Regional E-Consultation stresses the critical importance of sustainable water (Demand) management in agricultural development research for development in MENA Region
WaDImena was invited and has taken part in a restricted regional e-consultation preparing for the First Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARDs) to be held in Montpelier, France 28-31 March 2010. The e-consultation intended to highlight the priority issues for future agricultural research for development and has stressed the importance of water management, efficiency and productivity in water use as well as pricing mechanisms to ensure sustainable water resources management.
Main points in the discussions:
The points in the discussion could be summarized as follows:
- Food security, food safety and water scarcity: One of the main discussions was about water scarcity and food security as main problems facing the region. The participants have mentioned the need to improve water use efficiency, finding suitable alternative environment friendly crops that tolerate to drought and salinity and capable to give better economic returns.
- Linkage between research, extension and farmers in the region: Many of participants have mentioned that there is a weak relation and also a gap in this regard. They have expressed the need of sharing knowledge between these three groups. This linkage needs to be addressed in relation to technology uptake and adoption. In fact, lack of integration partly explains the low adoption rates of improved technologies in dry areas.
- Polices and strategies: The discussion reflects the need to develop clear polices and strategies for agricultural research, identifying areas and priorities of research. It has been mentioned that research in most countries in the region is still traditional; there is a lack of vision in setting research policies and priorities, and there needs to be a distinction between research policies (which include research prioritization and funding) and enabling policy and institutional options to enhance the uptake and adoption of improved technologies and practices. The participants emphasized that the policies and institutions should go side by side with the development of the technologies and integrated within the research process.
- Innovation: There were varying opinions leading to general discussion about the innovation. Based on different opinion we could define the innovation in Agriculture as: It is the results of the events/ experiments/ investigations for the successful implementation of creative ideas to do something or solve problem related to the agriculture that have allowed the sector to increase both the quantity and quality of products available to consumers, while freeing up labor, land and other resources for use elsewhere in the economy. A successful innovation should be appropriate, sustainable, cost-effective, and more importantly acceptable by the end users (farmers, stakeholders). Innovation is mostly a multidisciplinary and multi stakeholder and is a process rather than an action or operation.
- Importance of regional cooperation, networking and knowledge sharing: Use and exchange of research information, through strengthening the national agricultural research information systems to strengthen the regional and international information systems and regional networks.
- Livestock and trans-boundary animal and plan: There was discussion in respect of the institutional arrangements and internationally recognized norms put in place, i.e. OIE rules. The concern in view of the increased cross-border animal movement and the ever emergence of new animal and plant diseases was also discussed.
- Salinization: discussion was about losing more and more land due to soil and water salinization and the quick response must to be taken to stop more fertile land going out of agricultural process.
- Climatic change: Nowadays climate change is taking
larger attention than before, whereas the indicators show that the climate
change will affect agricultural production and food security, and its negative
impacts are expected to be more severe in dry areas including WANA region
and
threatening particularly food security of the poor. - Standard of Living of Farmers: Improving standards of living of farmers and tackling local problems through solving these problems which leading to increase the productivity of agricultural sector.
- Plant Genetic resources: TO develop mechanisms to preserve plant genetic resources and establishing "Genetic Banks".
- Land degradation and combating desertification: This is a very serous issue in the WANA region; this complex phenomenon is still threatening the survival of the human civilization in many parts of the arid and semi arid region.
- Increasing agricultural productivity: Agricultural productivity per unit area in both irrigation and rainfed sector is still low in many countries of the region. More integrated farming system approach should be adopted in research and technology development.
- Information Technology: There was discussion on the application of regional management of fisheries status which requires online reports that depends on the data to be collected by a continuous monitoring program. Internet can provide the base for an electronic program which will utilize data and will provide online management reports.
- Satellite Remote Sensing data: Agricultural Initiated RS/GIS applications in the sector of agriculture and natural resources have been highlighted by the participants.
- Plant Protection: The issue of integrated pest management has been highlighted in the discussions.
- Rural development and empowering the women in the rural areas: These issues have been reviewed in this e-conference.
From the above points of discussions the challenges and modification of researchable and development issues have been formulated as mentioned in the full summary."
Contact information | n/a |
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News type | Inbrief |
File link |
http://gcardblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/wana_summary_final.doc |
Source of information | Wordpress |
Subject(s) | AGRICULTURE , HYDRAULICS - HYDROLOGY , INFORMATION - COMPUTER SCIENCES , MEASUREMENTS AND INSTRUMENTATION , METHTODOLOGY - STATISTICS - DECISION AID , NATURAL MEDIUM , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT , RISKS AND CLIMATOLOGY , WATER DEMAND |
Geographical coverage | MENA, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab of Emirates, Yemen |
News date | 30/09/2009 |
Working language(s) | ENGLISH |