Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

Pressures on

coastal areas

50-70 % of

population lives

within 60 km from

the coast

Soil Networking in the Mediterranean region

Dr. Pandi Zdruli

International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean

Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM)

Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari

Italy

pandi@iamb.it

CIHEAM member countries (www.ciheam.org)

CIHEAM and its Institutes (www.ciheam.org)

Main activities of CIHEAM

• Training

• Research

• Cooperation

• Knowledge Dissemination

Main scientific areas of MAI-B

• Land and Water Resources Management

• Integrated Pest Management

• Mediterranean Organic Agriculture

• Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in the countries with Mediterranean Climate

EU-funded MEDCOASTLAND THEMATIC NETWORK

MAJOR GOAL

Mediterranean coordination and dissemination of soil conservation

practices to combat land degradation and enhance sustainable use

of natural resources in the Mediterranean region with special

emphases on coastal areas

This goal was achieved through:

• Information Retrieval (3,000 files downloaded)

• Functional Internet-based Knowledge Database and Forum on LD

• Organisation of workshops, publishing proceedings, newsletters

• Laid the foundation for continued collaboration even after the life

time of the project by signing a Memorandum of Understanding

MEDCOASTLAND PROJECT

2002-2007 ICA3-CT-2002-10002

Algeria

Morocco

Tunisia

Lebanon

Egypt Syria Malta

Palestinean

Authority

Turkey

Jordan

Spain

France Italy

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PDM

PA

PR

PR

Co-ordinator CIHEAM-IAMB

Network structure. PR = Researcher, PDM = Decision Maker, PA = Association of land / soil users

MEDCOASTLAND PUBLICATIONS

Adana, Turkey 2-7 June 2003

Marrakech, Morocco 12-16 February 2004

Alexandria, Egypt 9-13 October 2004

Bari, Italy 6-11 September 2005

Malta 13-17 January 2006

Beirut, Lebanon 25-30 June 2006

MEDCOASTLAND PROJECT

2002-2007

Tunis, Tunisia 26-31 may 2007

Main soil degradation factors in the

Mediterranean

• Water and wind erosion

• Soil sealing and urbanisation

• Loss of organic matter and biodiversity decline

• Nutrient mining

• Chemical pollution and contamination

• Floods and landslides

• Salinisation

• Overgrazing and vegetation degradation

Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

< 10,000 ha > 230,000 ha

Total land

Arable land < 10,000 ha > 230,000 ha

Source: Elaborations of MAI B based on FAO 2001 data

Arable land compared against total land per country

Salinity build-up

6 4 %11%

17%

4 %

14 %

3 0 %1%

2 3 %

6 %

15%

13 %

3 5%

2 2 %

6 1%

4 9 %

3 7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Albania

Alger ia

Cyprus

Egypt

France

Greece

Israel

Italy

Lebanon

Libya

Morocco

Syr ia

Spain

Slovenia

Tunis ia

Turkey

Human Induced Soil Degradation

Source: Oldeman, et.,al 1991 (GLASOD)

Arable land and population trend in the Mediterranean

Arable land per capita in Mediterranean countries

0.48

0.32

0.220.24

0.27

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

1961 1990 2000 2010 2020 years

ha/inhab.

Source: Elaborations of MAI B based on Plan Bleu 2005 data

Arable land and population in Mediterranean countries

120.1 111.9114.5117.3120.2

428

380

477

517

251

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1961 1990 2000 2010 2020

Arable land Population

years

mil

lio

ns

ha

m

ilio

ns

inh

ab

.

Human interventions on the territory Rocky soil Man made soil

Human interventions on the territory

Grape cultivation in man made soils in Apulia, southern Italy

MEDCOASTLAND PROJECT

Management of sloping lands through terracing

INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ADVANCED MEDITERRANEANAGRONOMIC STUDIES (CIHEAM)

MEDITERRANEAN AGRONOMIC INSTITUTE OF BARI, ITALY

Gender issue

Malta

Morocco Syria

• Complete and update the Euro-Mediterranean Soil Database at 1:1 Million

• Co-ordinate national and regional Georeferenced Soil Databases at scales 1:250,000 and/or larger

• Prepare a Soil Atlas of the Mediterranean

• Establish a Mediterranean Soil Museum

• Organise soil survey summer schools and training courses on field assessment of soil degradation and application of soil conservation measures

• Provide specific knowledge-based support policy to the

European Commission

Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

Pressures on

coastal areas

50-70 % of

population lives

within 60 km from

the coast

Mission Statement The mission of ROSOM is to provide local, national, and

regional soil information in the Mediterranean region. As a non-

profit entity its main goal to increase awareness and

education on soils and to coordinate, develop and support

collection of region-wide soil data and promote/conduct

research studies enabling scientists, agencies, policy and

decision makers and other stakeholders at all levels to

enhance sustainable use and management of soil resources.

Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

• Provide accurate, reliable, up-to-date soil

information in the Mediterranean region

• Increase soil awareness and education throughout

the region

• Improve and harmonise methodologies and

approaches for developing region and/or basin-

specific sustainable land and water management

(SLWM) strategies

• Estimate the “real” extent of soil degradation and

desertification in the Mediterranean

• Assist in promoting indigenous technical

knowledge in ecosystem management

Why ROSOM?

ROSOM: Objectives and Goals

Brief Outline Proposal

for the establishment of

Regional Office for Sustainable Soil Management in the Mediterranean

ROSOM

Prepared by the Group of Experts

Dr. Pandi Zdruli (Chairman)

Dr. Luca Montanarella

Dr. Hedi Hamrouni

Prof. Selim Kapur

Dr. Abdul Rahim Loulou

Prof. Fawzy Abdel Kader

Mrs. Sonya Sammut

Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

Pressures on

coastal areas

50-70 % of

population lives

within 60 km from

the coast

Scientific/Advisory Committee

ROSOM

Bari, Italy

Coordinator & Manager

GIS database management

specialist

Maghreb

Middle East

Balkans &

Eastern

countries

Mediterranean

EU member

states

One regional representative for each geographical area

Salinity build-up

Expansion of greenhouses in

Andalusia in Spain

Pressures on

coastal areas

50-70 % of

population lives

within 60 km from

the coast

Thank you very

much for your

kind attention !