Abdeltif EL OUAHRANI

The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) of Zaragoza, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature - Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER Europe), is offering an advanced course on degraded drylands restoration and on desertification processes monitoring in Zaragoza (Spain) from 5-10 February 2018.

The course will address the new and latest scientific and technical advances in land restoration with the purpose of combating desertification. It will also pay close attention on how to effectively restore degraded drylands, from project planning to the implementation and monitoring phases. Finally, the course will also introduce available tools to monitor desertification processes in the Mediterranean. Although many of the contents are of worldwide interest, the course will focus on the conditions in the Mediterranean region and will introduce participants to relevant high profile international initiatives and give them some practical work to get familiar with state-of-the-art tools.

Candidates from Mediterranean countries and from ICARDA MENA partners may apply for scholarships covering registration fees, and for scholarships covering the cost of travel and full board accommodation in the Hall of Residence on the Aula Dei Campus.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 24 November 2017.

More info and application via International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Can increased plant diversity in agricultural grasslands improve adaptation to drought?

Applications are invited for a full-time PhD research position funded by Teagasc, and in collaboration with Maynooth University.

This PhD project will help resolve global food security problems in the fight against climate change. As well as being of applied importance, this project will also have strong relevance to testing ecological theories about diversity and stability. Main activities of this PhD research will include design and maintenance of field experiments; data collection, analysis and interpretation, and; publication of results in international journals. There will also be opportunities for travel to visit other laboratories abroad and/or attend international conferences.

Applications should be sent to (Dr John Finn) by 31st May 2017 and should include a covering letter and CV, and the names and contact details of two academic referees. The start date of the position will be in October 2017.

Further information via Farmland ecology blog.

The main objective of this PhD programme is to provide graduate students with detailed knowledge, critical understanding, strategies and tools to take an interdisciplinary and integrated approach towards the management of water, soil and waste.

The joint PhD programme aims at creating a new generation of environmental scientists, engineers and managers to conduct, promote and provide guidance on the sustainable management of water, soil and waste. These resources and their sustainable management are of concern to the United Nations and its member states, particularly to developing countries and emerging economies.

The programme has a strong focus on developing countries.

More info via United Nations University.

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