CAIRO: Biodiversity is an ideal technique to resist desertification which threatens huge acres of arable land, says a desert expert. Dr Ismail El Bagouri, desertification consultant at the Desert Research Center (DRC) and member of the group of experts on the Science and Technology Committee of the UN Convention for Combating Desertification, believes that biodiversity was successfully used to reclaim huge areas dotting the north west as well as parts of the Sinai desert. The pastures, which were badly affected by salinity, the misuse of green areas and the invasion of desert sand have been reclaimed through biodiversity. This mainly involves conserving the seeds of desert plants, with the aim of growing them in arid areas or reclaiming others that are dying away. Many countries, particularly in the Sahelian region of Sub-Saharan Africa, have identified the need for biodiversity. This technique studies the nature of the wild desert plants and reproducing them on a large scale, to counteract bad practices and the expansion of desert sands. El Bagouri explained: "We promote biodiversity through preserving plants for future use in several agricultural stations countrywide. "The techniques include breeding plants that resist adverse climates and propagating seeds of desert plants to save dying pastures and new green areas. He added: "The third technique which is currently used in developed countries, especially in the US, is genetic engineering. But scientific circles here are reserved about these methods which based on tampering with plant genes to adapt them to different environments. "The effect of this process on humans is controversial and local experts prefer to temporarily opt out. El Bagouri explained that while the entire world is heading towards biodiversity, the race among nations is currently focusing on breeding and preserving certain quality plants and seeds. "Now biodiversity specialists have set copyrights and plant gene banks are warned against copying any of these items through pollination or other methods, he explained. Today in Texas, Arizona and other American states biodiversity is a big industry, but some of the plants and seeds that are copyrighted there originally belong to our deserts, says El Bagouri. But can biodiversity be used to produce plants fit for human consumption? "As far as food is concerned, we have only used plant breeding, especially in Sinai, to change the specifications of some staples like rice and wheat so they would consume less water and bear adverse climate changes. But we're not yet dabbling with genetic engineering. In light of the importance of biodiversity, the Egyptian Desert Gene Bank was established by the DRC in North Sinai Desert Station in 1997. Its aim was to cater to the needs of desert researchers employed by the center. In 2005 the Desert Research Center of Excellence, a unit within the gene bank, was set up to provide training to enhance the capacity of national programs in the region and to manage and use the genetic diversity of their plants. In recent years research and conferences have focused on biodiversity. Costly and time-consuming methods such as searching for water wells and setting up palm groves have already been fully explored. Biodiversity could potentially be the key. Using biodiversity, you can grow the very plants which were originally from the desert, some of which could even live on salty seawaters. During the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, jointly marked by the DRC and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute in December 2006, biodiversity came to light in a special panel discussion and a training workshop. These events were organized to raise awareness amongst policymakers and the media about the role biodiversity can play in combating desertification and the importance of gene banks.
