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Announcements Databases and on-line resources 1. Sustainable Sloping Lands and Watershed Management: Linking research to strengthen upland policies and practices, 12-15 December 2006, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR In September 2004, the first conference on Sustainable Sloping Lands and Watershed Management: Innovative Practices for Sustainable Sloping Lands and Watershed Management was held in Chiang Mai , Thailand . The conference itself was a useful forum for exchanging knowledge on the management and implementation of sustainable land and water resources and creating a bridge between researchers and decision makers. Therefore, a biennial conference series that focuses on natural resource management issues specific to upper catchments in tropical regions was proposed. The National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) in collaboration with CIAT, IWMI, IRD and SIDA are organizing this second conference. Its main purpose is to explore different strategies to promote environmental sustainability and enhance livelihoods of rural communities that inhabit upland areas. SSLWM 2006 will highlight emerging planning and management strategies for the sustainable management of upper catchments. For more information visit the NAFRI website or contact the Conference Secretariat. 2. Certificate of Advances Studies (CAS) "Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Context of Developing and Transition Countries", 27 August - 7 September 2007, Bern, Switzerland The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in collaboration with the Swiss Association for International Cooperation (HELVETAS), the Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development (SKAT), the Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries (SANDEC) at the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE, University of Bern) is organizing the first ten-day course. The full CAS consists of preparatory work, two ten-day courses at Bern University of Applied Sciences Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering and a project work after the second course (proof of competence). The second course will take place in autumn 2008. The objectives of the CAS are: i) to consider water-related problems from an integrated and global perspective; ii) to derive and discuss possible solutions in order to propose potential activities in a local context; and iii) to improve participants’ management and monitoring skills related to water projects / activities in Developing and Transition Countries. The target audience is: civil engineers, geologists, architects and specialists of similar professions involved or interested in IWRM in the context of Developing and Transition Countries, students attending the last year of a related course of studies on the tertiary level and interested in IWRM, and specialists in development cooperation projects dealing with water-related projects or activities. For more information contact Kurt Wüthrich. 3. Call for paper for the Special Issue of the Irrigation and Drainage Journal on Capacity Builiding A forthcoming edition of the journal Irrigation and Drainage will focus on the important issue of capacity-building in the sector. This issue will mark the end of the tenure of ICID’s Working Group on Capacity-Building, Training and Education (WG-CBTE) and will build on the outcomes of the recent series of workshops organised by WG-CBTE and IPTRID. The Guest Editors invite authors to submit a title and 500-words abstract for consideration and inclusion in this issue covering such topics as: i) the theoretical framework for capacity-building; ii) the capacity-building cycle (needs assessment, planning, financing, implementation, M&E); iii) capacity-building at different scales (transboundary, ministry or department, WUAs, farmer level); iv) new or emerging issues (social learning, knowledge networks, building capacity to cope with climate change, for research, for public-private partnerships, etc.). This list is not exhaustive and suggestions for other topics that could be included are welcomed. Please contact the Guest Editors: Carlos Garcés-Restrepo, Tom Franks or Ferry Putuhena.
4. Estudio FAO Riego y Drenaje 56: Evapotranspiración del cultivo - Guías para la determinación de los requerimientos de agua de los cultivos En esta publicación se presenta una actualización del procedimiento para calcular la evapotranspiración de referencia y la evapotranspiración del cultivo a partir de datos meteorológicos y coeficientes de cultivo. El procedimiento, que fue presentado por primera vez en la publicación N° 24 de la Serie de Riego y Drenaje de la FAO «Las Necesidades de Agua de los Cultivos» en 1977, permite estimar la cantidad de agua que un cultivo utiliza teniendo en cuenta el efecto del clima y las características del cultivo. La presente publicación incorpora avances en investigación y un procedimiento más preciso para determinar el uso de agua de los cultivos de acuerdo a las recomendaciones de un panel de expertos de alto nivel organizado por la FAO en mayo de 1990. La primera parte de estas guías incluye procedimientos para determinar la evapotranspiración del cultivo de referencia de acuerdo con el método Penman-Monteith. A continuación se presentan procedimientos actualizados para estimar la evapotranspiración de diversos cultivos en diferentes etapas de desarrollo y condiciones ecológicas. El documento se
encuentra disponible en Internet para su lectura o se puede
descargar. Visite la base de datos
donde se encuentran todas nuestras publicaciones. Para informaciones
tecnicas, contactar a Giovanni Munoz; para pedir
copias, dirigirse al grupo de ventas de la
FAO. 5. FAO Water Reports 31: Demand for Products of Irrigated Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa If irrigated production is to make a significant contribution to
food security and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it
will have to be re-structured across the region as a whole. This is
the main conclusion of a study undertaken by FAO to analyse the
drivers of demand for irrigated production in SSA. Steeply rising
commercial food import bills for staple crops across SSA are
indicative of the level of demand that is not being met
from The increase in area under equipped/spate irrigation for the whole of Africa over the last ten years amounts to 1.27 million ha, which is equal to about 127 000 ha per year. This rate of growth has proved too low to have an impact on food import bills and buffer regional food security. However, within subregional trading groups there is scope for consolidation of market supply. Some key conclusions emerge: first, matching the structure of the
irrigated subsector to the structure of demand is essential; second,
it will be necessary to realize the value of the existing asset base
where supply chains, storage and processing can be concentrated to
address specific, well identified markets; third, prior to new
public expenditure or the encouragement of private investment, the
full implications of price impacts must be taken into account; and,
finally, the costs of supplying into specific crop markets will need
to be assessed. The report is available for on-line reading and/or downloading. For technical information, please contact Jacob Burke; to obtain copies the FAO Sales and Marketing Group. 6. Utilisation des engrais par culture au Maroc L’adoption de techniques agronomiques appropriées, dont la fumure
raisonnée, permettrait des gains de productivité La publication est disponible en lecture en ligne ou téléchargement sur le site Internet de la division AGL de la FAO. Pour des informations techniques, contacter Walter Burgos Leon et pour obtenir une copie le Groupe des ventes de la FAO.
DATABASES AND ON-LINE RESOURCES 7. Conference on Farmer Study Group Initiatives in Africa, Zimbabwe, 6-9 November 2006 At the initiative of the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC), the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and FAO (SAFR), 60 farmers, extension practitioners, programme staff and government policy makers from Southern and East Africa were brought together to discuss Farmer Study Group Initiatives in Africa. The main Study Groups presented and discussed were Farmer Field Schools, Study Circles and Local Learning Groups. The objective was to share experiences among actors involved in promoting farmer education and empowerment though farmer study group initiatives and to develop concrete plans for boosting farmer education in African. Conference themes included “Education for empowerment”, “Learning tools, methods & modalities”, and “Enabling policies and institutional contexts”. Experiences from various programmes were presented and discussed and a number of active Farmer Field Schools and Study Circles were visited during a one-day field trip. The Conference resulted in Country Action Plans for Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and a Regional Action Plan. SIDA has already expressed interest in sponsoring the start-up of selected initiatives. Conference presentations, proceedings, and action plans are available on CD. For more information please contact Martin Ager.
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