Along with IDB’s Annual Governors’ Meeting in Turkmenistan
ICBA Seminar on
Marginal Quality Water Utilization in Agriculture

In conjunction with the Annual Governors’ Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Ministry of Agriculture in Turkmenistan held a specialist seminar on “Marginal Quality Water Utilization in Agriculture with Special Reference to Central Asia” in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on 30 May 2009. H.E Birama B. Sidibe, Vice President (Operations) IDB, chaired the seminar. The Seminar was attended by more than 140 participants.

In his welcoming address, H.E. Veligylych M. Mammedov, Vice-Minister of Agriculture in Turkmenistan and Seminar Guest-of-Honor, praised the IDB for fostering the economic development and social progress of its member countries such as Turkmenistan, and for holding the 2009 meeting in Ashgabat. H.E. Mammedov explained that the scientific Seminar organized by the local Ministry of Agriculture and ICBA exemplified the IDB Group focus on capacity building and knowledge-sharing, and hoped for many more such collaborative opportunities in the future.

In his speech, H.E Birama B. Sidibe stressed the importance of water, the aspirations of IDB in combating water and food scarcity in member countries, and the role of ICBA in realizing this strategic vision with its research and development of marginal quality water utilization.

Mr Fawzi AlSultan, Chairman of ICBA’s Board of Directors, explained that this year ICBA is celebrating ten years of scientific achievement, and elaborated on the work undertaken, especially in Central Asia Countries.

The seminar included scientific papers from Dr Prof Paltamet Esenov of the Ministry of Nature Protection in Turkmenistan: “Assessment of the drainage water resources of Turkmenistan and its utilization for agriculture”; and Dr Serdar Ruziev from the Turkmenistan Ministry of Agriculture: “Reclamation of salt-affected agricultural lands in the Aral Sea region”. Prof Dr Faisal Taha, Director Technical Programs of ICBA then discussed “ICBA research and development accomplishments in IDB-member countries and future directions” , followed by Dr Kristina Toderich, a scientist from the ICBA office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, who described “Advances in biosaline agriculture development with reference to Central Asia”.

In conclusion, Dr Ahmad Almasoum, Deputy Director General of ICBA, summed up the proceedings and thanked everyone for their contribution.