Joint INSAS/WASAG Webinar "Saline agriculture: addressing the challenge of soil and water salinity in a drier and salty future" | 16 December 2025, 12:00 - 13.30 CET
Soil and water salinization is a growing global threat that undermines food security, biodiversity, and livelihoods. It is closely linked to climate change, land degradation, and desertification. To address these challenges, FAO’s International Network of Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS), the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) and several partners have joined forces to foster collaboration and raise awareness on the importance of sustainable management of saline soils and waters.
This joint webinar will be a science-policy dialogue building on the outcomes of the draft policy brief “Addressing the challenge of soil and water salinity through collaborative action,” which consolidates insights from discussions held at different Conferences of the Parties of the UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD between 2021 and 2024.
Agenda
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12:00–12:10 |
Opening Remarks Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO Jorge Batlle-Sales, Chair, INSAS |
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12:10–12:25 |
Addressing the challenge of soil and water salinity through collaborative action KatarzynaNegacz, Vrije University Amsterdam |
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12:25–12:30 |
Integrating soil and water salinity management into investment plans Narayan Iyer, Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist (Agribusiness), Asian Development Bank |
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12:30–12:40 |
Innovation in saline agriculture Ganga Rao Nadigatla, Chief scientist, International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) |
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12:40–12:50 |
Advancing saline-alkali land utilization Xurong Mei, Director, National Technology Innovation Center for Comprehensive Utilization of Saline Alkali Land, China |
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12:50–13:20 |
Panel discussion: Country experiences and opportunities for promoting saline agriculture Nora Helena Ramos Silva, President, National Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (INIDA), Cabo Verde (TBC) Alireza Esmaili Falak, Head, International Affairs Office, Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, Iran Saeed Saadat, Head of soil salinity department, Soil and Water Research Institute (SWRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad, Iran; member of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) Simkje Kruiderink, Team leader international: sustainable use of biodiversity and water at Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
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13:20–13:30 |
Concluding remarks Chandra Madramootoo, Chair of the WASAG Technical Advisory Committee |
Moderator: Jean RuhizaBoroto, Senior Land and Water Officer and WASAG Team Leader, FAO