ACSAD

Signing a cooperation agreement between ACSAD and the Libyan Agricultural and Animal Research Center

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and Eng. Mohammad Ferkash al-Haddad, Secretary of the People's Committee for the Agricultural and Animal Research Center in Libya discussed the existing cooperation between ACSAD and the Research Center and the methods and means of fostering and strengthening this cooperation. Dr. SALEH, who received Eng. al-Haddad at his office in Damascus on 13 November 2008, stressed the need to give attention in the cooperation between the two sides to the field of the biological techniques to improve the plant and animal genetic resources, which are suitable for the arid and semiarid areas and identify the genetic fingerprint of the different varieties and species. He also spoke about the cooperation in the field of the improvement and dissemination of the high- yielding wheat and barley varieties, which are tolerant to the environmental stresses to help bridge the food gap in the Arab countries. Dr. SALEH discussed also the cooperation with the Libyan side in the field of the applied scientific research pertaining to soil and water salinity and the use of the treated waste water in agriculture. The two sides signed a cooperation agreement that includes training Libyan technical cadres from the Libyan Agricultural and Animal Research Center, establishing a gene bank of fruit trees, providing the Libyan farmers with seedlings of fruit trees and disseminating the techniques of the biogas production.

Workshop for presenting the results of the project for the preparation of the map of the optimum uses of lands in Sudan

Prof. Al-Zubeir Bashir Taha, Minister of Agriculture and Forests in Sudan and Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), opened in Khartoum on 4 November 2008 a workshop for presenting the results of the project for the preparation of the map of the optimum uses of lands in Sudan, which is being carried out in Sudan by ACSAD in cooperation with the Sudanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. Prof. Taha commended, in a speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the workshop, the great efforts exerted by ACSAD in the implementation of the above project. He also mentioned, "This project defines the sound basics of the optimum uses of the Sudanese lands in a way that allows the optimum use of the renewable natural resources in the arid and semiarid areas in Sudan with the aim to help achieve the sustainable agricultural development and conserve the environment in this country". Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD),also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the workshop in which he spoke about the positive results of the project and stressed, "These positive results are the outcome of the interaction and cooperation between the ACSAD experts and those from the Sudanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forests". Dr. SALEH mentioned in his speech, "This project serves as an excellent example of the cooperation between the national institutes and the organizations of the League of Arab States that aims to improve the standards of living of the Arab people".

Activating the cooperation between ACSAD and Al-Slaiteen Agricultural and Industrial Complex in the State of Qatar

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director-General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) discussed with Mr. Abdullah Salem Al-Slaiteen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Slaiteen Agricultural and Industrial Complex in the State of Qatar, the means of activating and strengthening the cooperation between the two sides. Mr. Al-Slaiteen, who was received by Dr. SALEH at his office in Damascus on 16 October 2008, commended ACSAD for its role in the field of achieving the Arab sustainable agricultural development. He mentioned that ACSAD has become a center of excellence in different fields including animal production, artificial insemination, embryo transfer and the establishment of gene banks.

Extensive participation of ACSAD delegation in the State of Kuwait

A delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), headed by Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director General of ACSAD, visited the State of Kuwait and attended the meetings of the Arab funds, the Islamic Development Bank and the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) which were held during the period 18-23 October, 2008. Dr. SALEH explained at the meetings the efforts exerted by ACSAD to help achieve the sustainable agricultural development in the Arab region and in Africa and spoke about the constraints facing the scientific agricultural research in the Arab countries and the optimum methods of tackling these constraints. Dr. SALEH also spoke about ACSAD work strategy for the next stage, especially in the field of supporting the agricultural development projects including the projects for the development of the productivity of wheat and barley crops, the projects for the genetic improvement of sheep and goat production and the establishment of a regional center for date palm research and development in the Arab countries. Dr. SALEH met during this visit with the Kuwaiti Minister of Finance, the Director General of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Director General of the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Director General of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries in the State of Kuwait, representative of the Islamic Development Bank and the Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

ACSAD participates in the meetings of the 82nd session of the Arab Economic and Social Council

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) headed ACSAD delegation to the meetings of the Economic Commission and the 82nd session of the Arab Economic and Social Council which were held at the headquarters of the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt during 23-29 August 2008.
The participants discussed a number of issues including, inter alia, the report of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States on the follow-up of the implementation of the decisions of the 81st session of the Arab Economic and Social Council ; the activity of the economic and social sectors during the period between the 81st and the 82nd sessions; preparation for the Arab economic, development and social summit scheduled to be held in Kuwait in early 2009; developments in the Great Arab Free Trade Zone; establishment of an Arab council for water; supporting and rehabilitating the Palestinian economy and the Arab food security report for 2007.
ACSAD delegation met during its stay in Cairo with officials from the League of Arab States and with high- ranking officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.

Joint scientific cooperation agreement between ACSAD and Tishreen University

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and Dr. Mohammad Yahya Muaalla, President of the Tishreen University in the Syrian Arab Republic, signed a joint scientific cooperation agreement on 9 August 2008.
The cooperation agreement aims to foster the scientific and research cooperation between the two sides in different fields including the sound management of the natural resources, conservation of the plant and animal genetic resources which suit the arid areas, development of the organic agriculture, the use of biological techniques, monitoring land degradation and rehabilitation of the degraded lands and the integrated management of the water resources.

Signing a cooperation agreement between ACSAD and the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research in the Syrian Arab Republic

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and Dr. Mohammad Waleed Attaweel, Director- General of the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR) in the Syrian Arab Republic signed a cooperation agreement on 29 July 2008 at ACSAD'S headquarters in Damascus.
According to this cooperation agreement the two parties will cooperate in different fields including development of rainfed agriculture the Arab countries, development of natural rangelands in the Arab region, conservation of environment and biodiversity, the genetic resources of fruit trees, the biological techniques in general and the plant and animal genetic fingerprint in particular, the use of multi-quality water in agriculture, monitoring land degradation, soil and land studies, development of water resources, training Arab cadres and organization of scientific meetings.
The duration of the cooperation agreement is five years and it can be renewed by mutual consent of the two parties.

A high-ranking ACSAD delegation visits Cairo
Moussa: "ACSAD is one of the most successful Arab organizations, which made important contributions in the field of the sustainable agricultural development"
Abaza: "ACSAD enjoys excellent expertise"

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) visited Cairo during the period 2 – 15 July, 2008 at the head of a delegation comprising Dr. Nassr Addeen Obeid, Director of the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Eng. Salah El-Kurdi, Director of the Department of Economy and Planning.
ACSAD delegation participated during the period 3 – 6 July 2008 in the meetings of the Higher Coordination Committee on the Arab Joint Action, which were chaired by H.E. Dr. Amr Moussa, Secretary- General of the League of Arab States. The directors of the specialized Arab organizations and the heads of the joint Arab action institutes participated in these meetings, which aimed to coordinate between the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States and the Arab League specialized organizations on the one hand and between the specialized organizations on the other hand.
The Higher Coordination Committee on the Arab Joint Action discussed a number of important subjects including the role of the joint Arab action institutes in the field of rebuilding and development in Palestine, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and the Comoros; following up the implementation of the recommendations of the 38th meeting of the Committee and finally the cooperation between the League of Arab States and its specialized organizations and the United Nations Organization and its specialized agencies.
ACSAD delegation headed by Dr. Saleh participated also in the meetings of the Committee for Coordination and Follow-up, which were held during the period 7 – 14 July 2008 with the presence of H.E. Dr. Amr Moussa, Secretary- General of the League of Arab States. During these meetings, Dr. Saleh briefed the participants about ACSAD's achievements during the last two years together with ACSAD's budget and plans for the next two years (2009-2010) and ACSAD's memoranda and reports.
Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of ACSAD met on 13 July 2008 with H.E Mr. Amin Abaza, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in the Arab Republic of Egypt and discussed with him the cooperation between ACSAD and the Ministry in the fields of mutual concern.

Discussing cooperation between ACSAD and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation

Within the framework of the cooperation between the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director General of ACSAD, received at his office on 30 June 2008 Eng. Mohammad Ahmad Mustafa, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and Head of the Central Department of Afforestation and Environment in Egypt, and discussed with him the state of cooperation between the two sides.
Dr. Mustafa spoke at the meeting about the importance of ACSAD as an excellent house of expertise and a distinguished training center at the Arab and international levels.

High- ranking ACSAD delegation visits Kuwait

A high- ranking delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) visited the State of Kuwait during the period 20- 25 April 2008. Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh FARES, Director- General of ACSAD, who headed ACSAD delegation met with Mr. Jassem Ashshimali, Minister of Finance in the State of Kuwait, and discussed with him the cooperation between ACSAD and Kuwait, especially after Kuwait rejoined ACSAD as an active member. Prof. Dr. FARES thanked the Kuwaiti Minister of Finance for his valuable efforts in this respect and expressed ACSAD readiness to provide any possible assistance to help achieve the sustainable agricultural development in the State of Kuwait. ACSAD delegation visited during its stay in the State of Kuwait the headquarters of the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources and met with the Director- General Eng. Jassem Habeeb Al-Badr. The two sides discussed matters of mutual concern. ACSAD delegation also visited the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and met with the Director- General Dr. Naji Al-Mutairi. The two sides held several sessions in which they explained their activities and programs in different fields. Finally, ACSAD delegation visited the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and met with its consultants and discussed with them ACSAD activities in the Arab countries.

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH is elected as Director- General of ACSAD

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH has been elected as the new Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) at the end of the 29th session of the ACSAD General Assembly, which was held at the Meriden hotel in Damascus, Syria during the period 21-22 May 2008.

Signing a memorandum of understanding between ACSAD and the General Organization for Remote Sensing in Syria

Dr. Rafik Ali SALEH, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), and Dr. Osama Ammar, Director-General of the General Organization for Remote Sensing in the Syrian Arab Republic, signed a memorandum of understanding on 11 June 2008 at ACSAD's headquarters in Damascus.
This memorandum of understanding aims to activate the cooperation between the two sides in the development and use of the remote sensing techniques and the geographic information systems together with other techniques in order to help support the sustainable development process.
According to the memorandum of understanding the two sides shall exchange information and space data, cooperate in the training of the cadres who are capable of dealing with these techniques and finally support and help develop the partnership between the scientific institutes working in these fields in Syria.

ACSAD holds the second meeting for the preparation of an Arab framework plan to deal with climate change

Eng. Hussein Laswad, ACSAD Assistant Director-General, opened at ACSAD's headquarters in Damascus the second meeting for the preparation of an Arab framework plan to deal with climate change, which was held by ACSAD in cooperation with the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). This meeting, which was attended by representatives of the concerned Arab and regional and international organizations, lasted from 13 to 15 April 2008.
In his speech, Eng. Laswad mentioned that the increase of the human activities during the last three decades led to the increase of the atmosphere's temperature, depletion of the ozone layer and the exacerbation of the problem of global warming. He also mentioned that "these unusual climatic phenomena lead generally to the decline of the productivity of many crops and adversely affect the water resources and the efficiency of the farming systems". He stressed the need for confronting this challenge in order to help preserve the productivity of the farming systems and rangelands and maintain the stability of the population centers.

Sustainable management of the Iraqi marshlands

Eng. Hussein Laswad, ACSAD Assistant Director-General, opened on 7 April 2008 at ACSAD's headquarters in Damascus the training course on the sustainable management of the Iraqi marshlands which lasts from 7 to 15 April 2008.
This training course, is organized for engineers from Iraq by the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme / Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP/ROWA). It deals with several subjects including the integrated solid waste management, the current status of the Iraqi marshlands management, integrated water resources management, wetland management , biodiversity management and sustainable development (water, energy, sanitation and health).

A delegation from Weihnstephan University visits ACSAD

A delegation from Weihnstephan University in Germany visited on 11 March 2008 the headquarters of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) in Damascus, Syria.
The members of the German delegation met with the directors of ACSAD departments and with ACSAD experts who gave them an idea about ACSAD work and research programs. The two sides discussed the future cooperation between ACSAD and Weihnstephan University, especially in the fields of the effect of biogas production on groundwater resources and environment, studying the use of some indigenous plant stocks in German fruit trees varieties and the studies on conservation agriculture.

Director- General of BADEA visits ACSAD.

Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh Fares, Director General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), received at his office in Damascus on 27 March 2008 H.E. Mr. Abdulazeez Khalaf, Director-General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The two sides discussed the cooperation between ACSAD and BADEA and the means of fostering and developing this cooperation. This meeting was attended also by Eng. Hussein Laswad, Assistant Director- General of ACSAD, and Dr. Nasser Eldin Obeid, Director of the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs.
It is worth mentioning that the cooperation between ACSAD and BADEA started almost ten years ago and this included the organization of 9 training courses on the uses of the remote sensing techniques and the geographic information systems in monitoring and combating desertification; supplying water for rural communities in Africa; management of irrigation and fertigation; classification, designing, evaluation and installation of different irrigation systems and finally monitoring water resources and the systems of water resources data management.

Prof. Dr. Fares discusses with Azzawwam the joint cooperation between the Arab and African countries

Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh Fares, Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), received at his office in Damascus on 25 March 2008 Eng. Mesbah Meftah Azzawwam, head of the permanent delegation of the African Union at the League of Arab States, and the members of the accompanying delegation.
The two sides discussed the prospects of cooperation between ACSAD and the African Union in different fields.
Prof. Dr. Fares indicated that "ACSAD cooperates with many Arab and international agencies and organizations with the aim to achieve water and food security".

Training course for Iraqi trainees on monitoring and combating desertification (8-13 March 2008)

Dr. Nasser Eldin Obeid, director of the Department of Administrative and Financial Affairs, opened on 8 March 2008 the training course on the use of remote sensing and the geographic information systems in monitoring and combating desertification for trainees from the General Organization for Combating Desertification in Iraq.
Dr. Obeid spoke about ACSAD achievements in the fields of animal and plant wealth, water resources, combating desertification, uses of multi- quality water and the production of varieties tolerant of drought and salinity. He also spoke about the importance of training and its effect on production and the achievement of sustainable development in the Arab world.

Cooperation between ACSAD and the Agricultural Research Center in Egypt

Within the framework of the cooperation between the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in the Arab Republic of Egypt, ACSAD provided the Egyptian side with 30,000 rooted olive cuttings of the Sorani variety which gives high yield and tolerates high temperature.
ACSAD and the Egyptian side agreed to prepare a draft cooperation agreement about fruit trees in general.

29th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East

Dr. Khaled Ben Mahmoud, Director of the ACSAD Department of Soils and Water Uses and Head of the Program for Monitoring and Combating Desertification, represented the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) at the 29th FAO Regional Conference for the Near East, which was held in Cairo, Egypt during 1-5 March 2008.
The conference included two meetings. The first meeting, which was attended by high- ranking officials, discussed two documents. The first document entitled" Agriculture in the Near East Towards the Year 2050: Expectations and Challenges" and the second one entitled "the Economic and Social Impacts of the Cross-Border Animal Diseases in the Near East with Special Emphasis on Bird Flu". The second meeting discussed, among other things, an item pertaining to the subjects emanating from the 34th session of the FAO Conference, which was held in Rome, Italy during 17-24 November 2007. It also discussed another item pertaining to the roundtable discussions on climate change and its impacts on agriculture in the Near East.

A delegation from ACSAD headed by Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh
Fares visits the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a new period of fruitful cooperation

At the invitation of H.E. Dr. Fahad Bin Abdulrahman Balghnaim, Minister of Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period 22-28 February, 2008.
ACSAD delegation, which was headed by Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh Fares, Director- General of ACSAD, discussed during the visit the cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and ACSAD in different fields of mutual concern. The two sides discussed also the activities and projects in which ACSAD can cooperate with the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture to help achieve the sustainable agricultural development in the Kingdom.
H.E. Dr. Fahad Bin Abdulrahman Balghnaim, Minister of Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, received ACSAD delegation and stressed that "the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the desire to open a new page of fruitful cooperation with ACSAD". He added that "the question of water resources remains as the main constraint hindering the development of the agricultural sector in the Kingdom". He also indicated that "the Kingdom is currently giving greater attention to the development of animal wealth, including camel production.
ACSAD delegation stressed ACSAD readiness to help find proper and suitable solutions to the constraints and problems facing the agricultural development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Agriculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented a working paper which included proposals for cooperation with ACSAD including capacity building via the organization of short-term and long-term training programs on different fields, supporting the research activities carried out by the Ministry or carrying out a number of projects in the Kingdom.
The two sides agreed also to nominate a coordinator for cooperation at both ACSAD and the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture in preparation for the establishment of an ACSAD office at the Ministry to follow up the implementation of the cooperation activities and programs between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on the one hand and ACSAD on the other hand in the fields of animal wealth, combating drought, uses of saline water, cultivation of date palm and the rehabilitation of degraded lands.
ACSAD delegation met during the visit with the president of the Saudi Credit Bank and with the president of the Saudi Arab Agricultural Bank and discussed with them the projects that can be carried out in the Arab countries to deal with the potential risks of climate change.
ACSAD delegation also discussed during the visit the means of fostering and strengthening the cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank.

Meeting of the partners for the implementation of the strategy of the Arab sustainable agricultural development

A delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), headed by Eng. Hussein Laswad, ACSAD Assistant Director-General, participated in the first meeting of the partners for the implementation of the strategy of the Arab sustainable agricultural development for the next two decades which was organized by the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) at the headquarters of the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt during 16-17 February 2008.
The meeting aimed, among other things, to acquaint the participants with the components and elements of the strategy and the progress of work in it; agree on mechanism of coordination for joint implementation, follow-up and evaluation and determine the future steps and measures for the implementation of the strategy.
At the end of the meeting the participants agreed on a number of relevant recommendations.

ACSAD participates in the coordination meeting of the organizations working within the framework of the Arab joint action

A delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) headed by Eng. Hussein Laswad, Assistant Director-General of ACSAD, participated in the coordination meeting of the organizations working within the framework of the Arab joint action which was held on 12 February 2008 in Cairo, capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt in preparation for the general meeting on the cooperation between the League of Arab States and its organizations and the United Nations Organization and its agencies.

A delegation from ACSAD visits Saudi Arabia

A delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) will pay an official visit to Saudi Arabia during 22 -28 February 2008 on the occasion of its rejoining ACSAD.
ACSAD delegation will be headed by Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh Fares, Director-General of ACSAD and will comprise the directors of different ACSAD departments in addition to a number of experts.
The visit aims to draw up plans and programs for cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture in Saudi Arabia and ACSAD and study the possibility of opening an office in Saudi Arabia to follow up the cooperation programs and activities.
ACSAD delegation will also meet with the President of the Islamic Development Bank to discuss with him the mutual cooperation between ACSAD and the Bank.

Jojoba: the biodiesel fuel

Dr. Iman Odeh, field crops physiology expert, delivered a lecture on 14 February 2008 at ACSAD's headquarters in Damascus on jojoba and its economic importance.
Dr. Odeh mentioned in his lecture that jojoba is a shrub that can grow to 3-5m tall. It is also known in the Arab region as goat nut, deer nut and wild hazel. Plantations of jojoba can be established in marginal areas receiving 100-150mm of rainfall. Jojoba is grown for the liquid wax called jojoba oil which is often used in cosmetics. It is also has potential use as a biodiesel fuel and as a biodegradable lubricant. It can also be considered as an alternative to the wale oil.

Signing a memorandum of understanding between ACSAD and the Libyan Environment General Authority

A memorandum of understanding was signed on 7 February 2008 at ACSAD's headquarters in Damascus by Eng. Hussein Laswad, Assistant Director-General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and Dr. Ameen Al-Falah, Secretary of the Administrative Committee of the Libyan Environment General Authority.
This memorandum of understanding aims at preparing appropriate conditions for the conservation of the environment and the natural resources, building national capacities to tackle the environmental problems, increasing awareness of the causes of environment, exchanging knowledge and experiences, transferring technology and finally trying to gain regional and international support for the national initiatives aiming to improve the environment and help to achieve sustainable development.

2 workshops on the Initial Implementation of Joint Management in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System and the Joint Management in the Nahr el- Kabir Al-Junoubi Basin

A delegation from the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) comprising Dr. Abdullah Droubi, director of the Department of Water Resources, Dr. Sameh Sakr, head of the program of the integrated management of water resources and Dr. Ihab Jnad, surface water expert, participated in the 2 Workshops on the Initial Implementation of Joint Management in the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System and the Joint Management in the Nahr el-Kabir Al-Junoubi Basin which were organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Cairo, Egypt during 14-17 January 2008.
The first workshop aimed at supporting the preparation of a draft joint management plan aimed specifically at hydrological monitoring network in the Nubian sandstone aquifer system.
The second workshop aimed at supporting the preparation of a draft joint management plan aimed specifically at hydrological monitoring network in the Nahr el-Kabir Al-Junoubi Basin. In this workshop ACSAD presented the main findings of the case study and preliminary results of the pilot project.

Training course at ACSAD on artificial insemination in small ruminants

The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) organized a training course on artificial insemination in small ruminants during 27-31 January 2008 for technicians from Iraq.
The program of the training course included, among other things, lectures or practical trainings about the importance of artificial insemination in animal production, sheep production systems and herd management, reproduction in sheep and goats, methods of collecting and evaluating semen, control of the reproductive cycle in sheep and goats, artificial insemination in sheep and goats via the use of fresh and frozen semen and finally the diagnosis of pregnancy in sheep and goats.

Protecting the environmental system in the Arab oases

The 2nd meeting of the steering committee of the Project for the Protection of the Environment System in the Arab Oases was convened on 28 January 2008 with the presence of Eng. Hussein Laswad, Assistant Director- General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Dr. Abdulhameed Al- Abdouli, representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the representatives of the two projects participating countries, namely Tunisia and Algeria.
The meeting discussed the Tunisian and Algerian reports pertaining to the progress of work in the implementation of the project in both countries, the achieved results and the prospects of the new phase of the project which aims at improving the environmental conditions in the Arab oases and achieving the sustainable use of the groundwater resources to improve the livelihood of the farmers living in these oases.