RESEARCH PROJECT

Land and WaterDepartment

Capacity and knowledge buildingon the Sustainable Use of WAter REsources in Syrian Agriculture

(SUWARESA)

Title

January 2011 – December 2013Duration

European Commission Seventh Framework ProgrammeCoordination and Support Actions in Collaborative Projects,

FP7-INCO-2010-6, ERA WIDE

Financed by

1. Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR), General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Administration of Natural Resources Research (ANRR) – Syria2. Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-MAIB) - Italy3. Estación Experimental de Aula Dei (CSIC, Zaragoza) – Spain

Partners

To reinforce the scientific and research cooperation capacities of MAAR-GCSAR-ANRR in the sustainable management of water resources for Syrian agriculture, also by means of capacity building and human resources development;To increase MAAR-GCSAR-ANRR competency and fund rising skills for a successful participation in the EU Research Framework Programme; To setup the research/cooperation priorities between Syria and the EU in the field of agricultural water management (AWM); To promote networking, joint research themes and exchange of knowledge on the specific topics of AWM; To set up the ANRR research and cooperation strategy on the short and long-term basis.

Mainobjective

To analyse, by means of a stakeholders’ driven approach, the current Syrian policies and programmes in the fields of agricultural research and irrigation water uses, the related socio-economic needs and constraints, and to highlight main progresses and gaps;To organize seminars on the participation of Syrian institutions in EC funded initiatives;To setup the short and long term priorities for the cooperation between Syrian AWM sector and EU partners; To enhance the research and cooperation capacities of ANNR allowing young Syrian researchers to complete the Master of Science programme in “Land and Water Management” organized at MAIB, with the specific support of fellowships granted by EU;To promote the establishment of a Mediterranean “AGricultural WAter management NETwork” (AGWA-NET) with the objective of reinforcing research and cooperation in the field of AWM; To setup joint experimental–demonstration fields within the long-term training of Syrian staff – Master of Science programme, with the objective of exchanging knowledge and comparing results obtained under different conditions (in Syria, Italy and Spain);To elaborate results and prepare scientific publication and guidelines.

MAIBactivities

www.sys-man.it/sedemaProjectweb page

Reinforcing scientific and research cooperation capacities in the sustainable

management of water resources Improving competencies and fund rising skills for a successful participation in the EU Research Framework Programme

Promoting a Mediterranea “AGricultural WAter

management NETwork”to reinforce research

and cooperation

Setting up joint experimental–demonstration fields

to exchange experimental dataand results

Promoting jointresearch themes, networkingand exchange of knowledge

Analysing current Syrianpolicies and programmes,

socio-economicneeds and constraints,

main progresses and gaps