November 2020

For Media Enquiries

Mrs. Dima Al-Kahhale

Communication and Outreach Liaison

comms@biosaline.org.ae
+971 4 304 63 45

The study collected the latest information about soil museums and museums with permanent exhibitions on soils around the world, including the Emirates Soil Museum hosted by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA).

Global study on soil museums features Emirates Soil Museum

30 November 2020

Soils are critical to life on Earth. Indeed, they are as essential as water for the sustenance of humans and a multitude of other species. They serve many crucial functions - from food production to groundwater storage to carbon sequestration. It might not seem obvious, but soils store more carbon than is contained in all aboveground vegetation and regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

ICBA has a global network of partners and manages a significant collection of germplasm of drought-, heat- and salt-tolerant plant species. ICBA’s genebank is home to some 14,524 accessions of around 270 plant species from more than 150 countries and territories.
The collaboration focuses on raising funds for the Crop Trust's endowment mechanism to provide support for ICBA's genebank to reach performance standards and thus be eligible for long-term support to help conserve and use agrobiodiversity for sustainable agriculture and contribute to food security efforts in some of the world's most arid and saline regions.

ICBA, Crop Trust join forces to conserve plant genetic resources for marginal environments

15 November 2020

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Global Crop Diversity Trust, also known as the Crop Trust, have agreed to collaborate on enhancing the conservation of plant genetic resources for marginal environments - areas of the world most vulnerable to climate change, water scarcity and salinity, among other risks.

The Aral Sea basin is a diverse region shared by several Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan. The countries are taking various measures to mitigate the challenges posed by the dried seabed.
In collaboration with ICBA, the center recently organized three scientific and practical workshops in Karakalpakstan (an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan). The workshops brought together more than 160 participants, including farmers, scientists, government representatives, and youth.

Developing capacities for sustainable development in Aral Sea region

10 November 2020

The shrinking of the Aral Sea is considered as one of the worst man-made environmental disasters. Once the world's fourth largest lake, it has been reduced to roughly a tenth of its original size in the 1960s.