Faculty of Agriculture

University of Khartoum
Institute of Desertification and Desert Cultivation Studies

	Address:
	Desertification and Desert Cultivation Studies Institute (DADCSI) Faculty of Agriculture University of Khartoum Shambat, Sudan Tel: 00-249-13-329232 Fax: 00-249-11-780295 Email: desert@uofk.edu

Regional Workshop
Scientific Research and National Research Plans of Action for Combating Desertification

Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 November 2005
Khartoum, the Republic of Sudan

First Announcement and Tentative Program

Background	Objectives	Focal areas
Participants	Expected results	Place and Date
Financial Facilitation	Organizational arrangements	Call for abstracts & papers
Participating Institutions	IMPORTANT DATES	Registration
Tentative Program

Background

Desertification is a major environmental and a socio-economic problem with negative effects on the livelihood of the population in the arid, semiarid and dry sub-humid regions of the world in general and the developing countries in particular. It degrades the environment and reduces the present and potential productivity of arable lands, forestlands, and rangelands.

Most of the countries of the Arab region and the IGAD Sub-region lie within the arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid regions that are prone to desertification. This is why the local affected and the international communities are committed to combating desertification for the protection of the environment, conservation of the natural resources to achieve sustainable development and thereby provide the needs of the present and future generations. It is well established that sustainable development can only be achieved through a broad research base on desertification studies.

The countries of these regions can exchange experience and learn from each other by presentation of National Action Research Programs. Areas of Sub- regional Action Research Programs (SARP) may be identified for future formulation and implementation and a Research Network on Desertification (RNOD) may be established in participating countries, monitored and evaluated. The SARP can be trans-boundary or in continent common research projects between two or more projects.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification recognizes the role of research in Article 17 (Research and Development) as follows:

1. The parties undertake, according to their respective capabilities, to promote technical and scientific cooperation in the fields of combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought through appropriate national, sub-regional, regional and international institutions. To this end they shall support research activities that:

(a)	contribute to increased knowledge of the processes leading to desertification and drought and the impact of, and distinction between causal factors, both natural and human, with a view to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought . and achieving improved productivity as well as sustainable use and management of resources.
(b)	respond to well defined objectives, address the specific needs of local populations and lead to the identification and implementation of solutions that improve the living standards of people in affected areas.
(c)	protect, integrate, enhance and validate traditional and local knowledge, know-how and practices, ensuring subject to their respective national legislation and/or policies, that the owners of that directly benefit on an equitable basis and on mutually agreed terms from any commercial utilization of it or from any technological development derived from that knowledge.
(d)	Develop and strengthen national, sub-regional and regional research capabilities in affected developing country parties, particularly in Africa, including the development of local skills, and the strengthening of appropriate capacities, especially in countries with a weak research base, giving particular attention to multidisciplinary and participative socio-economic research.
(e)	take into account, where relevant the relationship between poverty , migration caused by environmental factors, and desertification.
(f)	Promote the conduct of joint research programmes between national, sub-regional, regional and international research organizations, in both the public and private sectors, for the development of improved, affordable and accessible technologies for sustainable development through effective participation of local populations and communities, and
(g)	Enhance the availability of water resources in affected areas, by means of, inter alias, cloud seeding

2. Research priorities for particular regions and sub-regions, reflecting different local conditions, should be included in action programs. The Conference of Parties shall review research priorities periodically on the advice of the Committee on Science and Technology.

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Objectives

The main objective is to review discuss and analyze the research strategies and methodologies used by the different countries and the overall national research plans of action adopted by these countries. The specific objectives are the following:

· To review, discuss and exchange experiences and learn from the National Action Research Programs and actual experimental research work undertaken in desertification studies presented by the participating countries.

· To identify common areas of research on desertification between two or more countries (sub-regional projects) for future formulation and implementation.

· To formulate sub-regional projects on desertification between two or more countries. These projects may be integrated with the national research programs.

· To establish a desertification research network between the relevant institutions in the participating countries.

· To establish a viable organizational structure, administration, finance and policies for the network

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Focal areas

The papers of the workshop may be presented in several thematic sessions according to the following focal areas.
1.      National Action Research Programs on desertification (Country representatives).
2.      Sub-regional Research Programs on desertification (Keynote invited papers).
3.      Networking of Desertification Research (Keynote invited paper).
4.      Institutional framework, administration, policies, and financial mechanism of the Desertification Research Network (Keynote invited paper).
5.      Experimental research papers on desertification processes, their indicators and impact on the productivity of arable lands, forestlands and rangelands in addition to socioeconomic impact.

Participants

      ·         Country representatives (UNCCD focal points) are expected to submit country papers pertaining to focal area 1.
·         Keynote papers will be presented by invited persons for focal areas 2, 3 and 4.
·         All interested scientists and socio-economic specialists are invited to submit papers for the general focal area number 5.

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Expected results

1.	Participants will share experience on the mechanism of developing their national action research programs as backstopping for combating desertification. This involves the formulation of strategies and methodologies of research.
2.	Participants will initiate a process for the development of sub-regional research programs.
3.	Establishment of a regional / sub-regional network for desertification research.
4.	Publication of the Conference Proceedings.

Place and Date:

Khartoum, Sudan, 22-24 November 2005.
Venue: Friendship Hall
Duration: 3 days

Financial Facilitation:

UNESCO Chair will provide:
· Accommodation and living expenses.
· Transport facilities within Khartoum.
Participants may solicit funds for return tickets if need be from relevant institution expected to facilitate such functions: UNESCO, UNCCD Secretariat, IGAD etc.

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Organizational arrangements:

The main organizer of the conference is the UNESCO Chair of desertification Studies, Sudan. The Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee is the Chair holder. For submission of papers and power-point presentation s, please contact:

Professor / Mukhtar Ahmed Mustafa
UNESCO Chair of Desertification,
Desertification and Desert Cultivation Institute,
University of Khartoum, Shambat, Sudan.
E-mail: mukhtarmustafa@hotmail.com

Dr Mubarak A. Abdallah
Email: mubarakaba@Yahoo.com

Call for abstracts & papers

Abstracts of papers (not more than one page) should be submitted (e-mail) latest by end of 30^th April 2005. Accepted papers for focal areas nos. 5 will be known by June 2005. Papers should be available as hard copies and in electronic format (Word, Times Roman Font, Character size 12) latest 15 September 2005. Power-point presentations should be prepared in CDs or flash disks. The papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings.

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Participating Institutions:

Three participants from each country representing the following institutions:

UNESCO Chairs on Desertification (as applicable).
UNCCD Focal points.
Departments, Faculties, Centers and Institutes in National Universities concerned with desertification studies.
National Research Corporations, Centers, and Institutes concerned with desertification studies.
Other Research Units in All Relevant Sectors

IMPORTANT DATES

February 2005 first call for abstracts
April 30th, 2005 deadline for abstracts
June 30th accepted abstracts
September 15th 2005:deadline for extended abstracts
November 21, 2005 registration
November 22, Opening session.

Registration

Monday 21 November 2005: 7: 00 to 9.00 p.m.

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