate change in particular, presents a
major challenge for development and poverty eradication. Millions of poor people
around the world are vulnerable to environmental change impacts on ecosystems,
water and agriculture. Hence, the threats to human security are increasingly
considered both by research and decision spheres. There is a relation between
poverty in low-income countries and economies heavy dependent on
weather-sensitive resources, such as agriculture. Given the importance to these
issues GECS2012 was organized in Marrakech.
 Please
click here to read the full article.
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ICBA initates collaboration with KAUST on seawater studies |
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14 November 2012
Dr Nina V. Fedorov (Distinguished Visiting Professor, King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology - KAUST), followed up an earlier visit to ICBA to
further collaborative opportunities on advanced greenhouse facilities and
genetic engineering for salt-tolerance. At the meeting on 14 November, ICBA
agreed to commence in mid-December 2012 the evaluation of 36 progenies of
Salicornia in the ICBA research station in Dubai. The material will be used for
breeding for further studies.
Dr Fedoroff, a leading geneticist and molecular biologist, has contributed to
the development of modern techniques used to study and modify plants through her
fundamental research in the molecular biology of plant genes and transposons, as
well on the mechanisms plants use to adapt to stressful environments. Her book,
Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Foods,
published in 2004 by the Joseph Henry Press of the National Academy of Science,
examines the scientific and societal issues surrounding the introduction of
genetically modified crops.
Dr Fedoroff is a member of the
National Academy of Sciences,
the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the European Academy of Sciences. She has
served on the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation and is a
2006 National Medal of Science laureate.
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IFAD and ICBA: a long-term partnership |
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11 November 2012
The President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr
Kanayo Nwanze, visited ICBA on Sunday 11 November 11th to discuss current and
future collaboration with ICBA. Mr Fawzi Sultan, ICBA Board of Directors
Chairman, also attended the meeting.
The ICBA and IFAD collaboration dates back to 2004, when IFAD supported a
regional project, Saving freshwater resources with salt-tolerant forage
production in marginal areas of WANA region, in which ICBA collaborated with the
national agricultural research systems (NARS) in seven countries in West Asia
and North Africa (WANA). The project leader, Dr Abdullah Dakheel, presented the
highlights of this collaboration in the IFAD session in the fifth World Water
Forum in Istanbul in 2009, Assessing water scarcity in rural and marginal areas
of Arab countries: innovative solutions. Since then IFAD and ICBA has
strengthened their partnerships through another regional four-year project,
Adaptation to climate change in WANA marginal environments through sustainable
crop and livestock diversification, in partnership with the NARS in Egypt,
Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Syria and Yemen.
ICBA’s mandate to help water-scarce countries improve the productivity, social
equity and environmental sustainability of water use aligns very well with IFAD
efforts, under Dr Nwanze’s guidance, ‘to ensure that agriculture is a central
part of the international development agenda, and that governments recognize the
concerns of smallholder farmers and other poor rural people’.
ICBA and IFAD have agreed to explore further areas of partnerships including:
Irrigation Technologies, Agricultural Policy, and Food Security.
for more details about IFAD's presedent
click here
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AIRCA
launched at GCARD2 |
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29 October - 1th November 2012
Dr Ismahane Elouafi, ICBA Director-General, attended the GCARD2 (Second Global
Conference on Agricultural Research for Development) conference, Foresight and
partnership for innovation and impact on small-holder livelihoods, held from 29
October – 1 November in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
The conference, which is the second in a new series of global conferences held
by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR
http://www.egfar.org/) in
collaboration with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR) every two years, focused on how to implement actions and assess their
impacts identified in the
GCARD RoadMap. The RoadMap, which was an outcome of the
2010 GCARD1 conference, highlights the changes required in Agricultural Research
for Development (AR4D) systems to reduce hunger and poverty, create opportunity
for income growth while ensuring environmental sustainability and meeting the
needs of resource-poor farmers and consumers.
The forum also provided the ideal high-profile opportunity for the launch of the
Association of International Research Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA). Speakers
presented to the delegates the vision for AIRCA to drive the global push for
Healthy Landscapes in order to increase global food security by supporting
smallholder agriculture within healthy, sustainable and climate-smart
landscapes. .
As ICBA is an inaugural member of AIRCA, Dr Elouafi also met with the other
heads of the nine-member alliance to progress AIRCA programs.
See more about AIRCA...
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Appointment of new Director General at ICBA
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 Dr Ismahane Elouafi, a Moroccan/Canadian, took up the position of ICBA Director
General in August 2012. Prior to her appointment to ICBA, Dr Elouafi held
management positions within the Canadian federal system, including the position
of Director of the Research Management and Partnerships Division at the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the position of Senior-Advisor to the
Assistant Deputy Minister - Research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).
From her experience with CFIA and AAFC, Dr Ismahane gained valuable skills in
science management and science/policy integration.
Dr Elouafi holds a PhD in genetics from Cordoba University, Spain and has over
15 years experience in agricultural research, including appointments in several
international research organizations such as ICARDA (International Center for
Agricultural Research and Dry Areas), CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat
Center), and JIRCAS (Japan International Research Center for Agricultural
Sciences).
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Dr Elouafi visits the Ministry of Environment and Water
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HE Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin
Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water congratulated Dr Ismahane Elouafi on
her recent appointment as the ICBA Director General when he met with her on 15
September 2012. Accompanied by Dr Ahmad Al Sharif, the Deputy Director General
of ICBA, Dr Elouafi met with the Minister to discuss the strong level of
cooperation in collaborative ventures between the Ministry and ICBA. Dr Elouafi
acknowledged the importance of benefiting from the Ministry initiatives and
outlined ICBA’s future plans.
His Excellency used the opportunity to stress the Ministry’s ongoing support for
ICBA and its research and development programs. With sustainable development
hindered by the scarcity of natural resources, marginal quality water and soil
in arid and semi-arid environments such as the United Arab Emirates, His
Excellency emphasized the importance of ICBA achievements in research and
capacity building and ICBA’s role in furthering agricultural productivity
through the development and adoption of new technology.
At the meeting, which was also attended by Dr Mariam Al Shenassi, Assistant
Undersecretary for Technical Affairs, and Engineer Saif Al Shara, Assistant
Undersecretary for Agricultural and Livestock Affairs, His Excellency briefed Dr
Elouafi about the Ministry’s strategic plan and its core drivers, the UAE
strategy for green development, and the past and current research. In
conclusion, His Excellency recommended that Dr Elouafi continue to take
advantage of scientific trends and collaborate with the Ministry in order to
secure higher funding for research and scientific expertise to develop and adapt
technologies capable of meeting future challenges in the development of
agricultural productivity.
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Developing sustainable water, rangelands and livestock management in CAC |
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Crop diversification and sustainable management of marginal land resources in
three Central Asian countries (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) is the
focus of a four-year partnership involving ICBA, ICRISAT and ICARDA commencing
in 2011.
To improve land productivity and livelihood of poor farmers living in
salt-affected and degraded areas, dual-purpose pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum
[L.] R. Br.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench), two highly productive,
nutritional early spring and summer crops, were introduced to fill existing gaps
in grain and forage production in the Central Asian region. Socio-economic
studies to provide sound costs/benefit estimates for all interventions, under
realistic conditions of small farms, will be conducted.
In the second stage of desk studies the project team will evaluate the necessary
institutional and legal changes to allow for production and marketing of sorghum
and pearl millet by products. These measures will benefit small, remote, rural
communities with limited land/water resources to ensure sustainable land use and
provide additional income. Collaboration with farmer associations and the
National Research Systems will guarantee implementation, whereas collaboration
with academic research institutions will ensure the necessary data acquisition
to allow out-scaling of project results to other Central Asian and Caucasus
countries.
A Project Inception Workshop was held in Uzbekistan during June 14-16, 2011 to
discuss the work plan and finalize first-year activities to commence July 1,
2011 in 2-3 sites in each country.
The seed of sorghum and pearl millet were produced by ICBA in collaboration with
ICRISAT and sent to the CAC partners. In addition, local varieties of the same
forage crops were also included in the trial.
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Strategic water management solutions and best practices for dry land agriculture |
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14-15 November 2012
 ICBA scientist,
Dr Rachael
McDonnell, an expert in Water Governance and Policy, was invited
to speak at the Qatar National Food Security Program’s International Conference
on Food Security in the Drylands held in Doha, Qatar from 14-15 November 2012.
Held under the auspices of the Heir Apparent, His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad Al Thani, the conference brought together over 400 people: ministers and
senior government officials, policy makers, researchers, development
practitioners and representatives of international and regional organizations,
farmers’ unions, private and public financial institutions and funds and private
agri-business enterprises. The conference was a collaboration between the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank (WB, the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
the International Center for Agricultural Drylands (ICARDA), the
Qatar Environment Environment and Energy Research institute (QEERI) of the Qatar
Foundation, the Arab Water Council and the Georgetown University School of
Foreign Service in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies Centre
(CIRS).
Amongst the presenters in the twelve technical sessions addressing various
challenges in the context of Food Security, Water Resources, and Responsible
Investment, Dr
McDonnell talked about the role of science, knowledge and technology in
meeting food-energy-water security challenges in the dry lands. Given the
important role of agriculture in the Middle East and North African region,
adaptation in terms of agricultural practices and the use of technology have
been important in the development of farming systems. Throughout the region, the
mounting strains to feeding growing populations under the conditions of
increasing water scarcity and land degradation have resulted in food security as
a major topic for discussion by policy makers.
Dr McDonnell’s
paper presented details of the possibilities and challenges to dryland
agriculture in harnessing knowledge and water-management technology from
strategic planning through to on-farm activities. Recent advances in space-based
observations and cutting-edge modeling in understanding water availability and
fluxes at regional and national scales, being developed by ICBA under the
MAWRED program, were
examined. At the other end of the continuum – the farm-scale – the growing
wealth of experience in using sensor technology, crop genetics advances and
alternative water and energy sources in managing growing conditions was
explored. Finally
Dr McDonnell discussed technology in the context of community knowledge
development and transfer, policy and management practices, regulations and
governance.
The high-level conference included a Ministerial Dialogue on Dry Lands
Agriculture under a Changing Climate, which focused on two themes: the
Energy-Water-Food nexus and Financing dry land agriculture and food production.
This Dialogue culminated in a Doha Declaration, thus highlighting Qatar’s
leadership in the area of food security. Accordingly, Qatar has pledged to fund
this conference for the next five years.
<Click
here to see the report>
Pedrick, C; Devlin M, Timmermann, T, compilers. Strategies for Combating Climate
Change in Drylands Agriculture. Synthesis of dialogues and evidence presented at
the International Conference on Food Security in Dry Lands; 2012 November; Doha,
Qatar. ICARDA/CCAFS; 2012.
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UAE Water Think Tank |
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24 October 2012
ICBA scientists, Dr Rachael McDonnell and Dr Shoaib Ismail, were invited by the Prime Minister’s Office, UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, to join other leading scientists and researchers in the UAE Water Think Tank held on 24 October 2012.
Recognizing the substantial stress on the UAE’s natural resources, particularly water resources, caused by the rapid increase in the population growth over the last few decades, the Prime Minister’s Office conceived of the Think Tank as the best way to elicit informed discussion about the water challenges and opportunities in the UAE.
After an introduction to the lateral thinking process devised by Dr Edward De Bono, the participants were invited to think creatively in their discussions about topics including sustainable agriculture and groundwater use, healthy and cost affective desalination, how to harness and recycle wastewater, sectoral water use and the impact on cost of the supply/demand equation. The Think Tank outcomes will be used to better inform national policies and strategies.
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Water Food Day Meeting
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16 October 2012
16 October 2012 is World Food Day; a date chosen to mark the anniversary of the
founding of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Accordingly, FAO,
chaired by French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll, brought together on
this date ministers from 20 countries including major producers and
import-dependent developing countries, to discuss the global governance of food
security.
Food price increases and supply volatility have been impacted by droughts and
harvest declines in key food-exporting countries and regions such as the United
States, Europe and Australia. One potential solution under discussion is the
proposal to set up strategic food reserves in particularly vulnerable countries.
To ensure global governance on food issues, it was also proposed to create an
overarching body, the International Alliance Against Hunger. The Alliance would
bring together many different groups, including food producers and consumers,
international organizations, governments, agribusiness, scientists, academics,
private individuals, policy makers, religious groups and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)
Click here fore more details
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Furthering a successful collaboration |
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15 October 2012
Opportunities for students from the Duabi campus of BITS Pilani (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani) to work with scientists at ICBA will continue with the extension of a partnership between the two institutions. Recognising the importance of practical, real-life scientific experience to complement academic studies, BITS Pilani was keen to ensure that their students could continue to undertake projects supervised by ICBA scientists.
The ICBA Director General, Dr Ismahane Elouafi, accompanied by two senior scientists, Drs Shoaib and Rao, met with Professor RK Mittal and Drs DJ Shariff and Neeru Sood from BITS Pilani, on 15 October 2012 to flesh out potential areas for future collaboration, including biotechnology and different engineering programs. Future possibilities included ICBA scientists working as Adjunct Professors in BITS Pilani for certain courses in Biotechnology and ICBA research associates enrolling in the PhD program. On behalf of the BITS Pilani Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bijendra Nath Jain, Professor RK Mittal invited Dr Ismahane to visit their main campus in India.
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Building on the past
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2nd October 2012
Having shared a long and fruitful partnership over many years, representatives of ICBA, FAO and ICARDA met on 4 October 2012 at ICBA headquarters in Dubai to map out future possibilities for cooperation within the United Arab Emirates specifically and the wider region in general.
After discussion about respective technical programs, the group identified specific ideas about joint potential projects including capacity development and set up a steering committee to progress planning.
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National Strategy to Combat Salinity and protection of water resources from pollution and salinity in the Sultanate of Oman
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2nd October 2012
The National Strategy to combat salinity and protect water resources from pollution and salinity in Oman was launched on 2 October 2012 in Oman by Sheikh Fadl bin Mohammed Al Harthy, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers. Sheikh Fadl praised the strategy as ‘a scientific and realistic diagnosis of the problem and places that experience salinization’. The land resources of the Sultanate of Oman suitable for agriculture are limited, yet agriculture continues to be a major source of employment.
Dr Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, Director-General of Agricultural and Livestock Research, outlined the rigorous process of the two-year program which included five technical teams working on different aspects: water resources and modeling, agricultural status and salinity impact, socio-economic assessment, governance, legal/regulatory frameworks and policies, and capacity development.
In collaboration with the Directorate General of Agriculture and Livestock Research of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in Oman, ICBA played a major role in leading the formulation of the strategy. Continuous consultation with key ministries, government agencies and local and international specialists ensured that the Strategy incorporated the best expert assessment and synthesis in order to deliver high-quality outcomes.
Dr Ismahane Elouafi, the ICBA Director-General, commended the Sultanate's role and vision in driving the preparation of the strategy. ICBA’s expertise in applied scientific research to preserve limited freshwater resources ensured the rigor of the study’s findings and recommendations. The study indicated that excessive water use is the prime cause of salinization of agricultural soils. In many areas water demand exceeded supply resulting in the intrusion of saline water into the aquifers. Even when the groundwater was considered good quality, poor on-farm management complicated the problems by causing salinization of the soil. The study recommended alternative strategies to improve water use and monitoring, soil management and agricultural production on the different types of soil and water conditions, strategic options to reduce seawater intrusion, and tactics (in the short-, medium- and long-term) to implement solutions across the Sultanate of Oman.
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United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20)
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The Islamic Development Bank Group President, Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, acknowledged
the importance of ICBA’s programs in providing a framework for advancing
research and development and playing a strong policy and governance role in the
member countries of the IDB Group.
At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, in 20-22 June 2012, Dr Ali outlined some of the recent key
projects led by ICBA in the Middle East and North Africa, such as MAWRED
(Modeling and Monitoring Agriculture and Water Resources Development), which
will provide scientific data to inform decisions affecting water and food
security, and the crop/livestock diversification and sustainable management of
marginal lands through the scaling-up and dissemination of high-yielding forage
production packages that are better adapted to saline and marginal environmental
conditions. In his statement, Dr Ali also identified ICBA’s role in leading a
four-year project on crop diversification and sustainable management of marginal
land resources in four Central Asian countries (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan,
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan).
Based in Dubai, ICBA was established in 1999 with the support of the Islamic
Development Bank Group, and the United Arab Emirates Government. The IDB Group
also attracted additional financial support for the center from the Arab Fund
for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) and the OPEC Fund.
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ICBA participation in Liwa Date Festival |
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The recent Liwa Date Festival provided a well-attended forum for ICBA to
demonstrate the success of its long-term research into elite date palm varieties
to assess the impact of marginal quality irrigation on soil properties, date
palm growth, productivity and fruit quality. One component of this research
included the testing by ICBA of two date palm varieties (Khalas and Khenizi)
with two mycorrhizae and two fertility treatments over four salinity levels of
irrigated water. As date palms are often grown under saline conditions (a major
concern for plant growth), the purpose of ICBA research was to determine how
well mycorrhizal symbioses could enhance their survival and growth. ICBA’s
research findings demonstrated that in general the symbiosis confers numerous
benefits to host plants including improved plant growth and mineral nutrition,
and tolerance to diseases and stresses such as drought, temperature and
salinity. Date palms, possessing a coarse and limited root system, depend highly
on mycorrhizae symbioses for water and nutrient uptake. The importance of these
findings was acknowledged by the scientific community when ICBA received last
year an award in the Research and Study Category in the Khalifa International
Date Palm Awards which were established in 2008 by President His Highness Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to highlight the significant role of the date palm
and its importance in the culture and heritage of the United Arab Emirates.
Held under the kind patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice
Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Date Festival in Liwa in
Al Gharbiya of the Abu Dhabi Emirate in the United Arab Emirates is a major
drawcard for the many sectors interested in the date industry. Organized by the
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, the Festival attracted many
dignitaries, such as HH Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Saeed Bin Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al
Nahyan, who praised the high standard of the Festival. The seven-day Festival
was also attended by farmers, representatives from companies involved in date
manufacturing, fertilizers, seeds, green fodder, the manufacture of high quality
wood sheets from palm tree wastes suitable for use in building, furniture, and
pre-fabricated houses, agricultural producers, and more than 300 UAE local
families participating in the activities of the popular souk. Various
competitions held during the seven day festival demonstrated the high standard
of date production, which is of economic and cultural significance to the UAE.
More than 225 date producers participated in the Festival’s main date
competition, the Al ‘Dabbas’ Category, which represents half the date production
in the Al Gharbiya region, while 72 producers participated in the ‘Biggest Adj’
Competition. By bringing together date producers, the Festival is able to
demonstrate the latest advanced agricultural techniques in fruit production and
reward leading date producers.
Tourists were enthralled with the extensive display of Emirati cultural heritage
with ancient houses and their contents set up in a real-life context, musical
shows including the Abu Dhabi Police Music Band and the narration of historical
stories. The popular souk comprised 160 shops selling locally produced date
fruits, traditional clothes and jewelry as well as innovative items handcrafted
from palm tree leaves and fronds by Emirati local families. Many tourists
enjoyed the fact that in many shops Emirati women demonstrated skillfully how
the handicrafts were made.
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ATA and ICBA promise collaboration |
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 Dr Samuel Gameda, Director of Soil Health and Fertility Program at the Ethiopian
Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) based in Addis Ababa visited ICBA on 30
September 2012. An initiative of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE), ATA was
established in 2011 as a result of two years of extensive diagnostic study
across eight sub-sectors of Ethiopia’s agricultural system in a
highly-consultative, multi-stakeholder process led by the Ministry of
Agriculture with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The primary
aim of the Agency is to promote agricultural sector transformation by supporting
existing structures of government, private-sector and other non-governmental
partners to address systemic bottlenecks to deliver a prioritised national
agenda to achieve agricultural growth and food security.
After an overview of the ATA mandates and activities, Dr Gameda outlined for the
ICBA scientists the problems in Ethiopia impacting on soil health and fertility.
His presentation generated considerable discussion amongst the scientists given
the intersection of research and development needs in the dryland zones of
Ethiopia and the countries in which ICBA is involved. Both ATA and ICBA
recognize that soil and water management including the problems of soil salinity
and sodicity are increasingly impacting agricultural production. Discussions in
small groups comprising specific scientific disciplines and in general enabled
the ATA and ICBA scientists to identify areas of potential future collaborations
in research, development and capacity building to benefit Ethiopian agricultural
development and transformation.
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Environmental Cost and Changing Face of Agriculture in the Gulf States |
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3rd Gulf Research Meeting July 2012
ICBA played a leading role in planning and conducting the agriculture workshop of the 3rd Gulf Research Meeting, which was held on 11-14 July 2012 at the University of Cambridge. The Gulf Research Center in Cambridge (GRCC) brought together 450 distinguished scientists and policy makers from 46 countries to participate in 19 workshops. The agriculture workshop chaired by Dr Shabbir A. Shahid (Senior Scientist at ICBA), was attended by participants from Australia, Bahrain, India, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Australia, UK, and Morocco. The agriculture workshop covered the topics of food security, improved water-use efficiency, specific country case studies and the changing role of agriculture in the Gulf countries.
H.E. Maj. Gen. Abdullatif Rashid Al-Zayani, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, delivered the opening session of the 2012 Gulf Research Meeting. As Lead Workshop Director, Dr Shabbir A. Shahid jointly with Dr Mushtaque Ahmed, the Director of the Affiliation Center for Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR) presented the welcome keynote address, the Environmental Cost and Changing Face of Agriculture in the Gulf States.
Dr Shahid identified the challenges to food security and outlined the research and development undertaken by ICBA over the last twelve years to help the Gulf countries to resolve these challenges.
Workshop participants collaborated to produce the following recommendations:
- Create “ Gulf Agriculture Network for Knowledge Sharing and Technology Adoption” GANKSTA.
- Increase investment in Research, Development and Extension in the agriculture sector.
- Adopt climate-smart technologies and practices in agricultural intensification for food security enhancement.
- Increase strategic groundwater reserve through recharge using reclaimed water.
- Invest in the use of reclaimed water in protected agriculture and enhance the social acceptance of this alternative by education and awareness campaigns.
- Educate consumers on the positive impacts of reducing meat-based food products in order to help reducing food imports; mitigating climate change and managing sustainably water resources.
- Adopt options for the Gulf States food security through the involvement of host countries smallholder farmers in the foreign land deals.
- Orient the Gulf investors either by Lobbying or incentive to lease unutilized land within the framework of foreign land deals. Policy-makers need to be more fully cognizant of, and responsive to, the problems of current land deal strategies and the risks these create and the difficulties these strategies present in achieving reliable long-term food supplies.
- Policy-makers should research and establish alternative investment structures and mechanisms to achieve long term food security goals -- such as reliable sources of staples from the agricultural sectors of less-developed countries.
- Enhance and stimulate quality local food production and its competitiveness by adopting modern technologies such as soilless and hydroponic growing systems in order to maximize the market share for local products.
Workshop participants with Dr Abdul Aziz Sager Chairman Gulf Research Center
These recommendations and background material will form the basis of the proposed book, which will be edited by Dr Shahid. On behalf of ICBA, Dr Shahid will continue to collaborate, wherever possible, with the GRCC to fulfil its role to advance education and research on political, economic, social and security issues relating to member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and associated countries including Iran, Iraq and Yemen.
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Visitors from Japan On 16 July 2012 |
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On 16 July, ICBA scientists were able to learn more about research being
undertaken in Japan on soils quality improvement when a Japanese group visited
ICBA. The group comprised representatives from the Graduate School of
Engineering in Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and farmers
specializing in tomato production. They were keen to learn from ICBA’s expertise
and research in using marginal quality water resources to grow vegetable and
other crops. The Japanese group shared their experience in the application of
microbes to improve the quality of sandy soils and expressed their interest to
collaborate with ICBA to test their technology under harsh desert conditions.
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Farmers’ Day at Madinat Zayed
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On June 2012, UAE farmers
ICBA and the Farmers’ Service Center based in Abu Dhabi organized a Farmers’ Day
on June 4 at the ICBA/FSC farm demonstration site of Madinat Zayed. The Day
enabled farmers to look at the forage crops grown in the field, the irrigation
layout and mechanism, crop harvesting and bailing practices. ICBA and FSC staff
were available to discuss practical matters with farmers and answer any
questions about the farming practices.
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ICBA Internship
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 For three months commencing February 12, 2012, ICBA hosted Mr Kaddour Damouche,
an intern, who had been sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) to undertake scientific training at ICBA. In a mix of training delivery
modes from the laboratory to the design and setting up of field trials, Mr
Damouche worked with ICBA specialists. During the internship period, Mr Damouche
worked with ICBA specialists in the laboratory, field trials and visits as well
as data analysis and report formulation on topics covering water management and
irrigation, salinity monitoring, and screening of salt-tolerant forage crops.
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2 April 2012
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H.E. Dr Al Shenasi and the delegation discussed with ICBA its research and
development programs and its interaction with the Ministry. ICBA has undertaken
major projects for the Ministry, such as the Water Conservation Strategy in the
United Arab Emirates. The Strategy was undertaken in 2010 in response to the
United Arab Emirates government vision for the sustainable development of
natural resources and achieving water security. The strategic framework for the
sustainable management of the water resources in the UAE was developed based on
scientific analysis of the main factors affecting the supply and demand for
water in the Emirates.
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ICBA Seminar in
Sudan
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 Alongside the 37th
annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB) held in Khartoum,
Sudan, ICBA organized on 1st April 2012 a seminar on Applications of biosaline
agriculture technologies and marginal quality water in IDB member countries.
The seminar was chaired by His Excellency Mohammad Jamal Al-Saati, Director,
Operations Policy and Services Department, IDB and member of ICBA’s Board of
Directors. Experts in the field of biosaline agriculture, water resources and
environment from local ministries and institutions in Sudan in addition to
representatives of regional organizations operating in Sudan and some of IDB
officials came together to share their expertise. His Excellency Dr Mohammed
Hassan Goubarah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in
Sudan, and His Excellency Birama Sidibe, Vice President for Operation, IDB,
attended the seminar. A representative of the University of Khartoum gave a
presentation on Saline agriculture in Sudan and two members of the Arab
Organization for Agricultural Development discussed The utilization of treated
wastewater to produce biofuel in the Arab region. Dr Abdullah Dakheel from ICBA
shed light on The role of ICBA in developing the utilization of biosaline
agriculture technologies in IDB-member countries.
The ICBA delegation to Sudan also participated in the associated exhibition and
attended the other seminars organized by IDB. As well they met with officials of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and other organizations to discuss
potential collaboration.
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19 March 2012
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 Dr Kai L. Chan, Senior Consultant, Ms Shaheena Mohamed, Senior Project Manager,
Ms Arwa Al Qassim, Research Analyst, from the Emirates Competiveness Council,
and Mr Mohamed Amine Jalloui, Expert Assistant Statistician, of the Natural
Bureau of Statistics, visited ICBA on Monday 19 March to discuss the inclusion
of ICBA in national research and development statistics.
The Emirates Competiveness Council (EEC) is a government think-tank working on
policy and initiatives with a mandate to improve the competiveness of the United
Arab Emirates (UAE). Currently the UAE does not report expenditure on research
and development in terms of financial amounts or headcounts. Consequently there
is a lack of benchmarks and limited opportunities to forecast future research
and development trends. In the short term the plan is for the Council to focus
on input values such as the spend amount and the headcount. With this
information gathered by the EEC, the UAE will be able to contribute to detailed
reports, such as compiled by the OECD, which rank nations according to their
expenditure. Given ICBA's applied research and development programs which build
up a body of knowledge to improve the productivity of farmers, it is important
that ICBA information be included in the data captured by the EEC.
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22 February 2012
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Nicholas Thornton, Regional Director, Investment Attraction - MENA, State
Government of Victoria, Australia, Nicole Andrews, Project Manager -
MENA/February, Department of Business and Innovation, State Government of
Victoria, and Ruxandra Lazarescu, Managing Director, dropbydrop, visited ICBA
headquarters in Dubai on 22 February.
Originally part of a large trade mission from the Australian state of Victoria
visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, this smaller group were keen to
meet with the ICBA scientific team to discuss collaboration opportunities. The
Australian state has had a long-term relationship with the Middle East and North
Africa region with Victorian food and beverage exports to the region being worth
about Dh2.8 billion per annum with some 100 Victorian food companies exporting
directly. In 2011 Victoria's trade with the UAE was Dh3.1 billion.
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09 February 2012
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Dr Turok exchanged information on the latest ICARDA research and development in
the Central Asia and Caucasus. With farming as the primary source of income in
rural areas, the region is very dependent economically on agriculture; hence the
focus on this region by both ICARDA and ICBA.
ICBA briefed Dr Turok on the developments in ICBA activities in crop
diversification and sustainable management of marginal land resources in the
region: specifically in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In
2011 ICBA commenced research into dual-purpose pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum
[L.] R. Br.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolour [L.] Moench). These highly
productive, nutritional early spring and summer crops are being introduced to
fill existing gaps in grain and forage production in the Central Asian region.
As part of the research soci-economic studies to identify the costs and benefits
of the interventions will conducted.
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Water and Food Safety in the UAE
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 With the theme for this year's International World Water Day being 'Water and
Food Safety', ICBA scientists were well-placed to contribute their expertise to
the program organised by Dubai Municipality (DM). The month-long series of
activities commenced on March 22, World Water Day, and concluded with a seminar
on municipality water safety on Wednesday 18 April at Dubai Le Meridien Hotel.
Dr Khalil Ammar, Water Resources Management scientist with ICBA, explained to
the seminar audience the role of ICBA in conserving water resources in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) in particular and the region in general.
ICBA consultants have been encouraging an integrated water resource management
(IWRM) approach. With an IWRM approach, the water gap between supply and demand
can be bridged through demand management, instead of the current approach which
relies mainly upon increasing the supply. If the UAE was able to rationalize the
per capita water consumption to be within the international levels of 200 liter
per capita per day rather than the current consumption of 370 liters per capita
per day, then the country would be able to delay by up to 14 years the expensive
investment needed for desalinated water, the main water resource in the UAE. Dr
Ammar also outlined the use of innovative technologies such as sensor technology
and sub-drip irrigation that can reduce water use in agriculture and emphasized
the important role of marginal water, particularly brackish/saline water, in
supplementing freshwater and reducing the demand for limited groundwater
resources.
Inaugurated by Eng. Hamdan Khalifa Al Shaer, head of the Environment Department,
DM, the seminar focused on different aspects of water safety issues and its
solutions and the need to create social awareness about the protection of water
resources and rationalization of its exploitation.
Other contributors to the seminar on different aspects of water safety were Wael
Ahmed Awda and Abdul Wahid Qasim Mohammed, DM food studies and survey officers;
Dr Jusni Jasir who discussed groundwater protection in Dubai; and Mohammed Abu
Kaf, an environment and public health expert, who outlined the natural
characteristics of water and sources of its pollution.
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Nuffield International Farming
Scholar - Bryce Riddell
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The 2012 Nuffield Australia Scholar, Bryce Riddell, visited ICBA to discuss with
ICBA scientists the developments in the field of forage production. As well,
Bryce accompanied staff of the Farmers' Services Center in their daily
operations in the Western Region, Abu Dhabi Emirate and also participated in a
Forage and Fodder Workshop.
Nuffield Australia, through its Farming Scholars Program, encourages Australian
primary producers to adopt local and international best practice so that
excellence in all aspects of Australian agricultural production, distribution
and management is achieved.
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Working Together for a Water-Secure Future: OIC Water Vision
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 The Islamic Conference of Ministers Responsible for Water was held in Istanbul,
Republic of Turkey during 5-6 March, 2012 under the theme 'Working together for
a water-secure future'. The Conference was hosted by the Ministry of Forestry
and Water Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. Ministers, Deputy Ministers and
high level officials from 28 Member States of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), OIC Institutions, observers and international organizations
participated in the Conference. The aim of the Conference was to enable the
Ministers and Representatives of the OIC Member States to review and adopt the
OIC Water Vision; a document which had been prepared by an Advisory Panel of
Experts, composed of prominent experts from all of the OIC regions. The
Conference also discussed the major issues and challenges related to the
implementation of the OIC Water Vision.
The meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Prof. Dr Veysel Eroglu, Minister of forestry
and Water Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. In his address, the Honorable
Minister welcomed the participants and stressed the urgent need for cooperation
and coordination at the national, regional and international level for promoting
water related issues and addressing the challenges facing the OIC Member States.
Dr Eroglu expressed the hope that the OIC Water Vision would provide the basis
for cooperation and collaboration on water issues among the OIC Member States.
The inaugural statement of the OIC General Secretariat was delivered by H.E.
Ambassador Abdul Moiz Bokhari, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and
Technology, who thanked the government of Turkey for their hosting of the
conference and warm hospitality. The OIC Assistant General underlined the need
for a collective response to the challenges of reliable access to water for
health, livelihood, and production, as well as management of unpredictable
water-related risks, which are increasing due to population growth, depletion of
resources, environmental degradation and climate change.
Dr Razely Nordin, Director of the OIC Science and Technology Department and Mr
Fawzi Sultan, Chairman of the OIC Advisory Panel of Experts on Water Vision and
Chairman of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, explained the
background of the OIC Water Vision, its objectives, the preparatory process,
major challenges discussed in the Vision and the way forward. Ministers
Responsible for Water and Heads of Delegation from participating Member States
then highlighted the water challenges facing their countries, their efforts to
address those challenges and their expectations from the OIC Water Vision. After
extensive discussion and deliberations the Meeting adopted the OIC Water Vision.
A roundtable discussion on the implementation of the OIC Water Vision was held
on the 2nd day of the Conference. This discussion identified scope for
cooperation in terms of exchange of experiences, best practices and capacity
building activities. The roundtable also enabled discussions about the
modalities and the means for cooperation and linkages among centers of
excellence/national institutions with the OIC Member States in water science,
policy, management and technology development.
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ICBA Showcase Opportunity
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 ICBA showcased the outcomes of its successful applied research projects on
biosaline agriculture, modern irrigation systems, and modern farming systems at
the Agricultural Exhibition in Al Ain during 22-25 February. As well as joining
the 90 exhibitors, 30 farms and 30 animal production farms participating in the
exhibition, ICBA was represented by Dr Khalil Ammar, Water Resources Management
Scientist, discussing the topic 'Sustainable management of marginal water
resources in the United Arab Emirates'
Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime
Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi
Food Control Authority (ADFCA), and organized by Abu Dhabi Food Control
Authority, the exhibition was opened by HH Sheikh Hazza bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan,
General Manager, Dewan of the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region.
Sheikh Hazza bin Tahnoun al Nahyan stressed the importance of the agricultural
sector and its role in food security and praised ADFCA for its focus on the
integrated sociak. economic and environmental dimensions of farming. The
Director General of the Authority, HE Rashid Mohamed Al Shariqi, explained that
the exhibition was very important to disseminate awareness to farmers of the
best agricultural practices and technologies.
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Climate Change
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Scientists met in Amman, Jordan, from 19-23 February 2012 to attend the meetings
of the Technical and Steering Committees of the Climate Change Project. ICBA was
represented at the meetings by Dr Faisal Taha, Dr Abdullah Dakheel, Dr Makram
Belhaj Fraj and Mr Ghazi Al-Jabri. |
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