Management Protection and Sustainable Use of Groundwater and Soil Resources in the Arab Region

Report of the project:

• Management, Protection and Sustainable Use of Groundwater and Soil Resources (ACSAD) (Phase IV)
• Management, Schutz und nachhaltige Nutzung von Grundwasser- und Bodenressourcen (ACSAD) (Phase IV)

Hazards to soil and groundwater Source: BGR

On hand of investigations of soil pollution in the Damascus depression (Ghouta) and part of the Bekaa plain in Lebanon models for the assessment of soil contamination and degradation are developed.

The activities of BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hanover, Germany) are focusing on two objectives:

• resource personal in the partner institutions shall be capacitated in a training on the job manner,
  

• the entities and decisionmakers responsible for soil and groundwater protection shall be sensitized for the problems. Reliable information and adapted recommendations for further planning shall be produced and conveyed to them.

In this context the project is a joint activity between BGR and The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Damascus, Syria.

ACSAD as an institution of the League of Arab States is headquartered in Damascus. Its main mandate is to contribute to the sustainable social and economic development of its member countries. Further institutions responsible for the matter under consideration in Syria and Lebanon are directly involved.

Project region Ghouta/Damaskus (map of the top soil lead content) Source: BGR

The major goals are approached through strengthening the capacity of ACSAD as a competent adviser for national institutions in the Arab Region in soil and groundwater related technical know how transfer and the mediation of tools and rules for the development and implementation of guiding principles towards a sustainable use of groundwater and soil resources. Moreover the environmental awareness of decision makers as well as of the whole population shall be enhanced.

A new project with the following project objective is planned:

"Soil and water resources management using a decision support system (DSS) is applied in selected areas and the methodology is transferred to ACSAD member countries." (for further information click here)

Literature:

A Guide to Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Agricultural Practice. Damascus 2003 (PDF, 926 KB)