Info/Training 5:Forestry approaches to reduce water scarcity in the Near East:

Achieving results

Alberto Del Lungo,FAO Forestry Department

Near East & North Africa15-18 December 2013

World DrylandsNENA Countries

• Evapotranspiratio

n exceeds

precipitation – no

matter the

amount

• Water scarcity

limits the

production of

crops forage,

wood and other

ecosystem

services

Forestry

in some Mediterranean countries with arid

zones

Country Total forest

area

Planted forest

area

mill ha mill ha % tot for

Libya 0.2 0.2 100

Sudan 70 6.1 8.7

Turkey 11 3.4 30.2

Spain 18 2.7 14.7

Egypt 0.07 0.07 100

Tunisia 1 0.7 70

Source: FAO Forest Resource Assessment 2010

Critical issues in arid zones

from the Forestry point of view

• Water scarcity

• Deforestation and forest degradation

• Soil erosion and low water retention

capacity

• Desertification

• Climate change

• Low land productivity coupled with droughts

• Low priority in national policies

• Lack of capacity

• Low, short-term investment

• Poverty and increased population

What Forestry Department does on forest and water related issues to address water scarcity in Near East and North African Countries?

• Watershed Management

• Use of Non Conventional Waters in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems

• Support good practices for Afforestation/Reforestation in Arid Zones

Watershed (?)The geographical area drained by a water

course

The concept apply to units ranging from a farm crossed by a

creek to a large river or a lake basin

Watershed environmental

services and benefits

Watershed risks and threats

• Population growth, abandonment

• Pressure on NR, degradation,desertification

• Increasing hazards

• Infrastructures• Poor afforestation practices

• Climate change

Watershed Management (?)

Addressing the normative work

New integrated approach

Building international partnerships

Stakeholder involvement in

watershed management

... And country capacity building ...

NENA Countries

Forestry’s Watershed Management Field Projects

1992-2012

Use of non conventional waters in arid zones, why?

• To improve availability of water in arid

zones

• To reduce forestry and agroforestry

degradation

• To reduce soil erosion and low water

retention capacity

• To combat Desertification

• To improve land productivity

• To strengthen country capacity building

• To ensure food security and poverty

alleviation

• Arid zones countries are lacking of fresh water and are “reach” of untreated waste water

• Waste water discharged in the environment creates serious problems of environmental pollution and increase of soil salinity and desertification

BUT

• If treated well can provide an alternative source of water and reduce competition for fresh water

• Can be safely used on fruit trees and in forestry systems for provision of wood and biomass

• Can be used on integrated landscape management: forestry and agroforestry systems

Treated waste water, why?

• Phyto-depuration: Wastewater is filtered by vegetation

• Ferti-irrigation system: the wastewater used is only partially treated. Most of the organic matter is re-used for irrigation purposes to increase carbon storage in the soil

Use of treated waste water in forestry and

agroforestry systems of arid zones

GCP/RAB/013/ITATransfer of

innovative methodologies adopted for treating water

• ALGERIA: Transfer of knowledge and

technologies on phyto-depuration

• EGYPT: Support country capacity building

to ensure sustainable management of

forests irrigated with treated waste water

• MOROCCO: Transfer of knowledge and

technologies on fertirrigation

• TUNISIA: Transfer of knowledge and

technologies on phyto-depuration and

fertirrigation

Project activities during the first year

• PhD student University of Marrakech –University of Basilicata

• Training in Egypt

• Workshop in Marrakech, Morocco

• Workshop in Cairo, Egypt

• Workshop in Potenza, Italy

• Project website as document repository of the project activities

Strengthening transfer of knowledge through networking and communication

www.fao.org/forestry/tww

Expected impacts

• Increased quality and availability of water foragro-forestry production

• Increased food security• Enhanced income opportunities• Desertification control and improvement of soil

quality and productivity• Facilitate networking and exchange of information

on the use of TWW• Transfer of knowledge and integration within

Mediterranean countries

THANK YOU

•