House committees, ACSAD head talk agricultural cooperation

Amman: Lower House Agriculture and Water and Rural and Badia Committees met on Thursday with Director General of Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Naser al-Din Obeid, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss the center's efforts to help its member countries in the agricultural sector. The Agriculture Committee's Chairman, MP Mohammad Alaqmeh, said Jordan suffers from "remarkable" challenges, especially in the water field, as it is considered one of the world's poorest countries, pointing to ACSAD's endeavors implemented to assist its member countries to carry out certain policies in the agricultural sector. Alaqmeh called for confronting challenges that impede progress and prosperity of the Arab region, adding that partnership is a "decisive" step in achieving food security, especially in areas witnessing conflicts and crises. Meanwhile, the Badia Committee's Head, MP Abeer Jbour, said the center's role is "important" for developing agricultural research, referring to the key challenges facing Jordan's Badia regions, primarily water scarcity and climate change. For his part, Obeid said Jordan played a "major" role in establishing the center in 1968, adding that 89% of Arab lands are considered dry as a result of climate change and high temperatures. Obeid pointed out that the center developed a strategy to achieve water security in the Arab countries, while presenting its key vision, primarily providing scientific and applied data and techniques to achieve economic and social development goals for the Arab arid and semi-arid regions, and proposing policies to confront water deficit. Obeid added that the center also aims to benefit from scientific developments in integrating appropriate sustainable agricultural management policies to confront the worsening phenomenon of land degradation and benefit from scientific and technical developments in optimally using agricultural resources. Additionally, Obeid noted the center works to improve land productive capacity, rehabilitate deteriorated areas, develop rain-fed agriculture, achieve production stability, improve livestock productivity. Source: Jordan News Agency