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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media
contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG) | |||
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Mashreq
& Maghreb Phase III: Project Meetings in Algiers
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The widely
acclaimed Mashreq & Maghreb (M&M) Project, "Developing
sustainable livelihoods of agropastoral communities of WANA,"
led by ICARDA, is now in its third phase. The second Regional Research
Coordination and Planning Meeting for Phase III was held at INRAA,
Algiers, Algeria, 18-19 November 2006. The meeting was titled "Institutionalizing
the community approach and community development plans."
The meeting was attended by delegates from all eight partner countries—Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia. They included M&M scientists, coordinators of collaborating development projects, ICARDA scientists, and invitees from CIRAD (Centre de Cooperation Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), France. Senior officials from the Algerian Ministry of Agriculture opened the meeting. Keynote papers were presented on impact assessment of NRM research by Dr Kamel Shideed, MP-5 Director; and monitoring and control of transboundary animal diseases by Dr Guillaume Gerbier of CIRAD. Progress in each of the eight countries was reviewed, focusing mainly on institutionalization of the community approach and the development of Community Development Plans (CDPs). The CDPs are developed through a participatory approach aimed at empowering local communities, jointly by all stakeholders—M&M national research teams, IFAD and nationally funded development projects, communities, government agencies and decision makers, NGOs, the private sector, and others. Ten CDPs have been developed and adopted in dry agropastoral zones in the WANA region. Development agencies, including IFAD-funded projects in Jordan, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia, have committed US$ 13 million for these efforts.
M&M Phase III involves 80 researchers from 20 research/education institutes, 75 development collaborators, and 21 development agencies. Memoranda of understanding were signed by representatives of the communities, the development projects, and M&M project national teams, and approved by government authorities. This was followed by the second Steering Committee Meeting of M&M III, attended by the eight national coordinators, Dr Antonio Rota from IFAD, Dr Kamel Feliachi, INRAA Director General, Dr Ali Zeghida, ITGC Director General, and three ICARDA scientists—Dr Kamel Shideed, representing Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General; Dr Mohamed El Mourid, M&M Regional Coordinator and ICARDA/NARP Coordinator, and Dr Ali Nefzaoui from ICARDA/NARP. The Steering Committee reviewed project progress in 2006, and discussed and approved workplans for 2007. Dr Rota noted the excellent work done by the NARS and ICARDA, and reiterated IFAD's support to disseminate methodologies developed within M&M to similar IFAD projects worldwide. He also highlighted IFAD's expectations from the project. IFAD's mandate is poverty alleviation, which requires development of appropriate technology packages for the poor, taking into account local knowledge and local priorities. The national teams, trained by ICARDA on participatory community development approaches, should backstop other development projects in their countries; and databases produced under M&M III should be linked to other national and regional databases. Speaking on behalf of Dr Solh, Dr Shideed reiterated ICARDA's commitment to the project. He thanked IFAD, AFESD and the partner NARS for their continuous support, which has led to significant achievements by the project within a short period. |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org)
serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and
faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water,
improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats),
and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia
and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of
durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems;
and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water,
land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international
and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international
research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development
by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting
the environment.