Moreover, technologies from many different sectors, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and ICT, offer solutions that can be adapted for water resource management in Arab countries. SWAW therefore aims to: • Analyse S&T solutions to the major water management problems; • Present technologies and scientific projects in the field of water; and • Present existing cooperative R&D programmes and projects in the field of water management and facilitate future collaboration.
4.3. ICT and Infrastructure Information communication technologies (ICT) are a key tool in terms of driving development, particularly in the developing world. ICT is the foundation of any meaningful economic growth as it plays a very important role in any nation’s ability to access, adapt, produce and apply information to develop human capacities. In any technology sector, ICT is necessary to keep up with recent developments and to participate in collaborative research. A good ICT infrastructure offers countless opportunities for the business community, especially in R&D projects. Companies and individuals can communicate, share information and cooperate in real time wherever they are located. Scientific literature is accessible through the Internet and research findings can be easily disseminated. Today, many technologies are available at low costs and, through satellite technology, remote areas can be connected without high investments in cable infrastructure. Many Arab countries are still lacking an appropriate IT infrastructure, which is one of the reasons why it is difficult for scientists to tap into national or global scientific expertise. It is absolutely crucial 8 Science with the Arab World
that Arab countries improve their ICT infrastructure to enable science cooperation and effective science dissemination. Technology advancements in ICT will also help improve the activities of government and public sector organisations. As the Arab world moves towards e-government, ICT improvements will play a crucial role in improving government processes, reducing costs, connecting citizens to local and national government, building external interactions and increasing transparency. To this end, SWAW will: • Demonstrate the potential of ICT for governments and Arab science-based organisations; • Present existing cooperative R&D projects in the field of ICT; • Facilitate future R&D collaboration in the field of S&T; and • Showcase existing ICT application and services such as e-health, e-agriculture, etc.
4.4. Life Sciences and Agriculture Life Sciences - the science that uses living organisms and/or their constituent parts to replace or augment products or processes - have developed rapidly during the last 20 years. They have been identified as the leading technology of the 21st century with tremendous potential to address economic, social and environmental issues afflicting the poor in developing countries.10 The possible applications cover many industrial sectors including agriculture, health, etc. The huge potential of Life Sciences has motivated several Arab countries to invest in this sector. For instance, Saudi Arabia has committed vast R&D funding to the Life Sciences sector11 and the UAE launched the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) in 2005 dedicated to Life Sciences. Life Sciences might be particularly important for solving some of the most urgent sustainability issues in