This event will focus on how the establishment of a regional gene seed bank within ARASIA, with technical and scientific support from the IAEA, can help with climate change mitigation and food security and sustainability.

The side event aims:

1. to raise awareness on the benefit of applying nuclear techniques in various aspects related to climate-smart agriculture,
2. to highlight positive impact within the ARASIA Region from 20 years of collaborating with the IAEA in agriculture and climate adaptation areas (such as increasing crops productivity crops), and
3. to foster international cooperation and partnership to support impactful collaborative scientific projects in these areas.

Speakers 

• Adebayo Babalola, Director of Strategic Policy and Economic Services, OPEC Fund
• Hua Liu, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, IAEA
• Linda Eid, ARASIA Focal Person and Programme Management Officer, IAEA
• Bilal Nsouli, Chair and Lebanon National Representative, ARASIA
• Nader Al Awadhi, Kuwait National Representative, ARASIA
• Mohammed Omari, Jordan National Representative, ARASIA
• Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Crop Trust

Moderator

Nadia Benamara, Director - Communications Department, OPEC Fund