The 1st modelling workshop of Climate Smart WATer Management and Sustainable DEVelopment for Food and Agriculture in East Africa (WATDEV) project was successfully held in Wageningen, the Netherlands (11-12 October 2022). The main goals were to select models to be used for simulating scenarios of best management practices (BMPs) and innovations in the project study areas and development of a toolbox. The workshop was organized by ISRIC – World Soil Information and chaired by Dr Jantiene Baartman.
ISRIC director Mr van den Bosch welcomed the participants and gave a brief introduction about ISRIC, the goals and program of the workshop.
Dr. Claudio Bogliotti, as the project scientific coordinator from CIHEAM-Bari, illustrated the overall processes of modelling and model integration and expected project outcomes. Then, Dr Si Mokrane Siad, from CIHEAM Bari, presented the proposed framework of multi-thematic modelling and model integration-based approach for developing the toolbox. He also gave an overall update on results of the activity of stocktaking best management practices (BMPs), the results of the recent stakeholder meeting in Egypt and the agenda of the upcoming stakeholder meetings in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan.
Potential models were presented by SYKE and ISRIC and their required input data, spatial scale, applicability to WATDEV projectstudy areas were discussed; a draft of matrix of models/processes vis-a-vis challenges/BMPs were created.
Dr Ulan Turdukulov (ISRIC) participated in the workshop to explore possible synergies between WATDEV and ISRIC’s ongoing DeSIRA LSC-IS project.
The workshop also included a visit to the ISRIC World Soil Museum guided by the Curator, Mr Stephan Mantel.
Finally, it was agreed that the 2nd modelling workshop will be held in March/April 2023 in Finland. Members of the modelling team were suggested to participate in the 1st Regional Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya (January 2023) to permit in-person discussions with individual country partners concerning the modelling.
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