For 20 Syrian agricultural engineers, ACSAD organizes scientific workshop on effective means of irrigation efficiency
The Arab Center for Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands (ACSAD) Director-General Dr. Nasr Eddin Al Obaid, today, in the organization’s headquarters in Damascus, inaugurated the applied scientific activities for “the training workshop on effective means of boosting irrigation efficiency in the Arab countries”.
In his speech, Dr. Al Obaid thanked the Syrian leadership, government, and people, and praised the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian reform for their generous care and unlimited support, which contributed greatly to the continuation of their activities and to the important role at the regional and Arab levels, despite the difficult years.
The Director-General pointed out that the organization prepared a comprehensive study on irrigation efficiency in the Arab countries, as a major component of the project “raising irrigation efficiency in the Arab countries”, launched at the beginning of the year 2016, as one of the projects of the executive plan of the Arab strategy for water security in the Arab region. To meet the challenges and future requirements of sustainable development (2010-2030).
He explained that, by analyzing the reasons for the low efficiency of conventional surface irrigation in Arab countries, especially at the field level, which was found in ACSAD analysis of the reality of irrigation, especially in the Arab countries participating in the project, including Syria, noted that technical and water management reasons are the factors that have the greatest impact on the low efficiency of irrigation.
He pointed out that ACSAD organization suggested a series of measures to improve field-level surface irrigation efficiency in Arab countries, and that the most important of these measures will be discussed in detail in this session.
The workshop is held for 20 agricultural engineers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian reform Directorates from the various Syrian governorates, and its activities will be extended during the period 6-9/7/2020 and aim at strengthening Arab capacities in improving the efficiency of field irrigation.
The workshop, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is being carried out as a follow-up to the activities of the “irrigation efficiency raising project in the Arab region”, which has been being implemented by ACSAD since 2016 in a large number of Arab countries.
The workshop’s practical scientific activities include several axes, including the reality of irrigation efficiency in the Arab countries, the procedures proposed by ACSAD for improving efficiency, field-level training of participants in irrigation water management at the field level, and upgrading efficiency.
The scientific and practical applied training is conducted by a selection of experts from the specialized Arab Center (ACSAD).
