12th ITPS working session, 26-27 May 2020, Zoom platform

1. The report of the Salinity working group

2. Salinity Working Group activity
between the 11th and the 12th ITPS sessions
• Revision and endorsement of the concept note of the International
Network on Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS)
• Revision and endorsement of the concept note of the Global symposium
on salt-affected soils (GSSAS21)
• Revision and endorsement of the key messages of GSSAS21
• Revision of the Technical manual on mapping of salt-affected soils
• Virtual meeting of Salinity WG (March 18, 2020) to discuss and finalise
the documents for the Global symposium on salt-affected soils

3. • Will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Has been postponed to September 13-16, 2021
• About 400 participants are expected
• Will include 3 days of science-policy sessions in Tashkent and a one-day
technical session at the salt-affected areas of the Aral Sea disaster
region (Republic of Karakalpakstan) and salt-affected sites in
Bukhara/Samarqand
GSSAS Symposium

4. GSSAS Symposium structure
• Theme 1: Assessment, mapping, monitoring and tools to understand soil
salinization and sodification;
• Theme 2: Impacts of salt-affected soils on agricultural production, food
security, ecosystem services and sustainability;
• Theme 3: Agenda for action to prevent, rehabilitate, remediate salt-
affected soils and scale-up sustainable soil management practices.

6. International network on salt-affected soils
• The INSAS network was launched during the Global forum on
innovations for marginal environments (GFIME) in Dubai,
21 November 2019

7. About INSAS
INSAS is established under the aegis of the Global Soil Partnership with
the aim to facilitate the sustainable and productive use of salt-affected
soils for current and future
MISSION OF INSAS
The mission of INSAS is to support and facilitate joint efforts towards the
sustainable management of salt-affected soils for Food Security ,
Agricultural Sustainability and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

8. Agenda of the session

9. After completing the agenda items, a panel discussion was
performed under moderation of the Director of Land and
Water Division (FAO), Mr. Eduardo Mansur. Before closing
the meeting, he announced “The INSAS is launched”