SESRIC organised a Training Course on “Unconventional Water Resources Practices to Enhance Agriculture Productivity in Water-Scarce OIC Countries” on 15–18 September 2025 at its headquarters in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye, within the framework of the SESRIC Project on “Promoting Unconventional Water Resources to Enhance Agriculture Productivity in Water-Scarce OIC Member Countries.”

The project was funded under the 12^th Call for Project Proposals of the COMCEC Project Funding and implemented in partnership with the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN) and in line with SESRIC’s Water Resources Management Capacity Building Programme (Water-CaB) and Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB).

The training course brought together 23 representatives from the ministries and national institutions of water and agriculture from the beneficiary countries of the project, namely, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Chad, Republic of Lebanon, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Niger, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Senegal, and Republic of Türkiye. Representatives of OIC and international institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), also attended and contributed to the programme.

During the four-day programme, participants benefited from in-depth technical sessions on a wide range of topics, including the water–food nexus in OIC countries, sustainable wastewater treatment and reuse, efficient irrigation systems, and case studies from member countries. The training also featured a dedicated session for country presentations, where participants shared their national experiences and perspectives on promoting the use of unconventional water resources.

As part of the programme, a field visit was organised to Afyonkarahisar on 17 September 2025 to observe the “Reuse of Treated Wastewater in Agriculture” project site. The facility, which is among the largest of its kind in Europe and the second largest globally, provided participants with valuable practical insights into the methodologies, impacts, and benefits of treated wastewater use in agricultural irrigation.

The training concluded with the development of a set of practical recommendations aimed at enhancing the use of unconventional water resources in OIC countries to ensure sustainable water use, boost agricultural productivity, and build resilience to climate change. A certificate distribution ceremony was also held for all participants.

For more details about SESRIC projects funded by the COMCEC, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-activities-projects-funded.php.

The presentations of the training course are available at this link.

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