ICARDA hosts African Young Professionals Workshop

Following The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and ICARDA’s MoU signing, ICARDA’s Soil, Water, and Agronomy (SWA) Team actively participated in the 5th African Regional Conference organized by ICID between November 23rd and 30th, 2021, in Morocco.

During the event, ICARDA hosted the 1st African Young Professional Workshop, in which ICARDA and partners from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) made presentations about the drylands water scarcity challenges and how we can address them. 

Around 70 young professionals from 30 countries participated in a field visit to the ICARDA-MIT-INRA joint ‘Ultra-low Energy Drip Irrigation for MENA Countries’ research project site on the outskirts of Marrakech, Morocco.  In addition, the workshop showcased results from the multi-season field tests of low energy drip irrigation emitters.

ICARDA’s participation is one of the first steps towards implementing the ICID-ICARDA agreement to build on the expertise and innovation of the two organizations in water management and efficiency, while promoting knowledge sharing, collaborative programs, projects, and capacity development activities. The partnership also aims to plan future engagement between the two organizations, government, regional research institutions, the private sector, and key stakeholders such as the small-holder farmers we support. 

For further information, please contact ICARDA’s Team Leader of Soil, Water, and Agronomy, Dr. Vinay Nangia.