The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) was established in Damascus, Syria in 1968. ACSAD is a specialized Arab organization working within the framework of the League of Arab States with the objective of unifying the Arab efforts which aim to develop the scientific agricultural research in the arid and semi-arid areas, help in the exchange of information and experiences and make use of the scientific progress and the in order to increase the agricultural production.
Units and Departments
- Soil and Water Uses Division
- Water Resources Division
- Plant Resources Division
- Animal Wealth Division
- Economic and Planning Division
ACSAD has a library, field research stations, a databank, a cartographic section, a remote sensing laboratory and an analytical lab (soil, water, plant and animal training centre).
Objectives
The main mission of ACSAD is to face the challenge imposed by the arid and semi-arid environments which are characterized by fragile farming systems through the provision of scientific and applied data and advanced techniques in a way that allows the large-scale implementation of the tasks of the agricultural and social development and the optimum exploitation of the renewable natural resources in the arid areas.
Functions
- Survey and evaluation of the potentials and characteristics of the natural agricultural resources .
- The integrated and sustainable development of specific areas.
- Development of the productive efficiency of the plant species and animal breeds.
- Activation of the role of the rural woman and its participation in the agricultural development process.
- Improvement of the efficiency of the Arab agricultural technical cadres in different fields.
- Feasibility studies of the development projects recommended by the research and studies programs.
- Providing technical advice and assistance to the Arab countries.
- Establishing technical cooperation with the Arab and international organizations.
Achievements
- Providing non-traditional water resources
- Providing non-traditional water resources for irrigation
- identifying the genetic resources suitable for the arid regions to increase productivity of cereals, fruit trees, rangelands, small ruminants and camels
- rehabilitating the desert areas
- identifying the best farming systems in the rainfed areas
- drawing up the principles and basics to prevent water pollution and the excessiveuse of water
Projects
Water studies and projects
- Making evaluation studies of different water subjects
- Giving technical expert advices on hydrogeological and hydrological fields
- Carrying out integrated hydrogeophysical studies for the development of the water resources
- Carrying out isotopic and hydrochemical studies
- Making hydrogeological maps of different scales through the use of the Geographic Information System techniques
- Making maps of the groundwater's vulnerability to pollution
- Designing water data banks and linking them with the Geographic Information System
Soil and waters use
- Designing irrigation and drainage networks which suit different types of agricultural lands
- Preparing different programmes for the scheduling of irrigation and fertigation
- Studying the salt and water balance in irrigated agricultural areas
- Harvesting water and using the water in supplemental irrigation
- Using the saline and moderately saline water in the supplemental irrigation of different agricultural crops
Plant studies
- cereal crops breeding programme (wheat and barley) to produce improved varieties tolerant of environmental stresses.
- Preparing seed multiplication programmes for cereal crops, different stages of the improved seed production, quality tests.
- Establishing plant gene banks for cereals crops, range plants and fruit trees.
- Making technical studies pertaining to the implementation of projects specialized in fruit trees.
Animal wealth
- Designing the guidelines and executive programmes for the genetic improvement operations for sheep and goats
- Designing and implementing the studies on animal feeding and the rational use of forages
- Designing the animal production constructions from the technical aspect
- Designing the artificial insemination laboratories for the small ruminants
- Designing the living gene banks of the animals
Publications
- Study of date marketing and processing and the use of date by - products
- Analytical Study of the farming systems and of the economic effects of the technical constraints facing the date palm sector in Oman
- Analytical Study of the farming systems and evaluation of the economic effects of the technical constraints facing the date palm sector in Oman
- Study of the silk sector and the development of silk production in the project for agricultural development in coastal and central areas of Syria
- Silk Production as an income- generating activity for the rural women (in the area of the project for the agricultural development in the coastal area and central area of Syria)
- Study of apple markets and the possibilities of developing them in Syria
- Analytical study of the farming systems in the date palm - cultivation areas and evaluation of the economic and social effects of the technical constrains facing the date palm sector in Syria
- The farming systems and date palm cultivation techniques in Mauritania
- Farming systems in the date palm cultivation areas in Morocco
- Fields of developing date palm production in the Arab world
- Analysis of the farming systems in the date palm palm production area in Algeria
- Effects of environmental conditions on oil quantity in the fruits of some olive varieties
- Biological characteristics and cultural Practices for drought - to learnt fruit trees
- Proceeding of the date palm symposium (Morocco , 16 - 18 / 2 /1998)
- Database for the plants of Arab arid Zones
- References Studies of Vegetation cover in west Asia
- The Desertification status in the Arab Countries
- The Socio-economic rate for people's living in arid and semi arid Zones
- Proceeding of the VIII International Forum on soil technology Transfer
International Cooperation
- Sahara & Sahal Observatory
- UNESCO
- Arab League Educational Cultural & Scientific Organization
- Regional and International Organization