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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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Advanced
Seminar on Drought Mitigation Methodologies,
Tools and Management Options |
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Twenty-four
participants from Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon,
Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria, Turkey, and Tunisia met
at ICARDA headquarters on 18-22 June 2006 to exchange knowledge and
experience on the mitigation of drought in the dry areas. The event
was an advanced seminar on "Drought Mitigation Methodologies,
Tools and Management Options," organized by CIHEAM-Zargoza, ICARDA,
and FAO.
The Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Mr Luis Esteruelas, and ICARDA Director General, Dr Mahmoud Solh, opened the seminar. Mr Luis Esteruelas thanked the ICARDA DG and staff for hosting the seminar and said the three organizations were pleased with the good cooperation that exists between them. He made a presentation, which highlighted the organizational set-up of CIHEAM and its activities. He said CIHEAM was established to provide education and research to its member countries and that it has four institutes in four different countries, which are the pillars through which all activities are organized. Each institute specializes in different areas in order to avoid overlaps in program coverage. He said CIHEAM looks forward to increased collaboration with ICARDA because the two institutions have common aims and ambition. In his opening speech, Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General, said drought is the most serious challenge to sustainable agriculture in the dry areas and that its occurrence and severity has increased in recent years. He said climate change and human activities are contributing to this trend, and that urgent action is needed to protect the livelihoods of communities living in drought-prone areas. Dr Solh said the challenge of drought can only be addressed through partnerships, because drought is a trans-boundary phenomenon. He said drought receives top priority in ICARDA's research agenda, with a focus on preparedness, planning, and mitigation. The objective of ICARDA's activities on drought is to develop packages that would better prepare communities for drought and the mitigation of its effects, he said. Dr Solh welcomed the participants to ICARDA and wished them a fruitful meeting.
Resource persons for the seminar were drawn from different regions of the world, including USA, Spain, Italy, Algeria, and ICARDA. The lectures covered various aspects of drought preparedness, planning, and mitigation. Participants exchanged information on recent advances in research on drought, using practical models. They discussed cooperation between the different countries represented and noted the need for increased collaborative activities. Dr Theib Oweis, ICARDA MP1 Director, coordinated the seminar and made presentations. He noted that the seminar is the fruit of the long-term collaboration between ICARDA, CIHEAM, and FAO. The collaboration between ICARDA, CIHEAM, and FAO led to the establishment of NEMEDCA Drought Network in 2002, which is currently functioning in all CWANA countries and the northern Mediterranean region. Drs S. Rajaram, A. Bruggeman, H. Farahani, and E. De Pauw, from ICARDA, also made presentations of their work on drought mitigation. During the closing ceremony, Dr Solh said drought mitigation can only be addressed by working together, and encouraged the participants to continue to communicate and share experience. Participants in the seminar confirmed that their knowledge had improved through the lectures and discussions. For more information contact: Dr Theib Oweis |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management
of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants
(sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In
the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible
for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.