Local Seeds as an Option for Climate Change Adaptation and a Way to Reach Food Sovereignty UAWC- Do’a Zayed

What is climate change/ global warming What is climate change/ global warming? It is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. that is believed to be caused by human activity.

The rise in temperature is a natural phenomenon that takes place in nature as a result of the release of what are called greenhouse gases. Due to the fact that human industrial activities have increased in recent centuries, CO2 gas emissions and other greenhouse gases have risen dramatically.

The main expected consequences of climate change are believed to be: Global temperature change Rise in sea level Increase in droughts and floods Decreased air and water quality Loss of biodiversity Migration and mitigation issues between countries.

Climate change in Middle East The Middle East is one of the most world’s water-stressed region. Climate change is expected to make water resources even more scarce in the region specially in Palestine

All of the plants and animals, that live on Earth are sensitive to climate and will respond to climate change. Climate is a key determinant of what crops can be grown in a particular area

Effect on plants: Models of future plant distributions indicate that a temperature rise of 2-3 degrees C over the next 100 years could result with ½ of the world’s plant species being threatened with extinction

Food Sovereignty is a solution to climate change

System change NOT Climate change

People of color, low-income, and Indigenous communities are the first to experience the negative impacts of climate change Moreover, those who are most affected are least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. Climate justice is the fair treatment of all people and freedom from discrimination with the creation of policies and projects that address climate change and the systems that create climate change and perpetuate discrimination.

So, How dose the local seeds help ?

Local Seed: Seed is planted and propagate in the area and handed down through generations within a period so long, so it has characteristics help it to live in this region and give the best possible production under existing conditions. Improved Local Seeds: are those local seeds that have been elected by breeding programs  and usually characterized by  high productivity, resistance to pests and diseases that are endemic in the region.

The local improved seeds are national treasure and wealth ,  considered as one of the sources of sovereignty of people on their food, and as a source of cheap, available and accessible easily food by the communities and help limited income people to live and produce their own food. Beside it could help to raise the level of agricultural and industrial production, because they carry the genetic traits that are required to produce crops with specific characteristics  and quality (drought and salinity tolerant).

Nowadays in particular after the biotechnology revolution and the development of gene engineering, the improved local seeds become importance of distinct and have the first priority to save, especially from the risk of GM seeds, that deprived the farmers from the right of produce their own seeds for the next seasons. GM seeds do not have the ability to produce seeds to germinate and produce seedling.

-Extending from UAWC’s work in the field of reproducing and improving local seeds since 2003, UAWC establishing the local seed bank in Hebron city - Correspondence with UAWC’s national and traditional duty to protect the local brands from loss and extinction.

It is a place in which seeds save  for short-term to be used in agriculture, or for long-term in order to preserve them, beside seed bank is a type of genetic banks as well.

General Objective: - Protecting, preservation, and documentation of the local seeds In West Bank and Gaza strip. Revitalizing and activating the use of traditional local seeds - Benefiting from their hereditary resources, and by documenting these resources through the use of biotechnology.

Finalize the new position تشطيب المقر الجديد Finalize the new position

More than 37 local seed kind found in the seed bank until now and more than 250 items belong to 11 plant family are conserve

العائلة النجيلية ذرة مكانس Broom Corn ذرة صفراء Sweet corn ذرة بيضاء Sorghum  Gramineae Family شعير Barley قمح Wheat لسان الثور Prickly Alkanet العائلة النجيلية

Amaryllidaceae Family بصل Onion Amaryllidaceae Family العائلة النرجسية باميا Okra Malvaceae Family العائلة الخبازية

العائلة الصليبية قرنبيط Cauliflower ملفوف Cabbage Cruciferae Family لفت Turnip فجل Radish

العائلة البقولية بازيلاء Pea حمص Chickpea فاصولياء Common Bean Leguminosae Family كرسنة Bitter vetch عدس Lentil فول Broadbean العائلة البقولية لوبيا Cowpea بيكا Common vetch

العائلة الباذنجانية Solanaceae Family بندورة Tomato فلفل Pepper Eggplant

العائلة القثائية كوسا Squash شمام Maskmelon قرع Pumpkin Cucurbitaceae Family فقوس Serbent cucumber يقطين Bouttle Groude العائلة القثائية بطيخ Watermelon

العائلة السمسمية العائلة المركبة sesame Pedaliaceae Family العائلة السمسمية عباد الشمس Sunflower Asteraceae Family عكوب Gundelia العائلة المركبة

العائلة الخيمية العائلة الرمرامية بقدونس Parsley Apiaceae Family سبانخ Spinach Chenopodiacea Family Chenopodiacea Family السلق Chard العائلة الرمرامية

Henceforth, UAWC’s Seeds Bank consists of several units, each with its designated assignments:

Registration and Entry Unit: This unit deals with receiving seeds from diverse sources, as soon as they are received, a form is filled which contains all the required details about these seeds, the unit also deals with those interested in benefiting from the seeds bank.

Reproduction or propagation Unit: It is the unit dealing with reproducing seeds. This is done by planting seeds in several locations, in such quantities which can provide the Seeds Bank with the required quantities of seeds.

Drying Unit: After receiving the sample, its humidity rate is measured in order to dry the seeds in this unit in case the sample showed that the humidity ratio is higher than average. The unit also works on received fruits, where seeds are extracted from these fruits in the lab, and are later put to dry.

Seed Bank Laboratory Unit: Several tests are performed on the samples after their registration such as: Measuring the seeds germination ratio Viability of the seeds Purity ratio Weight of 1000 seeds Humidity ratio Microbial infection.

Database Unit: All data collected about the seeds in the registration unit are entered in the Seeds Bank database. The aim of this unit is to preserve the special data of each brand in terms of its original traits, each entry is given a unique code which is directly related to the information about the brand.

Storage Unit: It is the unit in which seeds are stored within suitable and adequate conditions, and it involves: Storage in room-temperature 25°C(short-term). Storage in 4°C (medium-term) Storage in -20°C (long-term).