April 2020

Unfortunately, climate change poses grave risks to agriculture and water security in the region as it increases extreme weather events like drought. The livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers are at stake.
Between 2015 and 2019, ICBA built the capacities of local experts and decision-makers in producing and analyzing data on soil moisture, vegetation health and rainfall for drought monitoring. Under the RDMS, ICBA also generated Composite Drought Index (CDI) maps and derived products.

Supporting drought action in Middle East, North Africa through better data

Wednesday, 22 April, 2020

Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world. By one estimate, the sector employs more than 28 percent of the global population. This number is much higher in regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) where rural communities depend on farming for their food and income.

ICBA conducted the program in Iraq, Syria and Turkey from 2013 to 2019. The three countries represent 80 percent of the basin’s total area. The program aimed to improve, among other things, dialogue and cooperation among the three countries through increased access to information and transfer of knowledge on water management in the region.

Building rapport in Euphrates-Tigris region

Wednesday, 15 April, 2020

The Euphrates and Tigris River Basin is a region that is highly vulnerable to climate change. The riparian countries are interdependent and rely on water from the river system to maintain ecosystem services, agriculture and energy production, municipal and industrial water supply. The system is also affected by salinity, land degradation and deterioration of marshlands and ecosystems.

The agreement stipulates collaboration in, among other things, rangeland rehabilitation and management; data sharing; exchange of seeds and native plants; use of germplasm from ICBA’s gene bank for some of EAD's seed collections; and research on drought-resistant species which could be potentially used for restoring some degraded habitats.
Moreover, the agreement focuses on joint work on the use of remote-sensing and drone technologies for propagation and habitat monitoring; soil quality monitoring, assessment and mapping; applied research on hydroponics; and the use of reject brine from desalination units.

EAD, ICBA join forces for environmental protection in UAE

Thursday, 9 April, 2020

The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) signed recently a new agreement aimed at enhancing sustainable environmental development and protection in the UAE.