Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it ... Oh wait, back in Oman

I was pronouncing my satisfaction upon reaching the half-way point in a thick book on the fall of the Russian tsars for my Fundamentals of Politics class a few years ago when a friend gave me a quick reality check. "You still have half-way to go, and look how much effort it took to make it this far." Wah, wah. Me being the optimist that I am, I saw the book as half completed, not half remaining, and I am going to apply this same rationale to my time on the Fulbright grant. Going home makes everyone nostalgic. Seeing close family and loved ones is not easy when there is an expiration date on the visit. But I want to look at Fulbright as half way successfully completed, and a rewarding half year remaining.

So back to my Arabic studies and water politics research I go! More than a few relevent pieces of news were published during my absence and subsequent jet lag coma.

I was reading an article on Emirates Business 24/7, which summarized the specifics of a report on rising GCC water demand and declining supply. Dovetailing with my research interest, the report highlights the role of the agricultural sector in fueling water demand and exploiting resources:

"Flawed agricultural policies draining water resources also add to the strain. Agriculture consumes about 80 per cent of the region's water resources but contributes less than two per cent of GDP. Many of the agricultural activities were financially profitable only because of generous government incentives and subsidies....Minimal regulatory oversight allowed farmers to tap into the limited groundwater, leading not only to depletion of this scarce resource but also to inefficiencies in irrigation networks. Flawed practices led to the loss of more than 50 per cent of the water extracted, most of it from non-renewable fossil aquifers."

As I have learned from my time in Oman, yes, a lack of rainfall and desertification is leading to smaller water reserves, but the true problem lies in overextraction, usually at the hands of farmers who do not have the incentives to conserve. Importantly, Saudi Arabia's reversal of a previous initiative to become food self-sufficient is mentioned in the report. As the Kingdom phases out wheat production a huge strain will be taken off water resources. I wish Oman would follow suit...

I also saw that an Eco Centre is to be built with funding from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). According to PDO's managing director, the learning centre aims to: "help make people aware of the sensitivity of our environment, the threats that we are facing and the measures that are required." Sounds nice in theory. However, after examining PDO's other, recent projects, my hopes concerning the impact of the project are dim. Apparently the oil company has already developed first Technical Library and then Traffic Safety Institute, as acts of corporate social responsibility, and considering the state of traffic accidents in Oman, I'm not sure much research is happening on that front.

I'm intrigued by an Oman News Agency report that covered a meeting of The Agriculture Development Committee at Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It seems that at this regular meeting topics ranging from increasing agri production to the establishment of Al Batinah Farmer's Association (sounds like a union, but I think it has more to do with marketing and business that organized labor). I am interested in the creation and delineated goals of this group attached to the Chamber of Commerce, if anyone knows more.

I also enjoyed an interview on the Green Prophet with the director of EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East. Though I shy away from Israel/Palestine-centric research, the Q & A is very informative on Levant water issues.

Lastly, the picture is of my dog Maddy playing outside after a nor'easter that hit the east coast while I was home.