Silver Jubilee year for IDB scholarship programmes

Economic development in any country, including the Islamic countries, can be based on development of the available natural resources or imported technologies or through knowledge based activity (e.g. computer software); all possibilities need to be encouraged. However if the development base is derived from knowledge generated indigenously, the likelihood of its being sustained is higher.
At present our survival depends on ‘doles’ from others. If they completely stop transfer of technology and of their products (e.g. pesticides, medicinal drugs, light or heavy industry, consultancy services, etc) our very physical survival will be in jeopardy. All these issues are directly related to ‘development’ and need very comprehensive studies but in this piece we are only concerned with a few of the priority areas where the IDB could focus for the near future. Therefore, a priority has to be given to such strategic issues such as food security, education, health, security of nation(s), etc. In a global world it is , indeed, difficult to have self sufficiency all over, yet we have to find niches where we do have a comparative advantage and need to focus on those areas for our development.
There are known material resources in Islamic countries and there are many the extent of which is not known The big known resources are the human resource, the land, sunshine and thus agriculture, marine resources, the energy resources and those resources that are not fully known such as mineral wealth, groundwater, etc. As it is, even the full potential of the known resources has not been realized.
Listed here are just a few resources that need to be exploited further through knowledge based activity and through correct investments in areas that encourage development and utilization of knowledge. Knowledge that does not manifest itself in the development of a society is not what is urgently needed. No doubt, knowledge of any kind is ultimately useful but its use for survival has to take precedence over so many of its other advantages.

I. Human Resource

The Islamic nation is a group of over a billion people placed strategically over the globe in diverse geographical habitats with diverse yet common cultures and numerous languages yet bound by a common destiny. They have to chalk out a course of accommodation with all humanity and should aim at serving it. However, charity begins at home and they must put much greater emphasis on development of human resource for the development of their own countries first. In the rise and fall of nations, these countries seem to have touched the nadir and now need to climb up to first catch up with the rest of the world before going beyond. It can not be done overnight; it requires comprehensive planning and concerted , focused action first to develop the human resource and to apply its capacity to the development of all aspects of its socio-economic life. While attainment of knowledge is necessary to explore the phenomena of nature governing the universe, the urgent need is to develop knowledge for survival. The human resource is to be dove-tailed with the urgently required socio-economic uplift and must, therefore, be first utilized towards development of God given natural resources. All the countries have to develop human capital through well planned activities; the IDB could help in its own small way to develop human resource for the Islamic nation.

II. Energy Resources

A. Sunshine and Water

The Muslim nation is spread all over the globe but the areas of greatest concentration stretch from Morocco to Indonesia. The land mass is mostly arid and semi-arid. Starting from West Africa and North Africa up to Pakistan, a larger area is arid due to lack of water yet the sunshine available almost throughout the year is a huge resource. The countries in the east (Bangladesh, Malayasia, Indonesia) are more lucky as far as water resources are concerned. A number of countries (e.g. Sudan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan) have yet to efficiently utilize their fresh water resources and most of them have still to know the full extent of their groundwater resources. An inventory of these is necessary for exploiting full potential of plants to harness solar energy. Some activities where solar energy could be utilized through the plants are described below.

Solar energy has not so far been utilized on a mass scale because of two reasons; the incident solar energy per unit area is small and the energy collected is to be stored requiring huge batteries.
Plants are still the best source of harnessing solar energy. Plants have evolved over millenia and have developed a a system where covering a small land area they present a very large area of leaf surfaces to the sun. The energy thus collected over a larger area is converted into chemical energy and is stored as wood and can be used years and centuries later. Fossil fuels are also products of plants that existed millions of years ago. However, to use the plant as a source of harnessing solar energy, water is a necessity.

While some of the countries are endowed with greater fresh water resources others are highly deficient. The groundwater resources have not been looked into properly despite the fact that it is known that groundwaters do exist in almost all the countries but they are mostly saline to varied degrees. Groundwater should not be treated as a waste, it is an excellent resource.
Some of the countries have some idea about groundwater resources, but a total picture of the amount, its quality, its rate and source of recharge, its seasonal variation and variation over a decade is not available. Ground water surveys using classical and isotopic techniques should be a priority to have a fair idea about the quantity and quality of this water; it should be borne in the mind that saline water is not useless, it is a resource that can be fruitfully utilized.

During evolution plants have not only developed photosynthesis but also adapted to many environmental conditions; they grow on mountains, in plains, in marshes, even in the sea. Their potential for fulfilling human needs has yet to be exploited fully. Of the over two hundred and fifty thousand species of higher plants (angiosperms) only 2% are used by man. There is a huge gene bank lying around largely unutilized. Desirable salt and drought tolerant plants could also be synthesized through breeding methods and biotechnological techniques.. Plant species can be selected to suit the quality of available water; marginal waters, saline waters and marginal lands can be used to plant suitable species that could then be used as forage, timber, organic matter (manure, fertilizer), industrial raw material, fuel (directly or by conversion into gas or alcohol) or other value added products. So many other bye products are possible; a small example could be bee farming for honey. Biosaline agriculture is surely a practical possibility.

Since groundwater can, indeed, be used as a resource rather than a waste, urgent efforts are required to know the extent of this resource.
Livestock development for meat and milk is essential for food security. At present the poorer sections of the population are not getting adequate supply of either. Even those that can afford, depend upon sizeable imports from outside the Islamic countries. Developing livestock requires forage production since the biomass from the crops is insufficient and also it needs to be recycled back to the soil to reduce its deterioration. Since the soil and water resources presently available are utilized for production of human food and for industrial crops, there is neither arable land nor water available for livestock farming. Therefore new approaches are in order Efforts should be made to utilize marginal lands and low quality (saline) groundwater for producing forage for livestock.

The various other options are shown in the following diagram.

Collection and selection of salt

tolerant plants

Evolution of salt tolerant plants by

a) Mutation breeding
b) Wide hybridization; marker-assisted
c) Tissue culture
d) Genetic engineering

A job of a researcher is to provide options to the users of his end results; the user may be a farmer, an industrialist or the planners (government, entrepreneur). The above thesis on biosaline agriculture lists so many possibilities but to realize them one needs input of qualified human resource for taking up each option. Further, that the options will vary from country to country and will depend on their own comparative advantages for the various options. The feasibility of introducing salt-tolerant plants on arid salt affected lands using saline water of different levels of salt has been demonstrated in 9 muslim countries through a 6-year Technical Cooperation Model Project of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the work is continuing at least in 3 countries through a project supported by IFAD. Some similar work is also being done by IDB supported ICBA in Dubai. However, except for Pakistan the other 8 countries, namely, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iran and UAE have not gone beyond demonstrating that economically useful plants can be grown under such conditions. In addition to a lack of will on the part of the planners, a major reason seems to be a lack of qualified people to get maximum benefit out of the tested technology through large scale implementation and value addition.
Thus, the options are clear and the possibilities have been demonstrated on a small scale. But for each option human resource is required as mentioned below…

hydrologists, hydro-geologists, isotope hydrologists and chemists are required to study the water situation. This is necessary even if the biosaline agriculture option is not taken.
plant breeders, ecologists, plant physiologists, agronomists, and irrigation experts are needed for selecting and introducing proper plant species in such areas and keeping the water, soil and environment situation monitored to assure sustainability of the activity.
microbiologists, plant pathologists, molecular biologists, process engineers will be required to keep the soil and environment monitored and to add value to the biomass produced.
plant molecular biologists should be developed for engineering salt and drought tolerant plants suitable for the particular environment.
veterinarians ( clinicians, pathologists, etc.)would be required where the technology is taken up for production of livestock and poultry.
As mentioned earlier, livestock and poultry should also be developed as a source of protein and for food security. It may be possible on a large scale in Indonesia, Malayasia, Nigeria, Sudan, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan and on a little smaller scale in coastal regions of Morocco, Algeria, Syria and West Africa. However it has to be competitive with the surpluses imported from the west if strategic considerations are not taken into account. (Use of marginal lands and saline water has already been mentioned as a low input option that may be economically viable and competitive). Selection and evolution of most suitable breeds for the particular environments, assessment of their productivity potential, taking care of their health and reproduction, multiplication of the best breeds through biotechnological procedures, disease prevention, etc are the required activities.

The human resource needed for this activity will be:

a) livestock breeders, veterinary microbiologists, veterinary pathologists, veterinary clinicians, molecular biologists, veterinary endocrinologists,

*Horticulture and Floriculture: The climate of these countries ranges from temperate (mountainous regions), semi tropical to tropical; they produce a wide range of fruits but the full production potential nor value addition has been accomplished. Compared with the potential, the efforts put in towards propagation, and evolution of better varieties of fruit, post-harvest techniques to reduce produce losses and to exploit the full export potential remains far less than desirable. Flowers of all shades and kinds are native to these places but regular cultivation, export and value addition remains almost absent; in this age where there is clamour for natural things, floriculture and its value addition through industrial processing could be economically fruitful. Exploitation of plants with medicinal value could find a unique niche in the global market. Utilization of industrial wastes through biotechnological processes would also prove to be very fruitful not only for floriculture but for overall agricultural activity as well.

Qualified manpower is necessary to get optimal output from cultivation of fruits, flowers and medicinal plants specific to different countries of the nation.
* horticulturists (for fruit, flower, medicinal plants), food technologists; post-harvest technologists and process engineers trained specifically for each country could prove very useful.

*Crop Productivity Maximization: The countries are already involved in some extensive agriculture but with poor results. For example if average per hectare productivity of any crop in these countries is compared with any country in the developed world the figures are nowhere close to the latter. While improvement in yield is more a problem of management than availability of the technology nevertheless it is worth looking into. Would model demonstration in an area properly executed and monitored by a team of scientists and managers be helpful? Would some initiative from IDB be useful? The answer may be yes, in a few selected areas in a few selected countries. If the yield could be increased, just two or three countries could become a food bowl for the entire Muslim world. The IDB may help train people for such ‘crop maximization’ programmes.
* Plant biotechnology and genetic engineering is an area that is sure to pay high dividends. Most of the countries in the Islamic world do now have some interest in this area and have groups working on it. However, the number is too little. Genetic engineering may not supplant classical plant breeding for quiet some time yet it is a tool that is more specific and has a great future. IDB must give it high priority for development of human resource in the area and helping establish this activity in many countries.

III. Marine Resources

The combined coastline of the Islamic countries is huge yet the marine resources, fauna and flora, remain grossly under-exploited. The food value and the economic potential of these is enormous yet there is little input of human and material capital to tap these possibilities. A small initiative such as that in Ummal Qyuaim in the UAE seems to have bogged down because of very little input of human capital. Such initiatives on a much larger scale in several countries seem in order. Possibilities of a pearl industry should also be looked into. The development of fauna and flora in coastal areas does not require much high technology but does require specialists to develop it and add value to it; development of human resource for the specific needs in this area should be one of the priorities. Similarly, a pearls industry should also be explored.

IV. Hydrocarbon Resources

Quite a number of countries have oil and gas reserves but are mainly exporters of crude oil; refining and value addition is far less than optimal. The environmental factors in exploration and utilization of these resources have also not been given any priority. Coal, that can also be considered under hydrocarbon rather than a purely mineral resource, also remains under-utilized as an energy source and steel industry; easy, cheaper, environmentally suitable methods of depyritization, desulphurization, etc will make even low quality coal available for energy production in some of the energy deficient muslim countries..
Concerted efforts and input of human capital is required to be self-sufficient in techniques of exploration, mining, refining and value addition of these resources.

V. Other Mineral Resources

Some countries are mining special stones but not processing them into high class ornaments. The technologies are known but not utilized; the expertise is not available. Again, expertise could be developed through scholarships and a gem’s industry established on a small scale through IDB grants in a couple of countries.

Microbial leaching of undesirable elements from ores (such as depyritization and desulphurization of coal) or from factory effluents and other environmental pollutants (heavy metals) is a technology in practice. Trained teams of trained microbiologists, biotechnologists and chemical engineers are could carry out such studies and apply them on larger scales. Microbial leaching would be environmentally more friendly than chemical processes Even if it takes a longer time to do the job it could be fruitfully used in addition to the chemical processes.

VI. Miscelaneous

Chemical fertilizers are an environmental hazard yet their use inevitable for improving agricultural yields. However in certain cases ‘biofertilizers’ could be effective. The latter’s use would minimize the environmental problems. It will not be energy intensive and would be far cheaper. This is an area that needs to be encouraged.

Bio-control of plant diseases (soil borne as well as air borne) is possible and certainly has a bright future. This area may be one of IDB’s focuses for human resource development and other support.

There are so many processes patented in these countries but few have gone on to commercial exploitation. One of the reasons is lack of credibility of the local scientific community which results in lack of interest by entrepreneurs but another more important factor is that the technical and economic feasibility of the process has not been demonstrated on a semi commercial scale. This need can be fulfilled by developing teams of scientists, process engineers and economists. IDB could help through scholarships and grants in selected cases.
The use of microbes for cleaning the environment, particularly in case of oil related and heavy metals related problems is also an important area.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is an old technology but with breakthroughs in molecular techniques its applications have broadened infinitely. Knowledge of different fields of biotechnology is relevant almost in all the areas of ‘priority’ mentioned in this write-up. Plant breeding, livestock breeding, propagation, disease diagnosis, prevention and cure, adding value to agricultural produce, bio-control of plant diseases, environmentally friendly techniques for various purposes can be helped by a highly trained cadres of biotechnologists. Considering it vast applications, biotechnology is being dealt with as a separate heading in this piece.
Higher studies and training in different fields of biotechnology, including process biotechnology, is surely warranted.

VIII. Suggestions for IDB priorities

While offering scholarships, the IDB may consider the following points so that the training is oriented towards economic development.

The IDB cannot possibly take upon itself to provide scholarships for all kids of studies; it has to put its money into specific priority areas. The scholarships should, preferably, be linked to ongoing or planned development projects in Member States. The candidate and the Member State should clearly spell out as to where the trained person will be employed and for what specific goal.. The Bank may also have some mechanism of monitoring whether the trained person is, indeed, fruitfully utilized.
The scholarships should preferably be given for studies related to exploitation of natural resources.
The recipients should belong to an organization in a Member State and already be working on such relevant problems.
The IDB may try to help arrange bilateral joint projects between an institution in a Member State and a relevant institution in a developed country. In addition to scholarships some funds may be provided to encourage such a cooperative arrangement.
For higher research degree programmes abroad, the incumbent should work for at least a year on a locally relevant problem in the native country and then continue the same/related research abroad for a year or so and come back to the parent institution to complete the work for his/her dissertation. This will ensure that the research done is relevant to the parent country.. Brain drain is often a result of the fact that a person works abroad on topics that are not relevant to the native country and the higher qualified individual becomes a square peg in a round hole and finds an excuse to escape to greener pastures abroad; a split programme, as suggested, ( Half in native country, half in a selected institution abroad. These institutions may not be the universities but applied research institutions such as USDA, NIH of the USA, CSIRO of Australia, Departments of Agriculture or Health of UK, Germany, France and other European countries) might make the studies relevant, may help reduce brain drain and also encourage research culture in the native country.
In addition to scholarships for higher studies, the Bank may also provide a small grant to the native institution for each such scholar’s work and a bench fee to the institution abroad. Most of the scholarships should be meant to support, ongoing or planned development projects.