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
30 April 2009
Media contact: icarda-media@cgiar.org
 
Water Benchmarks Project: final workshop
Phase I of the Water Benchmarks Project is now complete. The four-year project covered three major agroecosystems – rainfed, irrigated, and dry rangelands – through pilot sites in ten countries, developing a range of technologies to make better use of scarce water. It was supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
Opening session of the workshop. Left to right: Dr Mohammed El Mourid, ICARDA; Dr Habib Amamou, IRESA; Dr Theib Oweis, ICARDA; and Mr Moncef Rekia, Commissariat Regional du Development Agricole de Nabel.

The final project workshop was held at Hammamet, Tunisia, 10-11 March, and was attended by 25 scientists from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and ICARDA. Speakers included Dr Habib Amamou, Director General, Institution de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur agricoles, Tunisia (IRESA); Dr Theib Oweis, Director of ICARDA's Integrated Water and Land Management Program; Dr Mohammed El Mourid, Coordinator of ICARDA's North Africa regional program; and Dr Mohammed Karrou, Project Coordinator and ICARDA's Water and Drought Management Specialist.

Dr Oweis provided an overview of project achievements, and how these would provide a base for further work, given the severe and growing scarcity of water resources. He expressed his deep gratitude to the Tunisian national research program for hosting the meeting, for all project partners for their work, and to the donors for their unflinching support. Dr Karrou described some of the technologies available to improve on-farm water use efficiency and water productivity, and noted the importance of community participation, as well as enabling policies, in encouraging technology adoption. Other presentations described the many successes achieved by the project. For example:
• Badia (dry rangelands) site in Jordan: development and introduction of micro-catchment water harvesting technologies to rehabilitate rangeland and combat desertification. Technologies such as the Vallerani machine and the laser-guiding system have dramatically reduced the time and cost of implementation. The number of farmers using water harvesting techniques has tripled. The government of Jordan has launched a national level development project to scale out these results. Libya has launched a new collaborative project with ICARDA along similar lines.
• Rainfed benchmark site in Morocco: integration of supplemental irrigation with early planting and improved wheat varieties. For example, a technology package with durum wheat (variety Tomouh) increased farmers' benefits by 110 to 220%. Trials have shown that deficit irrigation saves 1000-1200 m3 of water without reducing grain yield. Adoption of improved technologies has grown to 35% on average.
• Irrigated benchmark site in Egypt: implementation of deficit irrigation in combination with the raised-bed system, leading to savings in irrigation water, higher water productivity and better soil health.
• Important studies on crop modelling, socio-economic assessment of water saving techniques; and water policies and institutions. Project outputs are now being scaled out through development projects, funded by IFAD and other donors.

Participants of the final workshop of the Water Benchmarks Project, Hammamet, Tunisia.

The meeting identified priority activities for the future:
• Out-scaling research results within each country and to ecologically similar areas in other countries
• Monitoring the impacts of the new technologies, including their contribution to adaptation to climate change
• Institutionalization of benchmark sites
• Identifying policies to stimulate adoption, combining technologies, policies and institutional aspects
• Integrating grazing management and livestock research into future activities at the Badia benchmark sites
• Modeling water allocation at the large scale (in Morocco) and saline water use (in Egypt)
• Mechanization of the raised-bed technology in Egypt
• Conducting on-farm trials on other crops and technologies (e.g. zero-tillage) in Morocco.
 

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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