Inland and coastal modular farms for climate change adaptation in desert environments

The project seeks into utilizing the reject brine a by-product from desalination through modular farming systems to grow fish and the aquaculture effluents enriched in nutrients are used for halophytes (salt-loving plants) irrigation. A pilot integrated farm has been operating at ICBA’s experimental station for the last 4 years implementing this approach (Figure 1). In addition, the potential of using seawater and water from fish farming for halophytes production is also explored in a coastal desert area in Umm Al Quwain (Figure 2). The goal of the project is to bring into production degraded or barren lands with economic benefits for the local communities. The project helps in developing and optimizing the inland and coastal multi-component farms using marginal saline water resources to grow unconventional crops in order to enhance food, nutrition and income security of rural communities that are struggling to produce in hot and dry environments like UAE.