Soil salinity in the Mediterranean region: implications and recommendations for policy actions

FAO INSAS online webinar organized by the International Network of Salt-Affected Soils 

Salinity is one of the biggest threats to soil health and, consequently, to the sustainable development of the various economic sectors, particularly agriculture. When analyzing the different aspects and derivations of salinity in the Mediterranean regions, it becomes clear that there is a consequent need to define appropriate policies and strategies to remediate or alleviate it, involving local authorities, extension agents and stakeholders. The project aims at collecting information from local authorities and extension agents, with a view of to encouraging EU policymakers to develop new regulations that prevent or mitigate the various impacts of salinization on agriculture, the environment and finance, and to include them on the policy agenda.

This webinar, which is the eighth  in a series of webinars, is being held in collaboration of the INSAS with COST Action CA22144 Sustainable Use of Salt Affected Lands, SUSTAIN (Working Group 5 “Policy framework for the salinisation management”). The initiative is aimed at raising awareness on sustainable management of salt-affected soils for food security, agricultural sustainability, environmental protection, and climate change mitigation. The round table discussion of the event will be lead by Katarzyna Negacz, the Chair of the SUSTAIN COST Action.

The online webinar will take place on 5 March 2025, 16:00 – 17:30 CET.

The agenda of the discussion is as follows:

16:00-16:10  – Introduction

Jorge Batlle-Sales, Chair, International Network of Salt-Affected Soils

16:10-16:25  – Soil salinity in Portugal: views from Portuguese local authorities

Vítor João Pereira Domingues Martinho, Agricultural School (ESAV) and CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (IPV), Viseu, Portugal

16:25-16:40 – An overview of drying and salinization problems in the wetlands of the Lakes District in Turkey, where the Mediterranean climate prevails: causes and consequences from the policy perspective

Iskender Gülle, Department of Biology, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey

16:40-16:55 – Soil salinization in agricultural soils of Greece: implications and recommendations for actions

Yiannis Panagopoulos, Department of Hydraulics, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

16:55-17:10 – Economic values or the evaluation of ecosystem services in salt-affected land: Insights from Albania

Zenepe Dafku, Faculty of Economy and Agribusiness, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania

17:10-17:25 – Round table

Moderator: Katarzyna Negacz (Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands):

Participants:

José Macário Correia, Associação de Regantes do Sotavento Algarvio, Portugal

Tiago Brito Ramos, MARETEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Nadia Bazihizina, Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy

Ayşegül Akpinar, Department of Park and Garden, Vocation School of Technical Science Plants, Bursa Uludag University, Turkey

17:25-17:30  – Concluding remarks

Maria Konyushkova, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, rapporteur of the round table

Registration link:

https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zntoN-H_TaKQj951QGQxDA

Webinar’s webpage: https://www.fao.org/global-soil-partnership/resources/events/detail/en/c/1733227/