Forestry Specialist : Arid and Semi-arid Zones; Desertification Control.

Main activities

• Monitor developments in arid zone reclamation, fuel wood production, sand dune fixation, shelterbelt and greenbelt establishment, including physical and socio-economic surveys, site diagnosis, species selection, nursery and plantation techniques, maintenance, water harvesting practices in the light of new developments in tree and grass ecology and conservation engineering;
• Transfer this knowledge to national and field staff through manuals, training courses, expert consultations and meetings;
• Actively participate in community forestry programmes, particularly those to be undertaken in arid and semi-arid zones; • Cooperate with multi and bilateral, as well as national projects in the dry zones and represent the Organization at international meetings in this field;
•Provide technical backstopping to the FAO field projects related to this field of competence in selecting and recruiting experts and consultants, by advising on the procurement of technical equipment and supplies and in related training activities.

Within this framework, I contributed to several important initiatives, processes and activities such as the UNCCD negotiation and implementation, the Low Forest Cover Initiative (LFCC) and the Tehran Process, the Green Wall for the Sahara (African Union Initiative), TerrAfrica, and to a long list of projects.