Although the water crisis has become a critical issue nowadays in the region, no water harvesting projects have been set up yet on a large scale (Sulaiman, 2000).

Source: MSc thesisSubmitted to the College of Agriculture-University of Salahaddin

Dawod Rasoolikia

AREA RATIO FOR CROP PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN ERBIL GOVERNORATE   

Summary

It is our life! We call it soil
It is the stuff, in which we toil
From soil we've sprung, to soil we'll go
Protect the soil of this earth so we can grow

Limited water availability is the primary factor controlling plant establishment and growth in the dry lands and deserts of the world. Water shortages are accentuated in disturbed areas where vegetation removal and alteration of the surface soil further limit surface water retention and infiltration into the soil.

Technologies for water harvesting and soil moisture conservation in small watersheds for small-scale

Water is essential for all life and is used in many different ways - for food production, drinking and domestic uses and industrial use. It is also part of the larger ecosystem on which bio diversity depends. Precipitation, converted to soil and groundwater and thus accessible to vegetation and people, is the dominant pre-condition for biomass production and social development in dry lands.

Causes of Water Erosion

Water erosion can occur when the rainfall or snowmelt exceeds the soil's ability to absorb the moisture and when there is sufficient slope to cause runoff. The rate and magnitude of soil erosion on cropland is controlled by the interplay of the following factors: (1) rainfall intensity and water runoff; (2) soil erodibility; (3) soil gradient and length; and (4) vegetation.

*From: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Below is a list of links to soil science meetings; please click to notify
us of other meetings.

2006

14th World fertilizer congress 22-27 Jan  Thailand

4th Annual manufactured soils conference 22-23 Feb  USA

11th Congress of soil science 13-16 March  Pakistan

Wildfire effects on soil organic C dynamics 2-7 April  Austria

Soil erosion by water is the result of rain detaching and transporting vulnerable soil, either directly by means of rainsplash or indirectly by rill and gully erosion

Water harvesting refers to the small-scale concentration, collection, storage, and use of rainwater runoff for both domestic and agricultural use. This definition implies that the catchment area from which the water is drawn is larger than the command area, where it is collected and used.