3 DAY INTERNATIONAL

TRAINING WORKSHOP

ON USE OF

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IN IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL SCALE

FARMING COMMUNITIES IN RURAL AREAS

AGADIR - KINGDOM OF MOROCCO

December 26 - 28, 2011

Introduction and Background

The agriculture in the 21st century is faced with the challenges and opportunities as never before. The recent financial crises, highly volatile food prices, water scarcity, climate variability affecting temperatures and crop growing seasons, increasing risks of droughts and flood, altering the distribution of pests and diseases, and triggering rises in sea level as well as changes in the ability of the oceans to support life suggest a grim future for food and nutrition security in world in general and developing world in particular.

Agriculture and Information Technology

Access to information of the required quality holds the key for successful devel-opment and always has the potential of improving efficiency in all spheres of economy. Agriculture is one of the prospective areas in which IT can effec-tively be applied particularly for the socio-economic development of the agrarian communities in the developing world. An understanding of the factors associated with IT adoption and use in agriculture enables the development of strategies to promote IT adoption and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of information used in agriculture. In the context of agriculture, the potential of IT can be assessed broadly under the following two heads:

• As a tool for direct contribution to agricultural productivity; and

• As an indirect tool for empowering farmers to take informed and quality decisions which will have positive impact on the way agriculture and allied activities are conducted.

Information Technology and Water Management

Water is the lifeblood of agriculture and its management is of immense and funda-mental importance. Efficient irrigation systems and water management practices can help maintain farm profitability in an era of limited, higher-cost water supplies. Efficient water management may also reduce the impact of irrigated production on offsite water quantity and quality. The adoption of most suitable practices of irrigation management to increase water-use efficiency becomes the most impor-tant element for small scale farming communities in general and for rural communities in particular.

Modern agriculture is a large-scale water consumer, which must adjust as well as possible its consumption in adequacy with its needs, while preserving the natural resources and the quality of the produc-tions. Integration of IT offers solutions to make possible a finer approach of the irrigation of the crop by facilitating the work of the farmers and ensure the trace-ability of products and practices thereby also improving farmers’ working condi-tions. These IT integrated solutions increase the effectiveness of equipments and allow a better natural resources management.

Potential of Agriculture in the Islamic World

From an approximate figure of 1.6 billion (~ 22% of the world), the population of the Islamic world is expected to reach 1.7 billion by 2015. Unfortunately, 39 % of population lives below the poverty level and 22 of the 50 least developed countries in the world are OIC Member States. Of

the 57 Muslim countries located in five geographic regions including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Europe and Eurasia, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific as well as Sub-Saharan Africa, 24 are agrarian with at least 50% of the labor force employed in agriculture sector contributing an average share of 11.4% in the GDP of member countries. The share of arable land of member countries in total land area is 9.3% whereas the permanent cropland of the total land area is 1.6% (2008).

There is a consensus in the member countries that the Islamic world must take advantage of knowledge and technologies developed out of Islamic world as well as OIC Member States should develop their own capacity to acquire knowledge and make new discoveries that will fuel endog-enous innovation. The OIC Member States can enhance productivity and efficiency by learning from each other’s experiences in production practices models, up-to-date irrigation system, high yielding varieties, certified planting seed, least use of pesticides, biological control, agronomic management and transfer of technology. Greater efforts are also needed to enhance the technical aware-ness of small and uneducated farmers in increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural products.

Despite of the important role of industrial revolution and its outcomes in the indus-trial and developed world, the agriculture still holds the key to reducing poverty and increasing the security of livelihoods on a larger part of the world. The diverse challenges for the rural poor continue to grow which include potential conflicts over increasing food and water insecurity, and the largely unpredictable long-term effects

ISESCO INIT COMSTECH IAV H-II

of climate change (an issue whose very breadth and seriousness may compound existing challenges and create yet more). Small farmers, NGOs and policy-makers in developing countries are all grappling with these challenges at different levels.

In attempting to deal with these issues, the importance of training cannot be underes-timated. The skills to improve productivity, increase adaptability to deal with change and crisis, and facilitate the diversification of livelihoods to manage risks are at a premium in rural areas are issues of survival. Providing these skills effectively is one of the key challenges of rural devel-opment which has not always been well met.

The Workshop

Taking cognizance of the above, the Inter Islamic Network on Information Technol-ogy (INIT) in collaboration with the Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH); and Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary, Hassan – II Agadir, Kingdom of Morocco is convening a 3 Day International Workshop on ‘Use of Information Technology in Irrigation Management for Small Scale Farming Communities in Rural Areas’ scheduled to be held on December 26 – 28, 2011 at Agadir, Kingdom of Morocco.

Aims and Objectives

The Workshop aims at providing a platform for capacity building, cooperation collaboration, and sharing of best practices in the use of IT in Irrigation Management for Small Scale Farming Communities in Rural Areas in the Islamic

World. The objective of the Workshop is to provide cohesive networking opportunity to the participants from among the OIC member states to share and benefit from the different IT related initiatives being taken in the agriculture sector. The Work-shop will provide an excellent opportunity for exchange of best practices in develop-ment of affordable and sustainable solutions by deploying Information Tech-nology being adopted by the agricultural institutions of the of Agadir (Southern Morocco) a region faced with scarcity of water due to low rainfall combined with the intensification of resource use in intensive agriculture.

Workshop Focus Areas

Following are the focus areas of the training Workshop:

• Water Efficiency of Irrigation Involving the Use of Information Technologyo Financial Efficiency o Technical Efficiencyo Organizational Efficiency

• Policy of Rational Management of Irrigation Water and use of Information Technology;

• Integrated Management of Water Resource for Agriculture;

• Use of Information Technology in Small Scale Farming Communities;

• Scientific Research around the theme of Water;

• Conversion of Gravity Irrigation Systems to Drip Irrigation; and • The private sector involvement in the

management of water resources.

Who Should Attend the Workshop

The contents included in the workshop are designed in such a manner that it would be beneficial for the agriculture profes-sional as well as for the Managers and Executives working in the agriculture sector and having knowledge of computer science.

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor Degree in Agriculture with good knowledge of Computer Science / Infor-mation Technology.

Organizers

Islamic Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)www.isesco.org.ma

OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation(COMSTECH)www.comstech.org

Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary, Hassan – II AgadirKingdom of Moroccowww.iavcha.ac.ma

Inter Islamic Network on Information Technology (INIT)www.init.org.pk For Further information

Engr. Tahir Naeem Coordinator / Executive Director Inter Islamic Network on Information Technology COMSATS Institute of I.T Park Road, Chak Shehzad Islamabad – Pakistan Phone No. + 92 51 9247000Fax No. + 92 51 9247006Email: tnaeem@comsats.edu.pk

Prof. Cherif HARROUNIDirecteur de la Filiere deFormation en Horticulture Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Hassan – II, Agadir Kingdom of Morocco Phone No. + 212 (0) 528 24 19 99 Fax No. + 212 (0) 528 24 22 43Email: c.harrouni@iavcha.ac.ma