The Ninth International Conference on Development of Drylands (ICDD), with the theme "Sustainable Development in the Dry Lands - Meeting the Challenge of Global Climate Change" was co-sponsored by GFAR. This event hosted more than 450 participants from over 40 countries, as they convened in Alexandria, Egypt from 7 to 10 November 2008, to discuss and set clear actions on how to move forward to cope with today’s climate change crisis as it affects the arid land areas.
As many as 144 oral presentations were presented by scientists and agricultural representatives alike to discuss critical issues such as desertification processes, biodiversity conservation, and the reduction of greenhouse gases through the harnessing of renewable energy, to name a few.
These highly critical issues captured the attention of the Egyptian government and other major players in agricultural research. Dr Ismail Serageld, President of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, kicked off the inaugural session with an astounding speech which opened the floor for the crucial deliberations that followed. The inaugural session, chaired by Prof. Adel El-Beltagy, chair of the IDDC, was also attended by H.E. the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, as well as Senior Officials from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Energy.
The conference discussions clearly concluded that it is vital to “enhance the awareness of the impact of climate change at all levels of society, attract investment in research to develop coping strategies, forge regional and international linkages for mobilizing cutting-edge science integrated with traditional knowledge for developing adaptive and mitigation measures, and bring about institutional reforms and empower the communities to benefit from the outcome of these efforts as they face the climate change.”
Please click here for the IDDC website if you would like to learn more about the Conference.
Dr Adel El-Beltagy speaks at Global Climate Change Conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt
As many as 144 oral presentations were presented by scientists and agricultural representatives alike to discuss critical issues such as desertification processes, biodiversity conservation, and the reduction of greenhouse gases through the harnessing of renewable energy, to name a few.
These highly critical issues captured the attention of the Egyptian government and other major players in agricultural research. Dr Ismail Serageld, President of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, kicked off the inaugural session with an astounding speech which opened the floor for the crucial deliberations that followed. The inaugural session, chaired by Prof. Adel El-Beltagy, chair of the IDDC, was also attended by H.E. the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, as well as Senior Officials from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Energy.
The conference discussions clearly concluded that it is vital to “enhance the awareness of the impact of climate change at all levels of society, attract investment in research to develop coping strategies, forge regional and international linkages for mobilizing cutting-edge science integrated with traditional knowledge for developing adaptive and mitigation measures, and bring about institutional reforms and empower the communities to benefit from the outcome of these efforts as they face the climate change.”
Please click here for the IDDC website if you would like to learn more about the Conference.
Dr Adel El-Beltagy speaks at Global Climate Change Conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt
L.B.