International Conference On Soil Classification Begins In Abu Dhabi

A three-day international conference on Soil Classification and Reclamation of Degraded Lands in Arid Environments (ICSC 2010) bringing together more than 130 scholars, researchers and experts began in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

The conference, held under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), aims to share information on land use and planning and discuss various issues in the field of soil classification and reclamation of degraded lands in arid environments.

On the first day of the conference, EAD will reveal the outcomes of the Abu Dhabi Soil Survey, which was initiated in 2006 and completed at the end of 2009.

The conference, which is organized by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) from 17-19 May, 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was inaugurated by H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, EAD’s Secretary General.

In his opening speech, H.E Al Mansouri welcomed scientists, researchers and experts from 35 countries who have gathered to discuss various issues related to soil, land use and planning of agricultural expansion and sustainable use of natural resources.

"Our economy is rapidly growning and we have a hard desert environment, therefore we needed to identify the characteristics of soils in the various regions of the Emirate, for the development of land management and optimum economical use of those soils,” he said.

"EAD has undertaken an integrated project to survey the soils in the Emirate. This project has been brought to a successful conclusion after five years of studies, field surveys, and collection of soil samples, training and capacity-building culminating in the development of an integrated “Abu Dhabi Soil Information System” (ADSIS)”.

Dr Ahmed Al Masoum, ICBA’s Deputy Director General, said that "This conference is the beginning of a new era in soil research within the global scientific community."

"The Survey was the first of its kind in the Emirate and covered all areas of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Maps on current land use, vegetation and salinity were produced as well as detailed suitability maps for irrigated agriculture. The soil was mapped and classified using the latest satellite images, and norms and standards of the United States Department of Agriculture” he added.

Dr. Al Masoum added that the soil survey project was undertaken in two phases and involved the mapping and classification of the various types of soils in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in two different scales. In the first phase the entire emirate was surveyed at a scale of 1:100,000, and in the second phase 400,000 hectares of land, evaluated as suitable for irrigated agriculture was surveyed at a scale of 1:25,000.

“We have uncovered valuable information for strategic planning for sustainable land use in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and particularly for the development of agriculture and sustainable management of natural resources,” he said.

The conference will feature six keynote speakers from Australia and India, Austria, Spain, Thailand and the United States, in addition to 130 speakers representing 35 countries from all over the world. Speakers will highlight Soil Survey and Classification Strategies and Use in Different Ecological Zones; Advances in Soil Salinity Mapping, Monitoring and Reclamation; Land Use Planning and Policy Implications; Use of Marginal Quality Water in Agriculture and Landscaping and Research and Development/Innovations in Soil Classification & Reclamation.

A workshop on how to use soil survey data in planning and policy making will be held on the sidelines of the conference.
 

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