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Earth observation (EO) techniques have significantly evolved over time, covering a wide range of applications in different domains. The scope of this study is to review the research conducted on EO in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa (EMMENA) region and to identify the main knowledge gaps. We searched through the Web of Science database for papers published between 2018 and 2022 for EO studies in the EMMENA. We categorized the papers in the following thematic areas: atmosphere, water, agriculture, land, disaster risk reduction (DRR), cultural heritage, energy, marine safety and security (MSS), and big Earth data (BED); 6647 papers were found with the highest number of publications in the thematic areas of BED (27%) and land (22%). Most of the EMMENA countries are surrounded by sea, yet there was a very small number of studies on MSS (0.9% of total number of papers). This study detected a gap in fundamental research in the BED thematic area. Other future needs identified by this study are the limited availability of very high-resolution and near-real-time remote sensing data, the lack of harmonized methodologies and the need for further development of models, algorithms, early warning systems, and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of zooarchaeological data for the principal livestock (i.e., cattle, sheep, goats and pigs) reveals regional and cultural variability in how animals were manipulated, marketed, bred, and utilized over the course of antiquity. This paper focuses upon those developments, as reconstructed through zooarchaeological frequency and morphometric data for the period from c. 1000 BCE to c. 700 CE. Regionally, North Africa encompasses a vast territory, from Egypt, in the East, to Mauretania, in the West. Ecologically, there are variations within each of these zones. Culturally, moreover, these regions witnessed the introduction and influence of different social and economic agents and factors over the timeframe under investigation. This paper examines patterns in these components in a broad synthetic manner, using zooarchaeological data across the entire expanse of Roman North Africa—from Egypt to Mauretania. Focus centers upon the nature and degree of size and shape changes within the principal livestock, modifications that were in part influenced by aspects such as the scale and pattern in trade, dietary appeal for animal products (notably fatty meats), market demands, ecological adaptations, as well as economic and cultural contact among areas. Key similarities and differences in faunal patterns, across time and space within ancient North Africa, and the links these share with changes in animal husbandry schemes are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional tillage coupled with monocropping and limited recycling of crop residues along with increased pressure from human and livestock population has led to the degradation of the soil, water resources, and the environment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Conservation Agriculture (CA) considered as "climate-smart" agriculture, strives to achieve acceptable profits along with high and sustained production levels while concurrently conserving and regenerating soils and protecting the environment. The objectives of this paper are to review and synthesize available findings on CA, its past trends, current opportunities and challenges, evidence on potential benefits from its adaptation, to discuss its future outlook, and to make relevant recommendations for interventions and novel research needs for its wider diffusion in the region. In MENA, major research on CA has been mainly conducted in Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, and Syria, while Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt embarked CA research fairly recently. About 25-40% out of the 53 million hectares total arable land is estimated to be suitable for CA in the region. In recent years a growing number of studies carried under a range of climatic, soil, management and cropping conditions in many countries of MENA reported several benefits including higher and more stable yields and profits, reduced risks of crop loss, labor requirements, soil erosion, and improved soil moisture and quality under CA system. Despite its benefits, adoption of CA in MENA is still very low for various reasons including: lack of affordable and well-adapted seeders, the complexity of the CA system which posed a major challenge for mostly uneducated farmers to comprehend, ill-conceived policies that promote cereal intensification hence inadvertently promote monocropping, tradeoffs between residue retention and livestock feed, lack of adequate policy and institutional framework and incentives to enhance farmers' adoption, and the private sector's active involvement in the dissemination of CA. The wider acceptance of CA requires the development of affordable and versatile no-till seeder alongside the implementation of integrated crop management practices. CA-based bundled agronomic management practices must be tailored to the biophysical and socio-economic environment. Finally, effective strategies for upscaling CA in MENA has to be developed by taking into consideration the unique features of the region. Despite the daunting past adoption trends and current challenges, we predict a bright future for CA in the region due to several factors including: rising energy prices and wage rates, the emergence of younger and more educated farmers, the advent of climate change, the increasing awareness on the degradation of land and water resources among farmers and policy makers, changes in dietary preferences subsequently increasing trends in demand and prices of legumes are expected to increase the desirability of CA and enhance its wider diffusion in MENA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses panel cointegration techniques and Granger causality tests to investigate the dynamic causal links between per capita renewable energy consumption, agricultural value added (AVA), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, and real gross domestic product (GDP) for a panel of five North Africa countries spanning the period 1980–2011. In the short-run, Granger causality tests show the existence of bidirectional causality between CO 2 emissions and agriculture; a unidirectional causality running from agriculture to GDP, from GDP to renewable energy consumption, and from renewable energy consumption to agriculture. In the long-run, there is bidirectional causality between agriculture and CO 2 emissions; a unidirectional causality running from renewable energy to agriculture and to emissions, and from output to agriculture and to emissions. Long-run parameter estimates show that an increase in GDP or in renewable energy consumption (including combustible and waste) increases CO 2 emissions, whereas an increase in agricultural value added reduces CO 2 emissions. As policy recommendation, North African authorities should encourage renewable energy consumption, and especially clean renewable energy such as solar or wind, as this improves agricultural production and help to combat global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following two papers result from a meeting held in the Society's House on 23 February 1989. The first paper provides an overview of the present levels of, and estimated potential for, irrigation agriculture in Africa south of the Sahara. The important contribution of small-scale schemes to the total irrigation area and their favourable economic costs and returns when compared with larger-scale schemes is clearly demonstrated. The examples provided in the second paper indicate the variation of purposes for which large-scale irrigation projects are used, and provide details of the economic impact and returns from some such projects in Southern Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The finite element method (FEM) is commonly used to study the soil cutting process with tillage tools. This paper illustrates the use of FEM to model interaction of a mouldboard plough used in northern Africa. A Drucker–Prager elasto-plastic model was used to simulate the material behavior of a sandy loam soil. The mouldboard was considered as a discrete rigid body with a reference point at the tip, at which the three orthogonal force components (vertical, lateral, and draught) were calculated. The effects of the mouldboard depth of cut, speed of operation, cutting angle ( α ) and the lifting angle ( β ) on the tillage forces were investigated in this study. Results showed that draught force increased with a second order polynomial function with depth, whereas the vertical and lateral forces had a linear relationships with depth. Moreover, these forces increased linearly with speed. For the effect of the cutting angles, results showed that the draught force increased linearly with the cutting and the lifting angles. The vertical force decreased linearly with these angles. Whereas, the lateral force decreased with a polynomial trend with the cutting angle and increased linearly with the lifting angle. It was found that the minimal energy consumption can be achieved by a combination of a working depth of 150 mm, a speed of 1 m/s, low lifting angle (25°), and cutting angle (from 30° to 45°). This combination also resulted in a good soil inversion. It can be concluded that FEM can be used to understand the effect of mouldboard design and operational conditions on tillage forces, energy requirements, and quality of soil inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With decreasing aquifer levels, increasing groundwater pollution, inequitable access, and generally poor management outcomes, better groundwater governance has been put forward as a recipe to address these challenges worldwide. Existing recommendations focus on improved legal frameworks, monitoring and control of access and abstraction through permits or formal rights. In addition, decentralized water management, enforcement of regulations, and supply‐side technological solutions are seen as cornerstone components of good groundwater governance systems. However, until now, these approaches have generally failed to reconcile the fundamental dynamics and properties of groundwater as a natural resource and of governance as a social and political phenomenon. This has caused a disregard for local to planetary boundaries, power dynamics, and intra‐ and intergenerational inequalities in access to benefits from groundwater. As the current general notion of good groundwater governance is limited, solutions put forward are also partial and do not encompass the wider challenges affecting groundwater governance, in effect replacing sustainable management goals and policy for governance as a process. This paper takes a particular look at the Middle East and North Africa and agricultural groundwater use for irrigation to constructively redefine groundwater governance and fully address the multilayered and multifaceted core challenges of groundwater governance. Equally, the paper puts forward a new conceptual thinking that will help support the effective development of governance‐based solutions to achieve sustainable, socially acceptable, resilient and equitable resource use. This article is categorized under:Engineering Water > Planning WaterHuman Water > Water Governance [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]