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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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ICARDA
hosts IWMI Board of Governors
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The
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) held its Board of
Governors Meeting at ICARDA headquarters, 23-24 March. Welcoming the
distinguished visitors, Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General,
noted that this meeting would bring the two Centers even closer together.
"Water is the core of IWMI's mandate," he said. "But
it is no less important to ICARDA, because our work centers on areas
where water deficits are the biggest threat to agriculture and livelihoods;
and in fact the Center has a global mandate for improving on-farm
water-use efficiency." Dr Solh made a short presentation to the
Board, describing ICARDA's vision, strategy and research focus. He
highlighted ICARDA-IWMI collaboration: ongoing projects, successes
achieved, and future plans and opportunities.
Dr John Skerritt, Chair of the IWMI Board, reiterated the need for concerted efforts to use water more efficiently and more sustainably, if we are to feed rapidly growing populations. He also spoke of the importance of maximizing synergies between different CGIAR Centers, and noted that this meeting was an opportunity to identify specific areas of collaboration. In response to questions by Board members, Dr Solh summarized ICARDA's approach to NARS partnership, and the evolution from national to subregional/regional focus, in response to the growing strength and experience of NARS scientists. "We have a broad agenda of research-for-development," he said. "And all implementation is done in partnership with national programs."
ICARDA and IWMI have a range of joint research projects, broadly covering land and water management, and innovations to increase productivity in areas with saline water and soil. The two Directors General, Dr Colin Chartres of IWMI and Dr Mahmoud Solh of ICARDA, signed an agreement outlining a framework for expanded collaboration in the use of marginal-quality water resources through the continued joint appointment of Dr. Manzoor Qadir. Key areas for future partnerships (possibly within a new CGIAR Mega-Program) were also discussed, including integrated water management at basin level, groundwater management, and improved irrigation systems in dry areas.
Two other initiatives are even broader in scope: the project Sustainable water use securing food production in dry areas of the Mediterranenan region (SWUP-MED), funded by the European Union (inception workshop held at ICARDA in July 2008); and the Water and Livelihoods Initiative, involving three CGIAR Centers and a range of other partners, covering seven countries in the Middle East. |
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.