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     In order to supplement the declining amounts of feed from the range, farmers grow irrigated forages, namely, alfalfa and rhodes grass. Both these crops use an enormous amount of water, mostly because they require a high level of irrigation during the long hot summers. Total water use can be as high as 35,000 m3 per hectare per year. This is the same as 48,000 people each drinking three liters of water per day for a whole year, and that is only for one hectare (100 m x 100 m).  Furthermore, the water for irrigation is often derived from non-sustainable or non-renewable sources, such as deep fossil groundwater. Although some governments have banned the drilling of new wells, it is difficult for them to control the amount of water which is pumped from existing wells. "Twenty years ago, wells were 100 feet deep; today they are 1000 feet and, even at this depth, the water is not freely available, necessitating the intermittent use of pumps," explains Abdulla Al-Moalla, Director of the Central Region of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, UAE.  "Salinity levels are also increasing dramatically."
      So, the range is degraded and supplementary feed in the form of irrigated forages are drinking up water reserves. What can be done? ICARDA, through its Arabian Peninsula Regional Program (APRP) based in Dubai, is addressing this problem. The research involves livestock, water, rangeland, forages and of course people, and necessitates a multidisciplinary holistic approach.
     Where to begin? Let's start with the question of producing forages using far less water. One strategy would be to improve current irrigation strategies. Abdulla Al-Moalla believes "that we could save 50% of the water with new irrigation systems." However, while such systems can be more efficient, they also require new management techniques. Furthermore, even the best equipment and management will still have to provide sufficient water to keep rhodes grass and alfalfa 'happy' during the peak summer months.

        Another strategy may be to bring some of the indigenous plants, which are adapted to the heat and drought of the region, into cultivation. The Arabian Peninsula's flora is rich with approximately 3400 indigenous species, despite the arid conditions. At ICARDA-APRP we  have set out along this path. In May 1997, the Central Region of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (UAE) and APRP convened a meeting at the Al-Dhaid Research Station, Sharjah, to which local farmers brought samples of rangeland species favored by their livestock. Two farmers took the lead in explaining the forage value and stress-resistance of the various species; then, with the help of botanists from the Sharjah Natural History Museum and the Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency, Abu Dhabi, as well as published floras of the Arabian Peninsula, we identified 74 of the 85 species collected. The farmers were then asked to rank the plants in order of preference to the animals. This was in addition to consultations with various range experts and botanists in the region, as well as personal observations, and allowed us to develop a first list of priority species. The next step was to obtain seed of the priority                         

species, and assess their genetic variation in the region. We needed to organize collection missions in the 'wild'. 
       For this, national scientists required training in germplasm collection and conservation. The principal techniques of genetic-resources work were taught in two courses in early 1998: Germplasm Collection and Maintenance, held in Sharjah, UAE, and Seed Production Technology in Oman. These courses laid the foundation for collaboration between APRP and the national programs in collecting potentially useful rangeland species. Practical training was then given on a one-to-one basis during two collection missions, one undertaken in the United Arab Emirates, another in northern parts of Oman during March and April.
      In total, 182 accessions of 37 species were collected. In addition, much indigenous knowledge was obtained from local farmers and herders, and our list of high priority species was revised once more. The list now includes 10 grass species which have potential for use as irrigated forages,