International Center for Biosaline Agriculture is an international, not-for-profit applied agricultural research center with a unique focus on marginal environments. It identifies, tests and introduces resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies that are best suited to different regions affected by salinity, water scarcity and drought. Through its work, ICBA aims to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods of resource-poor farming communities around the world. Headquartered in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, ICBA implements research-for-development programs in over 30 countries. The center is a founding member of the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture. It is also a member of the Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence and the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions.
Mission and vision
ICBA’s vision: "Sustainable livelihoods and food security in marginal environments". The center’s mission: “To work in partnership to deliver agricultural and water scarcity solutions in marginal environments". The strategic objectives of ICBA are:
Promote sustainable management of natural resources;
In 1992, the Islamic Development Bank initiated a series of expert consultations which outlined the objectives and activities of a new institution. In November 1992, the IsDB Board of Executive Directors approved financing for the establishment and initial operation of what would become ICBA. Subsequent consultations between the IsDB and the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council led to the selection of the United Arab Emirates as the host country for the center. In 1996, the IsDB and the Government of the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement to formally establish ICBA. In 1997, the Municipality of Dubai allocated 100 hectares of land in Academic City, where ICBA's head office is now located. The center became operational in 1999.
When the center was set up in 1999, its focus was on biosaline agriculture and salinization. As it evolved, ICBA expanded its mandate first to water scarcity and later to a broader set of challenges in marginal environments. The center's research innovation themes include:
management of natural resources in marginal environments;
ICBA conducts applied research on use of fresh and non-fresh water in agriculture, water and land management technologies, crop improvement and diversification, and remote sensing and modeling for climate change adaptation. The center works to identify and introduce varieties of climate-resilient, salt-tolerant, and water-efficient crops in marginal environments. These crops include quinoa, sorghum, pearl millet, Salicornia, and others. Since 2006-2007, ICBA has implemented a global research program on quinoa, resulting in the identification of five quinoa lines. This program has led to the successful adoption of quinoa in countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. The center has also achieved a breakthrough in its research on Salicornia under UAE conditions. Scientists have recorded a bumper seed yield of 3 tonnes per hectare using seawater passing through an aquaculture system.
Refreshed ICBA Strategy 2019-2023
The guiding force behind the center’s work since 2012 was ICBA Strategy 2013-2023. Because of significant changes in the global research and development landscape, and new threats and opportunities, ICBA carried out a mid-term review of its strategy. The refreshed strategy for the remaining period of 2019-2023 is mostly aligned with its predecessor but also takes into account emerging fields like genomics and controlled-environment agriculture, including vertical farming, that hold great potential for future food, nutrition and water security in marginal environments. As part of the refreshed strategy, ICBA also mapped out how its work will achieve outcomes, impacts and ultimately contribute to the SDGs.
ICBA works closely with national agricultural research systems, regional and international financial, development, research, and academic institutions, including NASA, the University of Oxford, CGIAR, AIRCA, around the world. The center has strategic partnerships with FAO, IFAD, ICRISAT, IWMI, ICARDA, ILRI, and IFPRI.
Reach
The geographic scope of ICBA's activities has grown since its establishment. To date, ICBA has implemented research-for-development programs in more than 30 countries, and this number continues to grow. The center focuses on countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Central Asia and the Caucasus, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.
