Planning Workshop –Sustainable Management of Marginal - Unesco

PLANNING WORKSHOP
Sustainable Management of
Marginal Drylands (SUMAMAD)
Amman and Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan
3 to 6 June 2008
Report prepared by Brigitte Schuster

Table of Contents
1 Introduction 3
2 Outcomes of the workshop 3
2.1 Thematic thrust of the SUMAMAD project 3
2.2 Feedback on case studies 6
2.3 Linkages of SUMAMAD with other ongoing initiatives 7
2.4 Implementation modalities of SUMAMAD project‐Phase 2 8
2.5 Time lines and next steps 10
3. Conclusions 11
Annex I – Brief summaries of presentations 12
Annex II – Workshop Agenda 20
Annex III – List of participants 23
Annex IV – Input on case study proposals 30
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1 Introduction
This seventh international “Sustainable Management of Marginal Drylands” (SUMAMAD) workshop
was designed to be a "planning workshop" to discuss and prepare a second phase of the SUMAMAD
project starting 2009. The workshop brought together all designated national project coordinators
from the project partners and future collaborators. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN) in Jordan organized this planning workshop from 3 to 6 June 2008. The workshop was directly
linked to the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme” and to the “Threatened Dryland
Ecosystems” programme of the United Nations University ‐ International Network on Water,
Environment and Health (UNU‐INWEH). It was supported through financial contributions from the
Flemish Government of Belgium, as well as by UNESCO‐MAB and UNU‐INWEH.
The meeting objectives were as follows:
• To determine the future strategic directions of the project, based on the evaluations
conducted at the fifth and sixth SUMAMAD workshops in Aleppo (November 2006) and
Xilinhot (September 2007), respectively.
• To discuss and evaluate the project proposals submitted by the potential project partners for
the second phase of the SUMAMAD project.
• To discuss project implementation modalities for the second project phase as well as the
composition and the roles of the core management group.
• To discuss and finalize the elements of the project, to be summarized into a consolidated
project document for the second phase SUMAMAD project.
The first day of the workshop was dedicated to introducing the SUMAMAD project as well as formal
presentations and discussions of project proposals from case study sites. A brief summary of the
presentations is provided in Annex 1. During the second day the thematic thrust of the second phase
of SUMAMAD was discussed at length. In addition, potential linkages of SUMAMAD with other
ongoing initiatives were explored. On the third day a field trip to the Dana Biosphere Reserve was
organised to demonstrate SUMAMAD project activities implemented during the first phase. The last
day focused on brainstorming activities on implementation modalities for SUMAMAD‐2 including the
management structure as well as timelines and next steps.
2 Outcomes of the Workshop
Following the general introductions and presentations of case study areas, brainstorming sessions
were organised for strategic, thematic, activity and administrative planning purposes. The results of
the discussions are presented below and consist of (1) thematic thrust of the second phase of
SUMAMAD, (2) feedback on case study proposals, (3) linkages of SUMAMAD with other ongoing
initiatives, (4) implementation modalities for SUMAMAD‐2, and (5) timelines and immediate next
steps to be taken by all partners.
2.1 Thematic thrust of the SUMAMAD project
The following three overall objectives were agreed upon for the next phase of the SUMAMAD project
based on discussions during the two previous international project workshops (held in Syria in
November 2006, and in China in September 2007, respectively):
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(1) Emphasis on scientific studies related to the following key subjects:
• Improvement of dryland agriculture including rangelands and livestock, with biodiversity and
sustainable use of natural resources as a minor component.
• Restoration/rehabilitation of degraded drylands including sustainable water conservation
and harvesting practices.
(2) Achieving greater focus on policy‐relevant analyses, in particular paying attention to:
• Developing scenarios for land use change (also in the context of global and climate change)
including the assessment of trade offs, economic valuation of dryland services,
environmental education and outreach.
• Interfacing with the relevant policy formulation institutions and processes in the respective
countries.
(3) Promoting sustainable livelihoods through:
• Development of alternative income generating activities – diversification of options including
ecotourism, handicraft, medicinal plants, forages.
General recommendations
Below general recommendations on the thematic scope and focus of activities for SUMAMAD‐2 are
summarized:
• It was highlighted that the three overall objectives are all closely interlinked and cannot be
separated. Hence, it will be necessary that all case studies have to equally contribute to all
objectives of SUMAMAD‐2.
• It was emphasized that SUMAMAD‐2 has to strengthen its synthesis work and focus more on
crosscutting themes based on commonalities between site‐specific activities. Incorporating
this idea in the project design will provide the basis for more systematic cross‐regional
learning and information exchange between case study sites and facilitate the synthesis of
general lessons that are applicable beyond the SUMAMAD case study sites. This synthesis
work can either be implemented by the various team leaders and / or the core management.
Potential themes explored during the workshop included environmental education (UNESCO
tool kit), improved market access for natural products / value addition, economic valuation
and effective involvement of decision‐makers and politicians.
• Training and capacity building was identified as a critical cross‐cutting activity that has to be
strengthened at all case study sites. It was agreed that each proposal should highlight three
priority training needs in order to guide the design of training activities and opportunities.
Resource persons can be identified through the international network of experts available
through the Flemish Government. It was suggested that training courses could be organized
back to back to the international SUMAMAD workshops.
• It will be critical that the over‐all proposal specifies needs for specialist expertise, e.g. in
resource economics, to enable the Flemish Government to mobilize expertise available
through their international networks in a timely manner. While this expertise will be
provided for free, transport costs have to be incorporated in the overall budget.
• At the same time, an emphasis should be placed on diversifying the composition of the
national teams reflecting the expertise required to implement the proposed activities.
• It was emphasized that a common set of indicators will have to be developed and applied by
all case study sites. This will enable the SUMAMAD project to clearly demonstrate
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environmental impacts and benefits for human wellbeing achieved by new management
approaches and livelihood strategies. The management team will provide guidance on this.
• It was recommended that experts from the entire respective Regions should be invited to
participate in annual national workshops.
Recommendations on science‐objective
• It was highlighted that the objective should be strengthened by putting a greater emphasis
on socio‐economic aspects. There is strong socioeconomic expertise available in the various
national teams, which should be tapped.
Recommandations on policy‐objective
• Scenarios of different land‐use options would need to take into account several factors and
drivers such as market forces, climate change, policy environment, land use changes, and
social changes etc.
• Scenarios should be based on developments and trends that are often specific to a country
and/or region. Therefore, it will be critical to include consultations with local decisions‐
makers and planners in the scenario‐development exercise.
• The Flemish Government offered to provide dedicated training and technical backstopping
on scenario development and climate change modeling by involving additional experts.
Furthermore, the project management team should help to provide linkages to global
institutions that can provide parameters required to construct these scenarios.
• It was further proposed to conduct assessments of how farmers would adapt to certain
scenarios. Some case study sites have already experience with these assessments and
reported a great overlap between farmers’ perceptions and recommendations by scientific
experts.
• Economic valuation was regarded as a powerful tool to communicate impacts of
management approaches to policy‐makers and simple economic analyses will have to be part
of each case study. Even though most research teams have some expertise in resource
economics, additional technical backstopping would be required, particularly in order to
establish a common approach and assessment methodology for cross‐site analysis and
synthesis. Flemish Government offered to help by involving a resource person, though the
number of people with the relevant expertise is limited. Additionally, teams offered to share
expertise available in their teams among each other.
• It was highlighted that each project should have an advocacy element. During the first phase
policy‐makers were mainly briefed at the annual national workshops. Several ways to
strengthen the involvement of policy‐makers were explored such as:
o Regular policy briefs for parliamentarians;
o Invitation of national decisions‐makers to international SUMAMAD workshops;
o Strong media liaison – dissemination of findings through local and international
newspapers and TV stations;
o Multi‐stakeholder meetings with policy‐makers;
o Presentation of impacts in monetary terms; and
o Presentations of successes at regular symposia held specifically for policy‐makers.
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Recommendations on livelihoods‐ objective
• Case studies highlighted that a wide range of livelihood relevant activities will continue to be
implemented, while new alternative livelihoods will be explored, where appropriate.
• Post harvest value‐addition through processing and labeling should be explored along with
measures to improve market access for communities. These efforts can be supported by
introducing micro‐financing schemes.
• Health aspects in the work environment will be taken into account.
• It will be critical to document monetary values of livelihood improvements in order to
provide strong evidence to policy‐makers in a language relevant and understandable to
them.
2.2 Feedback on case study proposals
At the workshop proposals for the following case studies were presented:
• Hunshandake Sand area, China, by Dr Jiang Gaoming;
• Heihe River area, China, by Dr Wang Tao;
• Omayed Biosphere Reserve, Egypt, by Prof Boshra B. Salem;
• Area SW of the Gareh Bygone Plain, Iran, by Dr Mansour Esfandiari Baiat;
• Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan, by Mr Ma’en Al Smadi;
• Lal Suhanra Biosphere Reserve and Cholistan Desert, Pakistan, by Dr Muhammad
Akram Kahlown;
• Khanasser Valley, Syria, by Dr. Abdul‐Ghani Al‐Khaldi;
• Zeuss‐Koutine Watershed, Tunisia, by Mr Mohamed Ouessar;
• Study site in Rajasthan, India, by Dr N.L. Joshi;
• Study site in the Bolivian Altiplano, by Dr Magali Garcia Cardenas; and
• Mare aux Hippopotamus Biosphere Reserve, Burkina Faso, by Dr Jean‐Noel Poda.
The first set of case study proposals was evaluated in terms of their contribution to the overall
objectives identified for the second phase of the SUMAMAD project. This preliminary evaluation is
summarized in the table below, which was completed with additional information provided by case
study team leaders. (XX = major objective/activity well developed in proposal; X = major
objective/activity mentioned in proposal; 0 = no mention of major objective/activity in proposal).
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Country Agriculture Rehabilitation Scenarios Policy Livelihoods
China‐Hun Xx Xx x x xx
China‐Heh x x
Egypt xx Xx xx xx
Iran Xx x X x x
Jordan x xx xx x xx
Pakistan Xx xx x
Syria Xx X x xx
Tunisia Xx xx xx xx
Uzbekistan x xx xx xx
Bolivia Xx x xx x xx
Burkina Faso x x xx x xx
India Xx xx x x xx
Specific comments and feedback for each case study proposal are enclosed in Annex IV.
2.3 Linkages of SUMAMAD with other ongoing initiatives
This planning workshop explored opportunities for collaboration and linkages with the following
three initiatives:
1. Fara’a‐Jerash Integrated Watershed Management project, managed by UNU‐ INWEH and
funded by EU
2. FET‐Water project, managed by UNESCO and funded by Flemish Government
3. UNESCO Teaching Resource Kit for Dryland Countries
Areas of collaboration between SUMAMAD and these three initiatives are summarized below.
Linkages with Fara’a‐Jerash Integrated Watershed Management project
• The decision‐making tool to be developed by the project could be informed by data
collected in SUMAMAD case study sites.
Linkages with FET‐Water
• The training and training materials on integrated water resources management available
through FET‐Water were regarded as highly relevant to the work undertaken in the
SUMAMAD case study sites, though training materials and modules might require some
adjustment to serve the needs of initiatives beyond the Southern African Region. Concepts
and principles presented in the training manuals will be very interesting to the SUMAMAD
project, in particular the new groundwater manual.
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• It was suggested that training workshops by FET‐Water could be organized cost‐efficiently
back to back to international SUMAMAD workshops.
Linkages with UNESCO Teaching Resource Kit for Dryland Countries
• There was a great interest by team leaders in becoming involved in the diffusion and testing
of the resource kit. This would be linked to ongoing outreach and environmental education
activities. Biosphere projects were regarded as the ideal sites to test the tool kit.
• It was suggested that facilitators, teachers and scientific experts would work together to
initiate practical projects – for example, experimental gardens – and these would over time
be enhanced and refined through the input and interaction with experts.
• It was highlighted that training of trainers could be facilitated through the SUMAMAD case
study sites, if additional funding could be made available.
• The toolkit will need to be updated using, for example, the experience from SUMAMAD case
study sites in testing it. This could be done easily, once an interactive and web‐based version
of the tool kit is available.
In addition, it was emphasized that SUMAMAD could also benefit from training courses and materials
available through the UNU Water Virtual Learning Centers established in various regions worldwide.
2.4 Implementation modalities of SUMAMAD project‐Phase 2
Management structure
During the first phase of the SUMAMAD project the core management group consisted of UNESCO,
UNU‐INWEH, ICARDA as well as the Flemish Government. The project is quite unique in the sense
that the Flemish Government is also involved in technical aspects, besides providing substantial
financial support to the project. The UNESCO and UNU‐INWEH partnership has been very successful
and their complimentary roles and expertise have been very beneficial for the project
implementation. Both organizations have made financial contributions to the project, while ICARDA
has not provided financial input. In addition, ICARDA's dual role in terms of being part of the core
management and leading the case study in Syria has created confusion. Therefore, it was proposed
that ICARDA should not continue to be part of the core management during the second phase.
The following recommendations emerged from subsequent discussions:
• In the overall proposal roles of the different organizations forming the core management
group have to be clarified and distinguished based on their comparative advantage.
• ICARDA will make a proposal to UNESCO and UNU‐INWEH describing their financial and in‐
kind contributions to a next phase of SUMAMAD and what specific role they could be
playing. ICARDA sees its strength in having experience and field sites in the region as well as
strong capacity building expertise. The Syrian site has been already handed over to a Syrian
NARS (National Agricultural Research System).
Roles and responsibilities of partners
It was agreed that national teams will need to nominate one core focal point as well as a deputy
team leader. They will have the overall responsibility of implementing the site‐specific work plans,
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liaising with the core management and reporting at the international SUMAMAD workshops. Their
names and contact information should be incorporated in the revised project proposals.
Proposed budgetary layout
The third framework agreement between the Flemish Government and UNESCO is currently in
preparation and a final agreement thereon is hoped to be reached soon. If the SUMAMAD project is
selected to receive funding under this framework agreement, it is anticipated that the overall budget
for the second phase will remain at the same scale. However, it was emphasized that at this point in
time it is not decided yet if there will be funding for a next phase and the overall financial envelope
remains unconfirmed. Hence, partners should not take it for granted that everybody will be part of
the second phase. The selection will be based on the quality of the proposals.
Based on this uncertain situation it was agreed to plan with the budget of the first phase of
SUMAMAD, distinguishing expenditures at the national and international level. For the national
envelope, it will be important that the proposed budgets build on existing projects, while SUMAMAD
will only provide funding for complimentary activities.
Key decisions regarding the budget are summarized below:
• It was agreed that the project should be implemented over a five year period. While research
and project activities will be mainly implemented during the years 1‐4, the fifth year should
be dedicated to synthesis work.
• Given this overall work plan it was agreed that national annual expenditure should be at
about 22,000 USD for the years 1‐4 and 12,000 USD for year 5. It was emphasized that the
same funding allocation for all partners will be used.
• It was highlighted that the financial commitment and in‐kind contributions by partner
organizations as well as funding from additional sources should be incorporated in the
revised proposals and will be evaluated as a selection criterion. Team leaders should market
the successes of the first phase to mobilize additional funds for the national envelope.
• It was agreed that the annual national budgets will need to incorporate national workshops
for interacting with policy‐ and decision‐makers.
• Due to the limited funding it was agreed that UNESCO and UNU will team up to develop a
fundraising strategy to identify and tap additional sources for funding. UNU‐INWEH has
already initiated negotiations with CIDA, but at this stage it seems unlikely that the same
substantial funding will be provided.
Reporting requirements
The project management team will provide structured reporting requirements for the case study
sites included in the next phase of SUMAMAD.
In the meantime, team leaders will have to re‐submit revised proposals addressing comments and
feedback provided and add information on:
• Financial commitment by partner organizations,
• Funding from other sources,
• Training needs and priorities;
• Contact details for the team leader and the deputy team leader.
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2.5 Timelines and next steps
Milestones
Generally, it was discussed that there will be milestones at two distinct levels, at the level of
individual case studies and at the international level. For the international level there should be a
focus on crosscutting themes and strengthened synthesis work. A number of key outputs of the next
phase were explored:
• Handbooks / guidelines on different topics such as on marketing, water and land
management practices, synthesizing the joint wisdom of all case study sites. These manuals
would be useful beyond the lifetime of the project and would benefit managers and land
users in other dryland countries. Synthesis work should build on ongoing activities and could
be coordinated by team leaders and/or UNU‐INWEH / UNESCO.
• Framework for scenario development to be used as planning– and decision‐making tools for
planners.
• Economic valuation of land use options tested and promoted under SUMAMAD that is
informed by data collected at the SUMAMAD case study sites.
• Common indicator system to demonstrate quantified environment and livelihood impacts
across case studies.
• Outputs of training and environmental education activities.
• Showcasing key findings and major lessons of the SUMAMAD project at international level
meetings.
Timelines and next steps
By end of September the overall proposal for the second phase of the SUMAMAD project has to be
submitted to the Flemish Government including information on financial contributions and
commitment by other donor agencies. The proposal will be evaluated by experts from several
Universities, who will provide comments to UNESCO.
The immediate next steps to be taken by the core management team and case study partners are
summarised in the table below:
Action item Who When
Re‐submission of case study proposals CS‐TLs* By end of June (30 th June)
Evaluation
proposals
and feedback on project UN‐POs* By end of July
Prepare draft proposal for submission to
Flemish Government
UN‐POs By mid August
Provide comments on draft SUMAMAD
project proposal
CS‐TLs By end of August
Submit final SUMAMAD project proposal
to Flemish Government
UN‐POs 15 th September
*CS‐TLs = Case study team leaders; UN‐POs = UN partner organizations: UNESCO and UNU‐INWEH
Several options for the next international SUMAMAD workshop were discussed:
1. Review meeting, end of 2009 in Uzbekistan;
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2. Review meeting, end of 2009 in India (back to back to CAZRI 50 th Anniversary Conference);
3. Review meeting, end of 2009 in Alexandria;
4. Training workshop for data management, beginning of second phase at UNESCO Ostend;
and/or
5. Kick‐off meeting, beginning of second phase in Paris (additional high expenses!).
It was agreed that a final decision will be made, once the second phase of SUMAMAD and its budget
have been approved and the final selection of case studies has been completed.
3. Conclusions
The four objectives of the workshop were fulfilled. SUMAMAD partners of the first phase and
potential future collaborators met and lively discussions took place enabling the refinement of the
project's overall objectives and its future strategic directions. Eleven case study sites in ten countries
were presented and received constructive feedback and suggestions from various experts in order to
assist team leaders in further improving the project proposals. It became clear that the high diversity
of socio‐economic, climatic and biophysical settings and the commonalties between the wide range
of site‐specific activities proposed will allow drawing overall lessons relevant to other dryland
countries. In addition, linkages and areas of collaboration were identified with other pertinent
initiatives that will particularly contribute to strengthening the capacity building component of the
second SUMAMAD phase. The discussions further helped to clarify project implementation
modalities for the second project phase as well as the composition of the core management group
and responsibilities of partner organizations. Clear next steps for all partners and time lines were
formulated.
The ideas and recommendations emerging from the discussions taken place at the planning
workshop will be summarized into a consolidated project document of the second phase of the
SUMAMAD project for submission to the Flemish Government. Only upon approval of the project
proposal and its budget, it will be clear, whether or not there will be indeed a second phase of the
SUMAMAD project.
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Annex I – Brief summaries of presentations
Session 1: Project overview and introduction
Overview of the key achievements of the first phase of the SUMAMAD project
Presented by Dr Brigitte Schuster, UNU‐INWEH
An overview of achievements made during the first
phase of the SUMAMAD project was presented and
illustrated by selected examples from case study sites.
Furthermore, key strategies ensuring sustainable
management in marginal drylands were developed
based on major findings and synthesised experience
gained during the first phase of SUMAMAD. Livelihoods
achievements ranged from successful introduction of
alternative and innovative livelihoods, considerable
value addition through natural products processing and
establishment of ecotourism activities and
infrastructure. Secondly, rehabilitation efforts during the first phase included a number of
successfully tested soil conservation measures, artificial recharge of aquifers and natural restoration
processes. Thirdly, productivity of the agricultural systems was enhanced through developing a wide
range of wise management practices of water and land based on traditional knowledge and refined
through scientific findings, new technology and latest know‐how. In addition, achievements with
regards to up‐take of successfully tested approaches as well as knowledge synthesis and
dissemination were presented.
Overview of the Second Phase of the SUMAMAD Project
Presented by Dr Thomas Schaaf, UNESCO
Dr. Schaaf provided an overview of the next phase of
the SUMAMAD project. The potential extension of the
geographic scope of the project to include new case
study sites in Bolivia, Burkina Faso and India was
presented. If funding for a next phase can be secured,
project activities will be implemented over a four to
five year period from beginning of 2009 until 2012/13.
Slight modifications to the overall three objectives
(science / policy / livelihoods) of the next phase as
identified at the last international SUMAMAD meeting
were proposed and a preliminary evaluation of the
submitted proposals by case studies was presented. It was highlighted that the final selection of
project sites/countries will be based on the quality of the proposals, feasibility of project
implementation and counterpart commitment. During the next phase activities will continue to be
implemented at national and international levels. At the international level activities will include
international SUMAMAD workshops, training activities, participation in international meetings and
cross‐site synthesis work.
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Research priorities on desertification for the UNESCO chair of Eremology
Presented by Prof Donald Gabriels, Ghent University
Prof Gabriels represented the UNESCO chair on
Eremology which is held by the International Centre for
Eremology at the University of Ghent. He presented
research priorities on desertification as outlined in the
"Tunis Declaration" adopted at UNESCO`s Scientific
Conference, June 2006. A wide range of examples
illustrated ongoing scientific research with regards to
integrated management of water resources, water
harvesting practices in agricultural systems, disaster
management strategies in drylands, measures to
prevent sand encroachment and role of renewable
energies. The Tunis declaration places also an emphasis on integrated approaches and participatory
research. Prof. Gabriels concluded by highlighting new research priorities that should particularly be
formulated in response to the continuously increasing fuel and food prices.
Deficit irrigation in the Bolivian Altiplano
Presented by Prof Dirk Raes, K.U. Leuven University
Prof Raes presented the findings of a project testing
deficit irrigation in Quinoa production systems in the
Bolivian Altiplano. He started by highlighting that
production of food and fiber crops claims the biggest
share of limited freshwater resources withdrawn from
the earth’s rivers, lakes and aquifers. An overview of
water requirements for producing a range of foods was
provided – for example, 1,000 – 4,000 litres for one kilo
of rice, 20,000 litres to produce one kilo of coffee and
11,000 litres to produce one quarter pounder. Upon
this background it was emphasised that there is a need
to focus on more water efficient food production by increasing crop water productivity (yield
produced in relation to water used). The results from trials in Bolivia provided evidence that deficit
irrigation has a big potential to increase crop water productivity in the Quinoa production system.
Experimental results were also used to calibrate the FAO AquaCrop model.
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Session 2: Presentation of project‐site proposals
Proposal for the Hunshandake Sand area (China)
Presented by Dr Jiang Gaoming, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Proposal for the Heihe River area (China)
Presented by Dr Wang Tao, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Proposal for the Omayed Biosphere Reserve (Egypt)
Presented by Prof Boshra B. Salem, University of Alexandria
Located in the middle of Xilin Gol Plateau, Inner
Mongolia, and close to the Xilin Gol Biosphere Reserve,
Hunshandake is one of the ten major sandlands in China.
It is well‐known as a source‐area for the dust storms that
blow in from the north towards Beijing and Tianjin. The
case study proposes to up‐scale successfully tested
chicken farming to include additional households and
will focus in particular on eco‐labelling the chicken. At
the same time, the project intends to promote milk
cattle production replacing meat cattle and promote
marketing of surplus forage from naturally restored
grassland ecosystems.
The Heihe river is the second largest inland river in the
arid region of northwest China and its basin covers an
area of altogether 128,000 km 2 . In the past, the
extraction rates of river water have continuously been
beyond the estimated sustainable threshold. As a
result, lakes and river branches disappeared in the
lower reaches of the river and the river flow has
become unreliable. The overall objective of the case
study proposal is to formulate an integrated river
basin management framework based on scientific
research and promote water‐saving agriculture
technologies to support livelihoods of local farmers.
The Omayed Biosphere Reserve is located in the
western part of Egypt and stretches along the
Mediterranean coast on a length of 35 km. Over
pumping of ground water as well as current land use
changes taking place in the Omayed Biosphere
Reserve are expected to result in increased
desertification rates, depletion of ground water
resources, soil erosion and loss of productivity. The
project proposes to focus on a wide variety of
activities, including development of a land use/cover
map of land transformed areas, assessments of the
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preparedness of the local community to adapt to climate change, strategic evaluation of
development scenarios, capacity building activities and continuation of income‐generating activities.
Proposal for the Area SW of the Gareh Bygone Plain (Iran)
Presented by Dr Mansour Esfandiari Baiat, Fars Research Center for Agriculture and Natural
Resources
The undulating area south‐west of the Gareh Bygone
Plain is a marginal rangeland used by nomadic
farmers. Degradation of natural resources and
desertification threatens the sustainability of the
ecosystem, food security and livelihoods. In addition,
overexploitation of groundwater from the Gareh
Bygone Plain has caused significant drawdown of the
water table as well as deterioration of groundwater
quality. Therefore, in order to provide irrigation and
safe drinking water to households the case study
proposes to apply floodwater spreading for the
artificial recharge of groundwater and to implement
measures to improve water use efficiency. Project activities will also focus on constructing the
"Aquitopia" green village providing livelihoods for participating households and implementing action
research projects in an integrated approach to sustainable natural resources management.
Proposal for the Dana Biosphere Reserve (Jordan)
Presented by Mr Ma’en Al Smadi, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
The Dana Biosphere Reserve is situated in a hilly,
mountainous region with the Dana valley being the
major landmark. Since its designation as a biosphere
reserve in 1998 the spread of farming activities in areas
surrounding the reserve resulted in continuous
reduction of traditional grazing areas for nomads and
increased pressure on grazing resources within the
reserve. Therefore the case study site proposes to
develop a community‐based grazing management with
full participation of local communities and pastoralists
to facilitate regulation of grazing at Dana Biosphere
Reserve. At the same time, activities will continue to be implemented to integrate conservation of
nature with socio‐economic programs including income‐generating activities.
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Proposal for the Lal Suhanra Biosphere Reserve and Cholistan Desert (Pakistan)
Presented by Dr Muhammad Akram Kahlown, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources
Proposal for the Khanasser Valley (Syria)
Presented by Dr. Abdul‐Ghani Al‐Khaldi, GCSAR
Covering a total area of 65,791 ha, the site was
internationally recognized as a biosphere reserve in
1977. Project activities in the adjacent Cholistan desert
were formulated to explore ways to increase carrying
capacity of rangelands and enhance water storage
capacity of saline fish ponds established during the first
phase of SUMAMAD. The case study proposes a number
of activities to improve livelihoods of livestock
producers, such as exploring better grazing management
regimes, testing different rehabilitation methods in
degraded rangelands and introducing rangeland
irrigation during the dry season.
The Khanasser Valley is a typical dryland area in the
transitional rain fed agriculture ‐ rangeland zone of
Syria. The valley is located approximately 70 km
southeast of the city of Aleppo. In the proposal a range
of options for farmers are considered, including
strengthening of traditional farming activities,
livelihood diversification options and capacity building
activities. An emphasis is placed on participatory
approaches to natural resource management such as
through the establishment of Farmer Interest Groups.
Technology transfer and development will further be
an important element of the case study. Meetings with policy makers are proposed to be organized
to discuss policy implications of technologies.
Proposal for the Zeuss‐Koutine Watershed (Tunisia)
Presented by Mr Mohamed Ouessar, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
The watershed of Zeuss‐Koutine is situated in south‐
eastern Tunisia, north of the city of Médenine. In this
region anthropogenic pressure has increased
considerably since the 1960ies leading to
environmental degradation in terms of reduced
vegetation cover, and eroded soils. The case study
proposes to carry out a wide range of activities to
improve rangeland management including measures to
enhance provision of water for livestock. At the same
time, livelihood diversification options for the local
population will be fostered in collaboration with local
NGOs. Another important element of the proposal is
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the development of tools to develop integrated approaches to combat desertification.
Proposal for the CAZRI study site in Rajasthan (India)
Presented by Dr N.L. Joshi, Central Arid Zone Research Institute
The hot arid western part of Rajasthan state with its
sandy Thar Desert is proposed as the study area. In this
area major shifts in land use have led to overgrazing of
rangelands and degradation, while the agricultural
production remains highly instable due to acute water
scarcity. Considering this situation the case study
proposes an integrated approach to combine rangeland
restoration/rehabilitation activities with improved
farming practices. The case study will promote runoff
farming (khadin system) and explore options to
diversity the cropping system such as through
integration of arid horticulture and cultivation of
medicinal plants.
Proposal for the study site in Bolivia
Presented by Dr Magali Garcia Cardena, Universidad Mayor de San Andres
The Andean highlands are characterized by deep
poverty and a fragile ecosystem. Recently, traditional
crop rotations are being abandoned due to harsh
climatic conditions, out‐migration and growth of a
market economy. The case study proposes to develop
an integrated adaptation strategy by exploring
sustainable quinoa production systems complemented
by activities to improve market access of quinoa
products for vulnerable communities of the Central
Altiplano of Bolivia. These efforts will be based on a
better understanding of how livelihood strategies are
being developed in response to farmers’ perceptions of risks associated with climate and
environment changes.
Proposal for the study site in Burkina Faso
Presented by Dr Jean‐Noel Poda, Mare aux Hippopotames biophere reserve
The biosphere reserve Mare aux Hippopotames is
located in the southern part of Burkina Faso.
Communities adjacent to the Biosphere Reserve
depend for their livelihood on natural resources. This
has resulted in overexploitation and biodiversity loss
and efforts to reverse this development are hampered
by limited financial resources and insufficient scientific
capacity. Therefore the case study proposes to develop
and test, together with relevant stakeholders,
17

alternative livelihood strategies based on sustainable use of biodiversity. Land use options proposed
will be based on a better understanding of the socio‐economic and biophysical processes in the
buffer and transition lands, and will be complemented by capacity building activities with a focus on
improved biosphere reserve management.
Session 3: Linkages of SUMAMAD with other on‐going initiatives
Fara'a‐Jerash Integrated Watershed Management project
Presented by Dr Walid Saleh, UNU‐INWEH
Overexploitation of land and water resources in the
watersheds on both sides of the Jordan valley have
lead to limited economic perspectives for the affected
population. UNU‐INWEH initiated this project to
develop an integrated watershed management plan for
Wadi Jerash as a tool for decision‐makers with the
overall aim to improve the living conditions of the rural
population in the project area. An emphasis is placed
on stakeholder participation and integrated
approaches to address environmental challenges at a
watershed level. Pilot interventions will be selected in
such a way that maximum sustainability is guaranteed.
Due to the political situation in the project area the EU as the major donor has temporarily frozen
disbursement of funds, which has left limited time to implement the ambitious work plan. It is
proposed that data collected by the SUMAMAD case study sites could help to inform the decision‐
making tool.
UNESCO’s FET‐Water project
Presented by Dr Alexandros Makarigakis, UNESCO and Mr Dana Grobler (independent)
The Framework Programme for Research Education
and Training in Water (FET‐Water) is a programme that
supports training and capacity building networks in
integrated water resource management in southern
Africa. It was established as a joint initiative between
UNESCO, the Flemish Government, and the
Government of South Africa in 2003 and entered its
second phase end of 2007. Several networks on a wide
range of relevant topics were established to develop
and implement training courses and develop training
materials. During its second phase the programme will
develop modules for Masters Programmes, prepare a groundwater manual for training purposes,
develop guidelines for water and sanitation in rural areas and conduct capacity audits. There is great
potential for collaborating with the second phase of SUMAMAD on training aspects and FET‐Water
would provide materials and trainers for that purpose. In addition, it is proposed to team up on
exchange of information on innovative water harvesting practices and collaboration on
environmental water flow requirements.
18

UNESCO’s Teaching Resource Kit for Dryland Countries
Presented by Ms Helene Gille, UNESCO
Ms. Gilles presented the contents and structure of the teaching
resource kit for dryland countries, which was produced mainly for
the use in primary and secondary schools, but could be also
applied for environmental education activities outside schools. It
was suggested that SUMAMAD case studies – and particularly
Biosphere Reserves ‐ could become involved in the diffusion and
testing of the resource kit. SUMAMAD experts could team up with
facilitators and teachers to initiate practical projects that would
benefit from the input and interaction with scientists.
19

Annex II ‐ Agenda
Monday, 2 June 2008:
Arrival of international workshop participants in Amman, Jordan.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008:
9:00: Opening session:
• Welcome address by the Representative of the Royal Society for the Conservation of
Nature;
• Ms Anjum Haque, Director of the UNESCO‐Amman Office;
• Mr Ma’en Ahmad Al‐Smadi, Team Leader of the Jordanian SUMAMAD sub‐project;
• Dr Rudy Herman, Representative of the Flemish Government of Belgium;
• Dr Brigitte Schuster, Project Officer, UNU‐INWEH
• Dr Thomas Schaaf, Chief of Ecological Sciences and Biodiversity Section, UNESCO
10:00‐10:30: Coffee/tea break
10:30‐12:30: Session 1: Project overview and introduction:
• Dr Schuster: Overview of key achievements of the First Phase of the SUMAMAD
Project;
• Dr Schaaf : Project overview on the Second Phase of the SUMAMAD Project;
• Prof. Gabriels and Prof. Raes: Comments on scientific and training opportunities;
• Role and interest of new partners, such as CIDA, UNCCD
• Open discussion on the project concept
12:30‐14:00: Lunch break
14:00‐16:00: Session 2: Presentation of project‐site proposals:
(10 minutes each)
• Dr. Jiang Gaoming (China): Hunshandake Sand area
• Dr Wang Tao (China): Heihe River area
• Dr Boshra B. Salem (Egypt): Omayed Biosphere Reserve
• Dr Mansour Esfandiari Baiat (Iran): Area SW of the Gareh Bygone Plain
• Mr Ma’en Al Smadi (Jordan): Dana Biosphere Reserve
• Dr Muhammad Akram Kahlown (Pakistan): Lal Suhanra Biosphere Reserve and
Cholistan Desert
• Dr Theib Oweis / Dr Richard Thomas (Syria): Khanasser Valley
• Mr Mohamed Ouessar (Tunisia): Zeuss‐Koutine Watershed
• Dr Muhtor Nasyrov (Uzbekistan): Karnab Chul
• Discussions and comments on proposals
16:00‐16:30: Coffee/tea break
16:30‐18:00: Session 2 (continued): Presentation of project‐site proposals
(10 minutes each)
• Dr N.L. Joshi, CAZRI (India): study site in Rajasthan;
20

• Dr Magali Garcia Cardenas (Bolivia): study site in Bolivia;
• Dr Jean‐Noel Poda (Burkina Faso): study site in Burkina Faso;
• Discussion and comments on proposals.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008:
9:00‐10:00: Session 3: Linkages of SUMAMAD with other on‐going initiatives
(10 minutes each)
• Dr Walid Saleh: UNU’s Fara'a‐Jerash Integrated Watershed Management project;
• Mr Dana Grobler: UNESCO’s FET‐Water project;
• Ms Helene Gille: UNESCO’s Teaching Resource Kit for Dryland Countries.
10:00‐11:00: Session 4: Thematic thrust of the project
• Emphasis on scientific studies: dryland agriculture, restoration/rehabilitation,
sustainability
• Focus on policy interaction: scenario development; assessment of trade offs; economic
valuation of dryland services; outreach to policymakers
• Promotion of sustainable and alternative livelihoods
11:00‐11:30: Coffee/tea break
11:30‐13:00: Session 4 (continued): Thematic thrust of the project
• Discussion on thematic thrust of the project continued, including potential of cross‐
cutting topics
• Wrapping up and summarizing thematic thrust / framework for the project
13:00‐14:30: Lunch break
14:30‐16:00: Session 4 (continued):
16:00‐16:30: Coffee/tea break
16:30‐17:30: Session 4 (continued):
Thursday, 5 June 2008:
Field trip to Dana Biosphere Reserve.
Friday,6 June 2008:
9:00‐10:30: Session 5: Implementation modalities for SUMAMAD Project Phase 2
• Roles and responsibilities of project partners
• Proposed budgetary layout
• Reporting requirements and format
10:30‐11:00: Coffee/tea break
11:00‐12:00: Session 5 (continued): Implementation modalities for SUMAMAD
• Open discussion on project implementation modalities
21

12:00‐13:00: Session 5: Open discussion on management structure of SUMAMAD
Project Phase 2
13:00‐14:30: Lunch break
14:30‐15:30: Session 6: Discussion on timelines
• Overall project timeline, including proposal finalization and submission
• Key milestones for the project
• Immediate next steps
15:30‐16:00: Closing Session
Saturday 7 June 2008: Departure of international participants
22

Annex III ‐ List of participants
1) SUMAMAD Country Participants:
Belgium
Dr Rudy Herman
Senior Scientist
Ministry of Flanders
Science and Policy Administration
Boudewijnlaan, 30
B‐1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel. +32 2 553 6001
Fax. +32 2 553 5981
E‐mail: rudy.herman@ewi.vlaanderen.be
Prof. Donald Gabriels
Ghent University
Dept. of Soil Management
Coupure Links 653
B‐9000 Gent
Belgium
Tel: (+32‐9) 264.60.50
Fax: (+32‐9) 264.62.47
E‐mail: Donald.Gabriels@rug.ac.be
Prof. Dirk Raes
K.U. Leuven
Faculty of Agricultural & Applied Biological Sciences
Institute for Land and Water Management
Vital Decosterstraat 102
B‐3000 Leuven
Belgium
Tel: (+32‐16) 32.97.43
Fax: (+32‐16) 32.97.60
E‐mail: dirk.raes@agr.kuleuven.ac.be
China
Dr Wang Tao
Director‐General
Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Lanzhou 730000
People’s Republic of China
Tel: (86‐931) 8275669
Fax: (86‐931) 8273894
E‐mail: wangtao@ns.lzb.ac.cn
23

Dr Jiang Gaoming
Institute of Botany
The Chinese Academy of Sciences
Vice Secretary‐General of China‐MAB Committee
20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan,
Beijing 100093
People’s Republic of China
Tel: +8610 62591431 ext 6286, 6287
Fax: +8610 62590843
E‐mail: jianggm@126.com
Egypt
Dr Boshra B. Salem
Department of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
University of Alexandria
Moharram Bey 21511
Alexandria
Egypt
Tel: 002 0101449645
Fax: 00203 3911794
E‐mail : Boshra.Salem@dr.com ; boshra.salem@yahoo.com ;
Islamic Republic of Iran
Dr Mansour Esfandiari Baiat
REaSSRED
P.O. Box 71365‐458
Shiraz
I.R.Iran
Tel: +98711‐2296091
Fax : +98711‐7205107
E‐mail: esfandiari@farsagrs.ir
Jordan
Mr Ma’en Ahmad Al‐Smadi
The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)
Dana Biosphere Reserve
P.O. Box 6354
11183 Amman
Jordan
Tel: (+962) 7774‐22102 (mobile)
E‐mail: maen@rscn.org.jo or reserves@rscn.org.jo or ma22en@yahoo.com
Pakistan
Dr Muhammad Akram Kahlown
Chairman
Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR)
24

House No.3&5
St.No.17
Sector F‐6/2
Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel: 92‐051‐9218984 and 92‐51‐9258959 (secretary)
Fax: 92‐51‐9218939
E‐mail: Pcrwr@isb.comsats.net.pk ; zas60@mul.paknet.com.pk ;
kahlown@hotmail.com .
Syria
Dr Theib Oweis
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
P.O. Box 5466
Aleppo
Syria
Tel: Office (+963‐21) 2213433
Home (+963‐21) 2215425, 2231565
Fax: Office (+963‐21) 2213490, 5744622
E‐mail: t.oweis@cgiar.org
Dr Richard J. Thomas
Visiting Professor
Arid Land Research Centre
Hamasaka 1390
Tottori,
680‐0001 Japan
Tel: +81‐857‐21‐7272
FAX: +81‐857‐29‐6199
Email: r.thomas@cgiar.org
r.thomas@alrc.tottori‐u.ac.jp
Dr Abdul‐Ghani Al‐Khaldi,
Head of Natural Agricultural Research Department
General Commission of Scientific Agricultural Research
Minstry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform
Damascus,
Syria
Tel: +963‐011‐5756012 or +963‐933443354 (mobile)
Fax: +963‐011‐57386400
Email: abarslan@scs‐net.org
Tunisia
Mr. Mohamed Ouessar
Institut des Régions Arides (IRA)
4119 ‐ Medenine
Tunisia
Phone: +216 75 633005
25

Fax: +216 75 633006
E‐mail: Ouessar.Mohamed@ira.rnrt.tn and Ouessar@Yahoo.com
UNESCO‐Amman Office
Mr Robert Parua
UNESCO Office in Amman
Wadi Saqra Street
P.O. Box 2270
Amman 11181
Jordan
Tel: (+962‐6) 551‐6559 Ext. 1123
Fax: (+962‐6) 553‐2183
E‐mail: r.parua@unesco.org
Ms Lama Al‐Masalha
Natural Science Programme Assistant
UNESCO Office in Amman
Wadi Saqra Street
P.O. Box 2270
Amman 11181
Jordan
Tel: (+962‐6) 551‐6559 Ext. 1123
Fax: (+962‐6) 553‐2183
E‐mail: l.almasalha@unesco.org.jo
UNESCO‐Headquarters, Paris
Dr Thomas Schaaf
Chief of Ecological Sciences and Biodiversity Section
Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences
UNESCO
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel. (+33‐1) 45.68.40.65
Fax: (+33‐1) 45.68.58.04
E‐mail: t.schaaf@unesco.org
Ms Helene Gille
Consultant
UNESCO
Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences
1, rue Miollis
75732 Paris Cedex 15
France
Tel. (+33‐1) 45.68.40.59
Fax: (+33‐1) 45.68.58.04
E‐mail: h.gille@unesco.org
26

UNESCO‐Windhoek Office
Dr Alexandros Makarigakis
Science Programme Specialist
UNESCO Windhoek Cluster Office
38 ‐ 44 Stein Street, PO Box 24519,
Windhoek
Namibia
Tel.: (+ 264 61) 291 7222
Fax: (+ 264 61) 291 7220
E‐mail: a.makarigakis@unesco.org
UNU‐INWEH, Hamilton
Dr Brigitte Schuster
United Nations University ‐ International Network on Water,
Environment & Health (UNU‐INWEH)
175 Longwood Road South, Suite 204
Hamilton, ON L8P OA1
CANADA
Tel: +1 905 667 5511
Fax: +1 905 667 5510
Email: schustb@inweh.unu.edu
3) Participants from Jordan
Yehya Khaled
Director General
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
P.O. Box 1215
Amman 11941
Jordan
E‐mail: yehya.khaled@rscn.org.jo
Prof. Hanan Malkawi
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Director of UNESCO Chair for Desert Studies & Desertification Control
Yarmouk University
Irbid
Jordan
Tel: 962 2 7211111 ext. 2921
Fax: 962 2 7274725
Email: hanan@yu.edu.jo and hananmalkawi@gmail.com
4) Other participants
Dr N.L. Joshi
Principal Scientist (Agronomy)
Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI)
Jodhpur‐342003
27

Rajasthan
India
Tel: (+91‐291) 2786584
Fax: (+91‐291) 2788706
E‐mail: nljoshi@cazri.res.in
Dr Jean‐Noel Poda
Maitre de recherché/Eau‐Environnement‐Santé
Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé
03 B.P. 7192
Ouagadougou 03
Burkina Faso
Tel: (+226) 50.33.35.94 (office)
Tel: (+226) 50.36.18.18 (home)
Fax: (+226) 50.36.32.15
E‐mail: podajni@yahoo.fr or dirss@fasonet.bf
Dr Magali Garcia Cardenas
Universidad Mayor de San Andrés
Faculty of Agronomy
Instituto de Investigaciones Agroecologicas
Calle Heroes del Acre No. 1850
La Paz
Bolivia
Tel.: (+591‐2) 2491477 and 2491558
Fax: (+591‐2) 2484835
E‐mail: magalygc1@yahoo.es
(temporary address:
Dr Magali Garcia
697 Saratoga Dr. 104
Twin Falls
Idaho, 83301
United States of America)
Mr. Dana Grobler
Resource Directed Measures (RDM) network coordinator
Dana at Box 54
Private Bag X 8
Kuilsriver
Cape Town
7579
South Africa
Tel.: +27(0) 12 906 6562
Fax: +27 (0) 86 620 1812
Mobile:+27 (0)82 418 3289
E‐mail: dana@bluescience.co.za
28

Walid Saleh, Ph.D. Peng
Regional Coordinator, MENA
UNU‐INWEH
Dubai Humanitarian City
P. O. Box 33328
Tel: +971 4 360 1775
Fax: +971 4 368 1108
Mob :+971 50 462 5879
E‐mail: unwa99@hotmail.com
Ms Caroline King
Arid Environmental Systems Research Cluster
Oxford University Centre for Environment (OUCE)
Oxford
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 796 4548256
E‐mail: caroline.king@ouce.ox.ac.uk
29

Annex IV ‐ Comments and suggestions on Session 2: Presentation of project‐
site proposals
These comments were summarized by Prof Donald Gabriels, who took the lead in providing feedback
on the case study proposals.
General comments
The presentations of the ‘lessons learned’ from the 1 st phase of SUMAMAD were very good and also
very much appreciated showing already the need for a 2 nd phase of SUMAMAD. The enthusiasm of
the partners is also very much appreciated but should however take into account a ‘realistic’ but
limited budget. More and other financial resources should be found. Therefore it is suggested that
the proposals consider clear and specific objectives, eventually complemented to each other. The
socio‐economical aspects should be included in each project proposal and clearly explained.
Specific comments for each case study sites
Hunshandake Sand Area: (Dr Jiang Gaoming)(China)
Positive points:
- lessons learned: ok
- objectives are clear: ‐chicken farming, milk cattle, forage market
- project helped two farms to raise chicken, 5 farms in 2009 is realistic
- organic wheat for chicken farming, organic food production
- proposal is not too ambitious
Points to be improved and to be clarified better:
- why is economy weak?
- Clarify what organisation would help to develop marketing strategy of organic chicken
- Organic food production shall be put on market in Beijing in 2001??
Heihe River Area (Dr Wang Tao) (China)
Positive points:
- Lessons learned
Points to be improved and to be clarified better:
- Specific objectives should be indicated
- explain better the ‘integrated’ watershed
- effect of water savings on ecology
- How will the proposal contribute to alternative livelihood objective
Omayed Biosphere Reserve(Boshra B. Salem) (Egypt)
Positive points:
- a good review of the previous phase of SUMAMAD is given
- the five scenarios are good
- the idea of new stakeholders: change from rangeland to agriculture, coastal habitants and
urbanization
- possibilities for new financial support
Points to be clarified
‐ problems of land tenure is important
30

‐ how can local people contribute to combat desertification
‐ how will problems related to tourism development and agricultural land development be
addressed
Area SW of the Gareh Bygone Plain (Dr Mansour Esfandiari Baiat) (Iran)
Positive points:
The project is based on artificial recharge of groundwater which is one of the general objectives
of SUMAMAD.
To be improved:
‐ Objectives should be more specific: 10 objectives is way too much
‐ Water use efficiency should come out better in the proposal
‐ looking for financial support
Dana Biosphere Reserve (Ma’en Al Smadi) (Jordan)
Positive points:
‐ Focus on seasonal grazing
‐ Two objectives: carrying capacity
characterization of pastoral communities
To be improved or clarified:
- Development of scenarios for grazing activities should be explained more in detail.
- Development of watering points for grazing animals
- Improvement of animal shelter
- Need for maps? What about existing maps?
- How will the proposal contribute to alternative livelihood objective
Lal Suhanra Biosphere Reserve and Cholistan Desert (Muhammad Akram Kahlown)(Pakistan)
Positive points:
- objectives are clear
- a 20 ha test area will be selected
- the limited budget is respected
- possibilities for financial support
To be improved:
- types of irrigation should be described better
- livelihood and policy objectives missing
Khanasser Valley (Awadin Arslan) (Syria)
Positive points:
- good proposal with clear objectives
To be explained better:
- multi‐complex stakeholder processes
- objectives should be over a 4‐5 years plan
- need for upscaling with the limited budget
Zeuss‐Koutine Watershed (Mohamed Ouessar) (Tunesia)
Positive points:
Overview of 1 st phase and lessons learned
To be improved:
- objectives are too general: for example:combating desertification
31

- objectives should be more specific
- priorities can be given to ‘dimensions of recharge wells’
- explain the problems around ‘desalinization’
Study site in Bolivia (Dr Magali Garcia Cardenas)
• How will indigenous knowledge should be valorized?
• Explain the community adaptation strategies to extreme events
• Explain the specific objectives
• Develop the strategies for deficit irrigation in Quinoa
• Is desertification because of human activity or/and agricultural activities? Area of
farmland?
• How will soil fertility be supported? Organic matter? Fertilizers?
• Explain farmer’s conception of market development.
• Alternative livelihoods need to be identified? Other income? Lama production,
greenhouses: vegetables
Study site in Burkina Faso (Dr Jean‐Noel Poda)
• Distinction should be made between specific objectives and activities.
• What will be output of activities?
Study site in India (Dr. N.L. Joshi)
• Explain how productivity of cultivable land can be increased through new technologies?
• Soils are sandy. What about stoniness?
• Explain the intercropping systems in 200‐400 mm rain areas
32