IWRA Proceedings
Integrated pathways for sustainable agriculture and rural development for smallholders in Saudi Arabia
Theme 2: How can managing water in agriculture contribute to food security and public health?
Author(s): Dr. Kakoli Ghosh
Dr. Kakoli Ghosh
Chief Technical Adviser, SRAD
FAO-KSA Technical Cooperation Programme
Keyword(s): Integrated approach, food security, trade-offs, agriculture transformation
Oral:
(a) Purpose or objectives and status of study or research hypothesis
The purpose is to show how cooperation between sustainable production, water management and conservation of genetic diversity can be achieved through an integrated approach and cooperation at a national level for rural development and food security.
(b) Key issue(s) or problem(s) addressed
The main issue to be discussed will be how to increase agriculture productivity and rural development in the water-deficit country of Saudi Arabia, strengthen capacities and collaborations to transform the sector, with a focus on small holders, youth and women.
(c) Methodology or approach used
The ongoing the multi-disciplinary FAO project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on “Strengthening Capacity of the MoEWA to implement its Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme” (SRAD) is aiming at
agriculture diversification and rural income generation through an integrated approach in alignment with national priorities (KSA Vision 2030). It is targeting specific commodities across specific governorates for
increasing productivity of rain-fed cereals, increasing coffee and honey production, boosting rose production and trade, improving management of small livestock and small scale fisheries in the country. The project is
developing an end to end approach for deliverables that focus on input sustainability, adoption of good practices and technologies, water management, strengthening institutions, promoting marketing and value
addition of commodities for maximising impact at the local level for the beneficiaries, especially the government authorities, smallholder farmers and producers and rural youth and women.
(d) Results and conclusions derived from the project
The paper will discuss some of the preliminary findings from options a approaches being deployed to strengthen capacities to address the chall enges and seize new opportunities and collaborations
(e) Implications of the project relevant to selected conference theme, theory and/or practice
The project is being implemented in a water deficit country, which is focussing on transformation of agriculture through a sustainable approach by strengthening national capacities and food security. This outcomes to be discussed is of direct relevance to the conference theme and practice across the near-east and north Africa region.