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
6 March 2008
Media contact: icarda-media@cgiar.org
 
Strengthening Partnerships with Egypt and AOAD
ICARDA and the Egyptian national research program have had strong links for many years. This partnership will continue to flourish, as reiterated during recent discussions between Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General, and Egyptian ministers and NARS leaders. Dr Solh visited Egypt, 16-18 February, meeting national policy makers and other collaborators to discuss plans for expanding research collaboration.

Ministerial meetings in Egypt. On 17 and 18 February Dr Solh met H.E. Amin Abaza, Egypt's Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; H.E. Dr Mahmoud Abou Zeid, Minister of Water Resources & Irrigation; and senior officials from both ministries. These meetings also served to introduce Dr Fawzi Karajeh, the new Coordinator of ICARDA's Nile Valley and Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Program.

Both ministers offered their best wishes – and their official support – for ICARDA’s new Strategic Plan. H.E. Abaza stressed the need for ICARDA to consider the physical, human and financial resources available in each partner country; and then use a complementary implementation approach that uses resources most efficiently. Dr Solh sought support for funding specific components of the strategy. The Minister pledged the support of his government; and also agreed to explore ways to elicit support from the Egyptian private sector to implement some elements of the strategy, and more broadly, to strengthen investment in agricultural development. Also present at the meeting were Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Chairman of the Agricultural Research & Development Council; Dr Fadia Nosseir, Supervisor, Foreign Agricultural Relations Department; Dr Saad Nassar, Advisor to the Minister; Dr Karajeh; and Dr Khaled Makkouk, former ICARDA-NVSSARP Coordinator.

Agreement was reached on other important issues:
•
 Egypt and ICARDA will work closely on the Water and Livelihood Initiative which is being developed for potential funding from IFAD. The Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation will take the lead on all on-farm work; and will work with the Ministry of Water Resources & Irrigation on water issues.
•
 Dr Sanjaya Rajaram, former Director of ICARDA's BIGM Program, will be invited to conduct a study to assess wheat production and potential in Egypt.
•
 ARC will nominate two scientists to work at ICARDA headquarters for a 2-year period, in partnership with ICARDA scientists, on soil and water issues. This is being planned through the Young Scientists Development Program supported by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.
•
 Dr Karajeh will provide technical advice and assistance (when time permits) to ARC to review strategies for water resources management and improvement of water-use efficiency.

H.E. Dr Mahmoud Abou Zeid, Minister of Water Resources & Irrigation, emphasized the importance of joint activities at the forthcoming World Water Council Meeting in Turkey. He invited ICARDA to make a presentation at the Arab Water Council meeting in Cairo in March 2008 to highlight its interest in hosting water projects. The Ministry is keen to continue working with ICARDA, expanding ongoing projects and initiating new ones. The latter include, for example, the Water and Livelihood Initiative and a concept project on sustainable use of shallow groundwater aquifers. They would like ICARDA to help develop non-conventional water resources and combat desertification; and to contribute to the new Arab Water Academy which is being established in Dubai by the Arab Water Council.

Technical meetings with NARS. Dr Solh visited several NARS research centers for technical discussions on specific research issues. He was accompanied by Drs Karajeh and Makkouk. They held discussions with Dr Ayman Abou Hadid, ARC President, and Dr Tag Eldin Shehab Eldin, ARC Deputy President. They also met with the heads of six important national centers: the Plant Pathology; Horticulture; Soil, Water & Environment; Agricultural Economics; and Field Crops Research Institutes (all part of the ARC), and the Desert Research Centre.

Various issues were discussed, including:
•
 A collaborative program on long-term resource management trials was completed a few years ago. Considerable data have been collected. ICARDA and the Soil, Water & Environment Research Institute will now expedite analysis, reporting and wide dissemination of these data.
•
 The collaborative Marsa Matrouh project has been an outstanding success. ICARDA will work with the Desert Research Centre and other NARS centers to organize a major international workshop in October 2008, to discuss and disseminate the project findings, and build support for a new project, possibly funded by the World Bank.

AOAD meeting. Dr Solh participated in the AOAD (Arab Organization for Agricultural Development) meeting in Cairo. The meeting discussed future plans for agricultural development in the Arab world, and commended ICARDA’s contributions to this goal. Dr Solh also briefed Dr Salem Al Lozi, AOAD Director General, about ICARDA's Strategic Plan, and how it would contribute to regional efforts. He also interacted with NARS scientists and administrators, FAO staff, and representatives of other regional and international organizations. One important objective at each of these meetings was to identify research needs and funding opportunities that dovetailed with ICARDA's research portfolio.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA 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.

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