Fourth NENA Soil Partnership workshop | Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly
Regional Soil Partnerships (RSPs) were established among interested and active stakeholders of the same regions. These RSPs are working in close collaboration with FAO Regional Offices and establishing an interactive consultative process with national soil entities (soil survey institutions, soil management institutions, soil research institutions and soil scientists working in land resources, climate change and biodiversity institutions/programmes, etc), as well as with regional soil science societies and other relevant regional mechanisms under the various related conventions. Regional Soil Partnerships build on existing regional networks or collaborative processes and provide guidance on regional goals/ priorities and their required implementation mechanisms and should regularly review progress in reaching common objectives and targets.
The NENA region is located in West Asia-North Africa and includes Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The NENA region is diverse in terms of its climatic conditions, soils, flora, fauna, land use, and human activities. Soil degradation is driven by complex variables, including climatic factors, economic factors, institutional, national policies, conflicts and population growth and pressure. Cropland with mismanaged practices and irrational use of water resources in irrigation, chaotic urban expansion, overgrazing and infrastructure extension are among the major causative factors of soil degradation and deterioration of land quality.
The NENA soil partnership will meet for its fourth session at FAO headquarters as a side event to the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly that is taking place from 11 to 13 June in Rome.
