Prince Sultan Research Center for Environment, Water and Desert
 | |
| Abbreviation | PSIEWDR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1986 |
| Headquarters | King Saud University, Riyadh |
| Location | |
Region served | Saudi Arabia |
Director | Abdul Malek Al al-Shaikh |
| Website | http://www.psrcewd.edu.sa |
Formerly called | Prince Sultan Research Center for Environment, Water and Desert |
The Prince Sultan Institute for Environmental, Water and Desert Research was established in 1986 under the name "Center for Desert Studies".[1] It is as an independently administered research organization directly linked to the rector's office of King Saud University.[1] The Center's purpose is to design and conduct scientific research which is related to desert development and to combating desertification in the Arabian Peninsula.[1]
The Center is active in the environmental application of remote sensing technologies and maintains its own Remote Sensing Unit equipped with GIS and advanced programs for satellite image processing.[2] In 2007, the Center published the Space Image Atlas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ISBN 9960-57-011-8, which it produced in partnership with the Space Research Institute of King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology and Geospace Austria.[3]
The Center is a primary sponsor of the International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments which has been held bi-annually in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia since 2004.[4]
The Center also serves as headquarters for the General Secretariat of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.[5]
Fields of Research Interest
Within the context of the arid environments of the Arabian peninsula, the Center is interested in pursuing research in the following areas:[6]
- Desert environment systems
- Aridity, and aridity control measures
- Environmental pollution
- Environmental awareness and education
- Environmental impact of projects
- Climate change and early warning of climatic disasters
- Maintaining environmental balance
- Ecotourism
- Land deterioration, desertification, and sand dune stabilization
- Natural resources of the desert and their development and protection
- Forests and afforestation
- Rangeland management and maintenance
- Forage crops in both arid and desert environment
- Adaptation of imported plants and animals under desert conditions
- Identification and evaluation of indigenous plants
- Deriving benefit from desert fauna, camels in particular
- Genetic modification of indigenous flora and fauna, and protection of native genomes
- Preservation of wildlife and biodiversity
- Arid land regions
- Reclamation and cultivation of desert lands
- Traditional agriculture and sustainable development in Saudi Arabia
- Care and development of date palms
- Water resources, methods of exploring water supplies to avoid scarcity, and the development of relevant technologies.
- Irrigation systems
- Administration of water resources, particularly rainwater harvesting and storage
- Water policy for achieving water security
- Water reservation; economical ways of using water for agricultural purposes
- Desalination
- Economies of utilizing saline water and sea water in agriculture
- Utilization of new technologies in research, especially remote sensing and geographic information systems
- Solar energy; its utilization in agriculture and desert development
- Economic studies relating to patterns of exploitation and agricultural production in the desert.
See also
Notes
- 1 2 3 "The Center in Brief" psrcewd.edu.sa. Retrieved on 2009-01-04
- ↑ (2008). Prince Sultan International Prize for Water: Activities and Winners 2008, pp.11-13. KSU Press., Riyadh. no ISBN
- ↑ Dr Abdulmaleh A. Al-al Sheikh, "Technical Presentation: Space Image Atlas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. (p. 2) oosa.unvienna.org Accessed: 2008-01-04
- ↑ "Conferences & Seminars" psrcewd.edu.sa. Retrieved on 2009-01-04
- ↑ "Goals of the Center " psrcewd.edu.sa. Retrieved on 2009-01-04
- ↑ "Fields of Interests" psrcewd.edu.sa. Retrieved on 2009-01-04
External links
- Prince Sultan Research Center for Environment, Water and Desert - Official website.
- Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water – Official website.
- King Saud University - Official website.