ACSAD holds 8th Conference for Scientific Research and Agricultural Guidance officials in Arab countries

With the participation of Syria, the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) on Wednesday held the 8th Conference for Scientific Research and Agricultural Guidance Officials in the Arab States. The conference, which was held at the Centre’s headquarters in Damascus countryside, is entitled “the role of scientific research and agricultural guidance in neutralizing the impact of land degradation under climate change”.

Over two days, the participants will discuss, through video conference technology, national studies and research on basic and voluntary indicators, national programs for neutralizing land degradation and its role in reducing the negative effects of climate change, and the role of agricultural guidance and scientific research in raising awareness and applying good practices to neutralize land degradation.

The achievements of the Arab Center (ACSAD), the role of agricultural guidance in neutralizing land degradation, the challenges facing the Arab countries in this field and ways to address them, research and guidance projects on this subject and the reform of degraded lands, will be among the topics raised during the conference.

Director General of (ACSAD), Dr. Nasr El-Din Al-Obeid, affirmed that the conference comes to keep pace with the global development in the implementation of the International Initiative to Neutralize Land Degradation, which is one of the world’s most important policy to combat desertification, restore the degraded land and reverse its course, so that it can produce and give as before.

Al-Obeid called for unifying attitudes and keeping up with the world in dealing with desertification issues, safeguarding land and reducing land degradation, noting that this was in line with (ACSAD) tasks in the Arab region. He also called for carrying out applied research and transferring its results to Arab agricultural technicians and guides, in order to preserve ecosystems, care for land resources and promote their development and rationalize their investment.

Thirteen Arab States, including Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Syria are participating in the conference.

Amal Farhat