Water Management in Arid Zones: Proceedings of the International Workshop Medenine, Tunisia 18 - 22 October 1999

Abstract

The project aims to develop activities that can assist in reducing the impact of land degradation and addressing the underlying causes of processes. This project focuses on developing countries in a region that includes Northern Africa, The Middle East, Central Asia, and China (in the context of this project, "Dry Areas" are defined broadly to include arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions). This geographical region includes a variety of ecosystems ranging from rangelands, deserts, and highlands to mountains. However, the drivers behind the land degradation problems (population stress, economic exploitation, unsustainable development practices) are common in developing countries in this region and result in high stress on the livelihood of the people and the natural resources. The solution lies in looking at the overall picture and developing integrated approaches for managing the land degradation problems. Proper management of water lies at the heart of such approaches because the dry areas of this region range from dry sub-humid to extremely arid. Particularly, the linkage between the management of highlands and lowlands is an important one to consider for integrated approaches to dealing with land degradation. Specifically, the project comprises four distinct, but mutually complementary, components that will be implemented in parallel. These include network development, capacity-building programs, research and development activities, and dissemination of environmentally sound information.