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Announcements
1. Workshop on Capacity Development Programmes, 14
September 2006 /
Atelier sur
programmes des renforcement des capacités, 14 septembre 2006
2. Electronic Conference on
water pollution, 23 May - 23 June 2006 / Conférence électronique sur
la pollution des eaux, du 23 mai au 23 juin 2006
3. 4th African Soil Science Society (ASSS)
Conference: 7 – 13 January 2007
4. IAAS World Congress 2006: Speaker and support sought
on irrigation and salinity / Appel à contribution et recherche de
soutien
5. World Association of
Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC) welcomes Guest members
Reports and publications
6. Bulletin FAO Engrais et Nutrition Végétale 15 :
Bilans des éléments nutritifs du sol à différentes échelles
7. FAO Fertilizer and Plant
Nutrition Bulletin 16: Plant nutrition for food security
8.
FAO Water Report 30:
Stakeholder-oriented water valuation
9. FAO Irrigation & Drainage Paper 60 Rev. 1:
Materials for subsurface land drainage systems
10. Fertilizer use by crop in India, Zimbabwe
and Sudan
11. Regards sur
l’agriculture de conservation en Afrique de l’ouest et du centre et
ses perspectives
Other news and vacancies
12. Regional Workshop on Land and Water Management -
Farmer Field Schools in Africa
13. Symposium Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation:
Strengthening Capacity for Local Governance
14.
URGENT - Consultants sought for
Sustainable Land Management in Africa
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Workshop on Monitoring and
Evaluation of Capacity Development Programmes, 14 September 2006
IPTRID-FAO and ICID are pleased to announce a workshop on
"Monitoring and Evaluation of Capacity Development Programmes" to be
held the 14th of September 2006 in Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ). This
is a follow-up and conclusion of a series of four workshops
initiated in Montpellier in 2003. Please find the first announcement
and a call for paper on the IPTRID website. The proceedings
of the previous workshop held in 2005 in Beijing (China) are also
available on this website. Contact: Virginie Gillet.
Atelier sur le Suivi et évaluation
des programmes de renforcement des capacités , 14 septembre
2006
IPTRID-FAO et ICID sont heureux de vous annoncer l'atelier sur le
"Suivi et évaluation des programmes de renforcement des capacités"
qui aura lieu le 14 septembre 2006 à Kuala Lumpur (Malaysie). Il
poursuit et conclut une série de quatre ateliers, initiée à
Montpellier en 2003. Veuillez consulter la première annonce et un
appel à contribution sur le site internet de l'IPTRID. Les actes de
l'atelier précédent réalisé à Beijing (Chine) en 2005 sont aussi
disponibles sur le même site. Contact: Virginie Gillet.
2. Electronic Conference on
water pollution, 23 May - 23 June 2006
In the framework of the CISEAU project (GCP/INT/855/FRA) the
IPTRID Programme is pleased to announce an Electronic Conference on
water pollution: "Impact of irrigation and agricultural
intensification on water quality" which will be opened from Tuesday
23 May to Friday 23 June 2006 . The Electronic Conference will be
conducted both in English and French and contributions will be made
available in both languages. Registration and further information is
available on the website.
Conférence électronique sur la
pollution des eaux, du 23 mai au 23 juin 2006
Dans le cadre du projet CISEAU (GCP/INT/855/FRA), le Programme
IPTRID est heureux de vous annoncer une Conférence Électronique sur
la pollution des eaux: "Impact de l'irrigation et de
l'intensification agricole sur la qualité des eaux" qui se déroulera
du mardi 23 mai au vendredi 23 juin 2006. La conférence électronique
sera conduite à la fois en anglais et en français, et les
contributions seront disponibles dans les deux langues. Pour
s'inscrire et pour de plus amples détails, cliquez sur .. more...
.
3. 4th African Soil Science
Society (ASSS) Conference: 7 – 13 January 2007
The African Soil Science Society (ASSS) is pleased to announce
its 4th International Conference on Impacts of climate change,
global trade, urbanization and biotechnology on land use in Africa,
from 7 to 13 January 2007 in Accra (Ghana). ASSS is a non-profit
organization founded in1986. ASSS has organized successfully three
International Conferences respectively in Kampala (Uganda, 1988),
Cairo (Egypt, 1990) and Ibadan (Nigeria, 1994).These three
Conferences were focused on land management in irrigated and upland
zones with the participation of soil scientists from all over the
world working on African lands. This 4th International Conference
aims to gather specialists interested in land use and sustainable
land management in Africa, in the context of serious emerging issues
such as climate change, global trade and biotechnologies including
GMO uses. The Conference is hosted by the Soil Science Society of
Ghana in collaboration with IUSS, FAO, AfNet/CIAT, ICRISAT, IWMI,
IFDC-Africa, UNU-INRA,... The deadline for abstract submission is 30
May 2006. Contacts: ASSS
Conference Secretariat and Marco Nocita.
4. IAAS World Congress 2006:
speaker sought on irrigation and salinity
The Danish committee of IAAS, the International Association of
Students in Agricultural and Related Siences, is seeking a speaker
for a lecture on irrigation and salinity for its seminar on
"Sustainable Development - Environmental Protection and Agricultural
Innovation". This seminar is part of the IAAS World Congress 2006 to
be held in Malaysia from July 16th to August 6th 2006. Four topics
will be developed : i) Sustainable Development through Politics and
Economics; ii) Implementation of New Technologies in the
Agricultural Sector; iii) Food Security and Food Safety; and iv)
Farming Systems. The irrigation lecture comes under the New
Technologies theme, as well as crop production: biotechnology,
chemicals, and organic farming. As IAAS is a students run
organization, support is also sought for the speaker expenses. For
futher information please visit the IAAS World Congress 2006
website.
IAAS World Congress 2006: Appel à contribution et
recherche de soutien
Le comité danois de l'IAAS, l'Association internationale des
étudiants en sciences agricoles, lance un appel à conférencier pour
une présentation sur l'irrigation et la salinité pour son séminaire
sur le "Développement durable - protection de l'environnement et
innovation agraire". Ce séminaire aura lieu lors du Congrès mondial
IAAS 2006 en Malaysie du 16 Juillet au 6 Août 2006. Quatre thèmes
seront développés: i) le développement durable à travers les
politiques et l'économie; ii) la mise en place de nouvelles
technologies dans le secteur agricole; iii) la sécurité et la sureté
alimentaire; et iv) les systèmes agraires. La présentation en
irrigation fera partie du thème des nouvelles technologies, de meme
que la production de culture: la biotechnologie, les intrants, et
l'agriculture biologique. L'IAAS en tant qu'organisation étudiante,
recherche également un soutien financier pour les dépenses des
conférenciers. Pour plus d'information: IAAS
World Congress 2006.
5. World Association of Soil
and Water Conservation (WASWC) welcomes Guest members
The World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWC)
invites the readers of the FAO Land-and-Water Newsletter to be Guest
members for one year, starting from now until early 2007. As a Guest
member, one is entitled to have access to the WASWC website (waswc & 291785
are username & password) where WASWC posts most of its
publications and services, including WASWC Newsletter (quarterly –
in 8 languages), WASWC News (occasional), Journal and Proceedings of
WASWC, Land Journal, Special Publications. Other services include:
use of photo websites and joining photo competition (quarterly),
E-mail Discussion Group on various issues, and use of our
association as your Window to the World – since we encourage
interaction with thousands of our members from over one hundred
countries, through today’s popular communications mode: the
internet. Moreover you may request for a Cooperation Package if you
organize a meeting in any scale related to the Vision and Mission of
our association. You may convert your Guest membership to paid
membership in any category, Individual-, Life- or Organization
membership at anytime – all at very affordable rates. For more
information please contact Samrat Sombatpanit, WASWC
Acting President.
REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS
6. Bulletin FAO Engrais et
Nutrition Végétale 15 : Bilans des éléments nutritifs du sol à
différentes échelles
En utilisant des données de trois pays d'Afrique subsaharienne,
ce rapport compare les approches de niveau global et détaillé pour
la détermination des bilans d'éléments nutritifs du sol avec une
approche innovante de niveau intermédiaire. Il met en avant la
valeur additionnelle qu'une approche de niveau intermédiaire peut
fournir du fait de son utilité pour les personnes intéressées au
niveau intermédiaire en articulant et en ciblant les mesures
spécifiques pour l'augmentation de la fertilité du sol, et du fait
de sa validité comme point d'entrée pour les décideurs politiques et
l'intervention du secteur privé. Télécharger: Bilans des
éléments nutritifs du sol à différentes échelles.
7. FAO Fertilizer and Plant
Nutrition Bulletin 16: Plant nutrition for food security
Food security is a major global concern. It depends to a
considerable extent on efficient plant nutrition. Extensive
information on various aspects of plant nutrition has been generated
in the recent past. However, this information remains scattered in
several publications. This bulletin provides comprehensive updated
coverage of the key aspects of plant nutrition with special
reference to integrated nutrient management for crop production. The
topics covered include: present and future demand for plant
nutrients; food security and agricultural production; plant
nutrients and the basics of plant nutrition; soil fertility and crop
production; sources of plant nutrients and soil amendments;
optimizing plant nutrition; guidelines for the management of plant
nutrients and their sources; nutrient management guidelines for
major field crops; economic and policy issues of plant nutrition;
plant nutrition, food quality and consumer health; and plant
nutrition and environmental issues. The report can be downloaded
from AGL online
publications page.
8. FAO Water Report 30:
Stakeholder-oriented water valuation
Managing water for food and ecosystems entails supporting
stakeholders and decision makers to reach a common understanding on
the priorities and necessary arrangements for sharing and allocating
water resources. This can be supported by water valuation, which can
help to express the multiple values associated with water resources
and water-related goods and services. FAO Water
Report 30 confronts concepts from the literature on water
valuation with practical experiences from FAO, IUCN, IWMI and
Imperial College London, resulting in an outline of a stakeholder-oriented
valuation approach. This approach aims to embed valuation in the
stakeholder processes that drive water resources management,
recognizing that valuation is inherently subjective but can be
usefully supported by sound and consistent assessment methods.
Contact: Leon Hermans.
9. FAO Irrigation &
Drainage Paper 60 Rev. 1: Materials for subsurface land drainage
systems
The newly revised version of FAO Irrigation
& Drainage Paper 60 presents practical guidelines to
assess the need for envelopes and to select appropriate materials
(i.e. pipes and envelopes) for the proper and lasting performance of
subsurface drainage systems. In addition, it contains guidelines for
adequate installation and maintenance of drainage materials as well
as the required specifications and standards of such materials,
which may be used in tender documents for implementation of
subsurface drainage works. Practical guidelines for the
implementation of laboratory and field investigations to evaluate
the performance of drainage materials have also been included. This
paper aims to provide this practical information to drainage
engineers and contractors who are in charge of drainage projects.
Contact: Julian
Martínez Beltrán.
10. Fertilizer use by crop
in India, Zimbabwe and Sudan
The reports on fertilizer use by crop in India, Zimbabwe and
Sudan have recently been added to the AGL online
publications page.
Fertilizer use by crop in India
Food security has long been a major concern in India. The
promotion of fertilizer production and use in order to increase crop
yields has been a major objective of the Government of India for
more than 30 years. With 116 million farmholdings and an average
farm size of only 1.4 ha, the task is difficult. However, the policy
has succeeded and food production in India has kept pace with a
rapidly growing population. The population continues to increase and
the provision of an adequate supply of food remains a challenge.
This can be achieved only through further increases in yields,
involving the enhanced use of fertilizers (fertilizer application
rates are relatively low in many areas). This also entails selecting
products and implementing practices that improve fertilizer-use
efficiency.
Fertilizer use by crop in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ’s economy is heavily reliant on its agriculture sector.
Until 2000, there were two dominant subsectors: a large-scale
commercial subsector with a relatively small number of large farms
located mostly on the better land; and a large number of small farms
in the smallholder subsector. Most of the fertilizer use was in the
large-scale subsector, with only one-fifth of smallholders using
fertilizers. In 2000, the State initiated an agrarian reform policy
and took over most of the large-scale farming area for
redistribution. Fertilizer consumption has since fallen sharply.
There is concern about degradation of the often fragile soils.
Fertilizer production has fallen as a consequence of both reduced
demand and financial difficulties encountered by manufacturers
Fertilizer use by crop in Sudan
The Sudan has almost 17 million ha of cultivated land, and the
potentially cultivable area is much larger. It is the largest area
of cultivable land in the Arab world. The agricultural and livestock
sectors make an important contribution to the national economy. The
climate is hot and rainfall uncertain but the Blue and White Nile
Rivers have enabled the development of large irrigation schemes.
However, the rainfed sector, which provides a livelihood for the
majority of the population, has been neglected. The productivity of
the irrigation schemes has declined in recent years. Food production
has increased because of expansion in the cropped area, while yields
have tended to fall. Outside the irrigation schemes, farmers use
little fertilizer. Even in the scheme areas, fertilizers are
underused. Overall, fertilizer use is at a very low level. .
11. Regards sur
l’agriculture de conservation en Afrique de l’ouest et du centre et
ses perspectives
Ce rapport contient : Une synthèse générale des résultats de la
conférence électronique sur l’agriculture de conservation en Afrique
francophone de l’ouest et du centre (AOC), organisée en prélude au
3ème Congrès Mondial d’agriculture de conservation qui s’est tenu à
Nairobi du 03 au 07 octobre 2005; Les textes intégraux des quatre
communications qui ont été présentés au congrès; Les rapports de
mission originaux des trois binômes chercheurs/agriculteurs invités
à participer au congrès (Guinée, Tchad, Burkina Faso). Leur
sélection a été faite sur la base de la qualité des contributions
initiales qu’ils avaient soumises pendant la conférence. Après un
résumé détaillé, ce document revient sur le déroulement de la
conférence, ses principaux résultats et le début de valorisation des
acquis et présente les différents produits issus de la conférence.
Les rapports de mission joints illustrent l’originalité et la
richesse de l’expérience vécue par les invités à l’occasion de ce
congrès. Télécharger: Regards sur l’agriculture de conservation en
Afrique de l’ouest et du centre.
OTHER NEWS AND VACANCIES
12. Regional Workshop on
Land and Water Management - Farmer Field Schools in Africa
A Regional Workshop for Sharing Experiences on Land and Water
Management - Farmer Field Schools (LWM-FFS) in Africa was held
during the week of 23 - 29 April 2006 in Jinja, Uganda, jointly
organised by FAO-AGL, Wageningen University - Agricultural Economics
Research Institute, the Netherlands, and Environment Alert in
Uganda. Participants included 50 FFS practitioners, researchers and
government officials from 15 countries in Africa that have the
potential to contribute to conceptual development and up-scaling of
LWM-FFS approaches. A further 25 policy makers joined the field
visit and policy session representing local council to commissioner
/ Permanent Secretary level in the Government of Uganda. Among the
outputs: Strengthened capacity of participants to further develop
and scale up LWM-FFS; A CD Rom of workshop proceedings with country
reports, topic papers, and a practical Field Guide on LWM-FFS
developed through a writeshop with support of IIRR Africa; as well
as a series of policy recommendations highlighting the importance of
investing in land and water management for sustainable and
productive agriculture and poverty alleviation. The Field Guide and
details will be posted soon on:
http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/farmspi/. To learn about “writeshops”
see LEISA
article.
13. Symposium Sustainable
Water Supply and Sanitation: Strengthening Capacity for Local
Governance
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and UNESCO-IHE are
organising an international Symposium Sustainable Water Supply and
Sanitation: Strengthening Capacity for Local Governance. This
symposium will take place from Tuesday 26 September until Thursday
28 September in Delft, the Netherlands. The symposium aims to
provide a platform for sharing experiences in capacity development
for improved local governance. Participants will identify key
challenges and actions to establish an agenda for strengthening
local governance for sustainable water supply and sanitation
services. ‘Governance’ in this context means the total process of
overseeing, guiding and shaping services and their interaction with
communities, rather than simply the management responsibilities of a
single organisation. This symposium aims to bring together
representatives of associations of municipalities, of water boards
and water user committees and NGOs as well as practitioners and
researchers who are interested in or could bring in knowledge and
experience in this area. Participants are also invited from outside
the WASH sector with experience in capacity development at the
intermediate level, providing new and useful insights for the
sector. More...
14. URGENT - Consultants
sought for sustainable land management in Africa
NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africa's Development) is
recruiting on an urgent basis a Lead
Specialist and a Research Assistant in Sustainable Land
Management (SLM). These two internationally-recruited
consultants will be based in Johannesbourg and work within the
framework of CAADP (the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural
Development Programme) and more specifically in support of the TerrAfrica
Platform, through which CAADP's SLM activities will be
implemented. Responsibilities include, for both posts: i)
contributing to the construction of an African-led coalition for
TerrAfrica; and ii) supporting the preparation of TerrAfrica's
Strategic Investment Program for submission to the Global
Environment Facility in the Fall of 2006. For further information,
please contact Mrs. Faith Ramusetheli.
(Shortlisting will begin on Monday May 15th.)
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