The first edition of the Salinity Magazine is out now

Europe Water & Agrifood Saline Water & Food Systems

Handing over the Challenge of Salinity Magazine by Ambassador Marcel Beukeboom Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Rome Based Agencies, to Dr Lifeng Li, Director of the Land and Water Division

Amidst a gathering of esteemed delegates, the first issue of the ‘Salinity Magazine’ made its debut, marking a milestone in the global discourse on saline agriculture. A hard copy version of the first ‘Salinity Magazine’ was presented to Dr Lifeng Li, Director of the FAO Land and Water Division, by Ambassador Marcel Beukeboom, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Rome Agencies.

The ‘Salinity Magazine’ is an informative publication containing a mix of background articles, interviews, and information on the international network working on salinity issues. The magazine was presented at the well-attended side event organised by the Netherlands on the topic of salinity and saline agriculture during the two-day high-level hybrid event entitled Towards a High-Level Dialogue on the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG), hosted at the FAO headquarters in Rome. This first edition of the Salinity Magazine emphasises salinity and saline agriculture. As the topic of salinity is quite broad, it was not possible to touch upon every aspect of it. Therefore, the plan is to develop a second edition of the magazine and highlight specific angles, such as salt and groundwater challenges.

Salinisation

Salinisation is rapidly becoming one of the biggest challenges to food production worldwide. Salinity severely affects crop development and growth, threatening food security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions of people in various parts of the world. Global cooperation and collective action are deemed essential to effectively address this issue.

Stimulating dialogue and practice

The Dutch side event held at FAO headquarters in Rome aimed to stimulate policy dialogue and covered current practices on salinity and saline agriculture. Dionysia Lyra, Halophyte Agronomist at the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) unveiled the fruits of the labour of the WASAG Working Group on saline agriculture. An enriching dialogue followed with deputy ministers and ambassadors of Cabo Verde, Egypt, and Senegal, that shed light on the dynamics between policy and practice. Bas Bruning, a Specialist in Saline Agriculture at the Salt Doctors, complemented the discussion and expressed the need for more projects and partnerships to effectively address the multifaceted challenges posed by salinity. The dynamic event, organised by NWP (Netherlands Water Partnership) and the Netherlands Food Partnership with the support of the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands in Rome, was in preparation for the High-Level Dialogue on WASAG, which will take place at the World Food Forum (WFF) in October 2024.

Request a copy of the Salinity Magazine.