http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/en/ This presentation was presented during the 4th Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) that took place at FAO headquarters 23-25 May 2016. The presentation was made by Rachid Moussadek & Mahmoud Alferihat and presents a Report on the Near East & North Africa Soil Partnership (NENA). © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Report on the Regional Soil
Partnership
Rachid Moussadek and
Mahmoud Alferihat
Near East and North Africa

2. Introduction
• The Near East and North Africa (NENA) Soil Partnership
was established in April 2012 during the Inception
Workshop (Amman – Jordan).
• Governance:
• Steering committee:
Mr. Hamdan bin Salem Al-Wahaibi (Oman) – Chair
Ms. Iman Sahib Salman (Iraq) - Vice Chair
Mr. Abdelmagid Ali Elmobarak (Sudan) – Member
Ms. Aline Saker (Lebanon)- Member
Mr. Mahmoud Hasan Alfraihat (Jordan) - NENA SP secretariat
Mr. Mohamed Yacoub (Libya) – Member
Mr. Rachid Moussadek (Morocco) – Member

3. Introduction
• Focal Points: thirty focal points, alternate focal points
and representatives of regional and international
institutes from the NENA countries
• Chairs of pillars:
Mr. Hedi Hamrouni (Pillar 1),
Mr. Ali Hameed Al Sabani (Pillar 2),
Mr. Rafaat Kamal Yacoup (Pillar 3),
Mr. Rachid Moussadek (Pillar 4),
Mr. Imad Ghanma (pillar 5)

4. Achievements since last 3rd Plenary
Assembly 2015
• “NENA Soil Partnership Conference: towards a
regional implementation plan on sustainable
management of soil resources”, 1˗3 June 2015,
Amman, Jordan.
• The NENA Implementation Plan Finalized through a
consultative process.

5. NENA Soil Information System
• NENA Soil Information System

6. Achievements since last 3rd Plenary
Assembly 2015
• Capacity Development session on Digital Soil Mapping; 29
Nov 2015 - 7 Dec 2015, Amman - Jordan the training was
divided in the five phases:
Phase 1: Data preparation and management with examples
in North-west Jordan and in the NENA region
Phase 2: Theoretical background on concepts, theories, and
mapping requirements in DSM
Phase 3: Hands-on practical implementation using the DSM
tools and methods
Phase 4: Field tour visit
Phase 5: Practical application of DSM products in land
suitability mapping for sustainable soil management
24 Participants
from NENA

7. Pillars/Implementation
Regional Implementation Plan (RIP)
Pillar One: Promote sustainable management of soil resources and
improved global governance for soil protection and sustainable
productivity.
Expected outputs:
• A soil decision support system (SDSS) is built and soil
quality and hot spots are assessed and immediate
actions designed.
• Soil rehabilitation programs including documentation
of best SSM/SLM practices and scaling out to areas at
high risk of soil degradation implemented.
• Impact of implementation on achieving sustainable
soil management assessed and monitored.

8. Pillars/Implementation
Regional Implementation Plan (RIP)
Pillar two: Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy,
education, awareness and extension in soils
Expected outputs :
• Investment in soil rehabilitation/restoration and
management promoted.
• The role of policy, civil societies and soil institutions to
support soil management enhanced.
• Key messages to create awareness campaign to target the
civil society and non- soil specialists through TV and other
media implemented.
• Capacity building in soil related topics, soil science in
education and extension promoted.

9. Pillars/Implementation
Regional Implementation Plan (RIP)
Pillar three: Promote targeted soil research and development
focusing on identified gaps, priorities and synergies among
economic/productive, environmental and social dimensions
Expected outputs:
• Integrated research for development approach targeting
soil challenges within specific agro-ecosystems or
landscape established.
• Focused research on the economics of soil management
and benefit to the ecosystem established.
• Centre of Excellence for soil research in NENA region
Established.

10. Pillars/Implementation
Regional Implementation Plan (RIP)
Pillar four: Enhance the quality and availability of soil data and
information: collection, analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring,
integration with other disciplines
Expected outputs:
• Soil data needed by different stakeholders defined and
soil information system for the NENA region established.
• Indicators to monitor the status of soil health and
productivity in line with Sustainable Development Goal
established and adopted
• Tools to provide/derive soil information for various
demands and at different levels of detail generated and
sustainable soil management supported.

11. Pillars/Implementation
Regional Implementation Plan (RIP)
Pillar five: Harmonization of methods, measurements and
indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil
resources
Expected outputs:
• Methods of soil description, sampling, and analysis
harmonized.
• Assessment criteria for soil health and land degradation
(erosion, salinity, fertility etc) harmonized across the
NENA region, exchange and linkages with UNCCD and SDG
facilitated.
• Land evaluation criteria across the region harmonized.
• Soil classification and profile description data sheets
harmonized.

12. Budget for Implementation
Resource envelopes by Pillar USD
Promote sustainable management of soil resources for
soil protection, conservation and sustainable productivity
(Pillar 1)
3,900,000
Encourage investment, technical cooperation, policy,
education, awareness and extension in soils (Pillar 2)
750,000
Promote targeted soil research and development focusing
on identified gaps and priorities and synergies with
related productive, environmental and social
development actions (Pillar 3)
4,000,000
Enhance the quantity and quality of soil data and
information: data collection (generation), analysis,
validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with
other disciplines (Pillar 4)
1,300,000
Harmonization of methods, measurements and indicators
for the sustainable management and protection of soil
resources (Pillar 5)
1,100,000
Total Activities 11,050,000
Technical support, reporting, evaluation, other costs 2,688,800
TOTAL 13,738,800

13. Future planning
• Short-term (2016-2017)
• Resume the development of the soil information system for
the NENA region.
• Capacity development on digital soil mapping – application
and on-the-job training.
• Capacity development (on-line courses) on sustainable soil
management and soil restoration.
• Long-term (>2017)
• Full execution of the NENA Implementation Plan. Resource
mobilization is a precondition for this: responsibility of all
partners to support the implementation.

14. Concluding remarks
• NENA Implementation Plan finalized through
consultation process and participation of
representatives from the NENA countries and
regional/international institutions.
• The plan details the activities and anticipated outputs
based on the regional challenges and gaps.
• Resources to commence some activities were
secured and implementation is on-going.

15. Concluding remarks
• The steering committee of the NENA Regional Soil
Partnership appreciate your guidance and
suggestions on resources mobilization to support
implementation …