Supplemental Irrigation, 1–5 May 2016

Abstract

Water is the major limiting factor for agricultural production in the dry areas of Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). Agriculture accounts for around 80% of diverted water consumption in the region. However, the rapidly growing population, industrialization, and urbanization will lead to reallocation of water increasingly away from agriculture to other sectors of the economy. Contrasting this, high population growth rates will require a continuous increase in agricultural production to meet demand if regional governments are to reduce their exposure to imports. There are few opportunities for the capture of new water resources, and there is a tendency toward non-sustainable, over-exploitation of existing sources. Therefore, sustainability of agricultural production depends on conservation and appropriate allocation and management of the scarce water resources in the region. Improving the efficiency of water use through improved crop selection, cropping patterns, cultural practices, and improved management techniques is essential to boost on-farm productivity either under rainfed or irrigated conditions. Further an important approach towards improving water use efficiency is to link on-farm issue with the watershed/landscape level through the application of integrated natural resource management methods. ICARDA's mission is to improve the welfare of people through agricultural research and training to increase the production, productivity, and quality of food, while preserving or improving the resource base. ICARDA's training courses are designed to improve the capabilities of scientists and technicians in national agricultural research systems (NARS) in developing countries to conduct research independently, and to foster the transfer of technology and address issues related to farmers' decisions in adopting new technologies. To this end, ICARDA organized and presented this course.