CWANA countries have started to create databases on various agrobiodiversity topics. In Turkey, a comprehensive and complementary database management system linked with the geographic information system (GIS) exists for all related activities and for a better understanding of agrobiodiversity (Tan and Tan, 1998a, 1998b).

UNEP and the World Bank have a global program on biodiversity and genetic resources and have mobilized funds across CWANA, through the Global Environment Facility's support of biodiversity country strategies along with major in situ conservation projects, such as In Situ Conservation of Genetic Diversity in Turkey (Tan and Tan, 2002) and Design, Testing and Evaluation of Best Practices for In Situ Conservation of Economically Important Wild Species, with Demonstration in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey (UNEP, 2003). The UNDP regional office for the Near East approved an important regional collaborative project in 1998, Agrobiodiversity In Situ Conservation, involving Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. It was coordinated by ICARDA, with technical backup by IPGRI and ACSAD and through GEF support, a regional date palm project for the Maghreb oases.

In situ conservation of genetic biodiversity of Turkey: case study 1. This five-year project, associated with the Bank's Eastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Project, started in 1993 and worked to address Turkey's natural resource degradation through in situ and ex situ conservation as supported by the World Bank GEF (Zencirci et al., 1998; Tan and Tan, 2002).

Project goals: Permit genetic evolution through in situ conservation (Kaya et al., 1998).

• Protect in situ the genetic resources and wild relatives of important crop and forest tree species. The southeastern, southern central Anatolian and Aegean regions have been identified as important biodiversity centers for wild relatives of cultured crops
• Establish the complementary conservation ex situ and in situ wild relatives of selected crops, fruit and forest species
• Establish ex situ conservation of associated species of target species in selected sites
• Establish natural reserves or gene management zones (GMZs) for target species
• Plan management for selected GMZs
• Prepare national plan for in situ conservation
• Create a comprehensive database management system linked with GIS

Strengthening the scientific basis of in situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity on farm: case study 2. In 1995, IGPRI and its nine national partners (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Hungary, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Turkey and Vietnam) formed the project Strengthen the Scientific Basis of In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity On Farm (Jarvis and Hodghin, 1998; Jarvis, Myer et al., 2000). The nine countries are all within regions of primary diversity for crop genetic resources with world importance. The countries all have national programs organized to conserve crop genetic resources, including ex situ conservation

facilities; additionally, all have a strong interest in developing the national capacity to support in situ conservation. The project serves to strengthen the relationships between formal institutions and farmers and local institutions. Project objectives are to develop global and national management frameworks for implementing in situ conservation, collecting and analyzing information to define the genetic diversity in farmers' fields and to develop the criteria for the successful maintenance of existing diversity. It intends to broaden and conserve agricultural biodiversity by farming communities and other groups.The IPGRI CWANA group is closely involved in this project and has two participating countries, Morocco (Birouk et al., 1998) and Turkey (Tan, 2002).

This project has created comprehensive database management systems for each national project. It provided a model to other countries for future projects. The Training Guide for In Situ Conservation On-Farm was produced (Jarvis, Sthapit et al., 2000) and tested through the GEF/ UNDP Project on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dry Land Agrobiodiversity in Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria.

Conservation and sustainable use of dryland agrobiodiversity: case study 3. The five-year project was launched in 1999 to promote in situ conservation and sustainable dryland agrobiodiversity in Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria, with financial support from the GEF/ UNDP (www.icarda.org/Gef/P1.htm). In addition to the country institutions, ICARDA, IPGRI and ACSAD are involved in the project.

Genetic erosion of some animal breeds has been occurring at an unabated rate from lack of incentives for conservation and population pressure, ecological changes, natural catastrophes and adverse economics. This depletion is an immense threat to the livelihood of the local pastoral communities. Conservation of these animal genetic resources by governments and other stakeholders would ensure the well-being of pastoralists and prevent genetic losses. Conservation of animal genetics is essential to enable farmers to adapt to different environments and consumer demand and to fully realize the investment made over generations in developing these breeds. Also, conservation of wild species will provide opportunity to develop the livestock sector. FAO has led efforts to sustainably use, develop and conserve animal genetic resources and since 1993 has engaged in preparing the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources. The global strategy is to serve as a strategic framework for international efforts in animal genetic resources.

The First Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources is an essential element of the global strategy. Countries were invited by FAO in March 2001 to produce and submit country reports (www.fao.org, www .dad.fao.org). The first report will provide a comprehensive review of current global livestock diversity and direction for better management of it. Country reports and the First Report of the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources will provide a strategic planning framework for animal genetic resources, supporting the development and implementation of national, regional and global policies and pro-