Water for Food
Panorama
Attitudes towards Business Ethics
Mind Over Matter
‘Sultanah’ Participates in US Race
News Update
Growing Bio-fuel in Oman
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 220
View Point
For Sustainable Future
Considering the dwindling fossil fuels reserves, rising oil prices,
and environmental issues such as global warming, many experts are
advocating for a shift to biofuels and other renewable energy sources. It
is known to everybody that burning fossil fuels, like coal and oil, releases
carbon dioxide, a major cause of global warming. Biofules burn cleaner
than fossil fuels and the cycle of growing the plants and burning fuel
made from them does not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Khamis Rajab Al Busaidi
Editorial Supervision
Humaid Al Adwani
Editor -in-chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Younis Al Harrasi
Editor & Translator
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Biofuel research and development mainly focus on biodiesel and ethanol.
Biodiesel is a vegetable oil extracted from seeds like canola. It’s burned in
oil furnaces and in diesel cars and trucks. Ethanol is blended into petrol
to expand its volume and cut harmful emissions. The challenge is how
to develop production of biodiesel and ethanol when they must compete
with petroleum. It is not rational to expect that arid regions like the Middle
East will become a major producer of biofuels. However, supporting
biofuels will advance Oman’s broader reputation for sustainability. One
of our greatest economic opportunities lies in becoming an intellectual
centre for renewable energy.
Wind energy and solar energy generation are two main areas in which our
researchers and policy makers should focus on. It is high time researchers
at our universities did cutting edge work on new energy generation
technologies. We could consider developing on the coast, projects for
harnessing wave action. All of these would promote Oman as a leader in
sustainability, a core strategy for our economy.
Jatropha and other non-food feed stocks will be a vast source of biofuel
and a key to reducing our dependence on fossil fuel. Jatropha can bring
significant environmental benefits. It can replace jet fuel and diesel from
petroleum without interfering with food crops or leading to the clearing
of forests. Jatropha is a valuable multi-purpose crop to alleviate soil
degradation, desertification and deforestation, which can be used for bioenergy and climatic protection, and hence deserves specific attention. In
this sense, SQU’s research on growing bio fuel crops offers hope.
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of articles, news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions may be edited
for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
Horizon is published three times a month by the Department of Public Relations and Information,
Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
30 July 2011 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
SQU Student’s Paper Picked
for International Contest
From among hundreds of students from around the world, Omar bin
Said al Abri had stood second in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
International Student Paper Contest in 2010. The second year master of
mechanical engineering student in the College of Engineering at SQU has
now got a chance to improve his position and bag the top honours. For this
he will be going to Denver, Colorado, USA in October.
Abri had participated in the undergraduate category along with four other
students last year and had presented a paper on a device design for extending
solid pipes used in oil wells. He has gone solo this time under the master’s
category. Abri’s paper this year is on analytical and numerical solutions for
Solid Expandable Tubular (SET) technology.
Abri was selected to fly to the US after the regional competition in Qatar
in May 2011 that saw the participation of students from Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Qatar, as well as from India and Pakistan. On the paper, Abri said, “With a set of
mathematical equations, a programme that could help petroleum companies
in amassing data on the tubular technology is created. The developed
analytical model is capable of predicting experimental data, which helps in
reducing time with regard to the experimental model and brings down the
effort involved.”
The project has the potential of improving oil well drilling technology by
cutting costs and enhancing performance, he said. Al Abri had special praise
for his project supervisor Dr Tasneem Pervez, Associate Professor, Department
of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, SQU.
News Update
‘Sultanah’ Participates in US Race
Sultan Qaboos University, represented by the College of Engineering, took part
in the International Submarines Race, which was held in Maryland in the United
States of America (USA) from June 27th to July 1st of 2011. The submarine
“Sultanah,” took part in the race. “Sultanah,” is the only one from Asia and the
Arab World to take part in the race among 28 submarines and 24 teams from
USA, Canada, Britain, France, Venezuela and Mexico.
It is the first successful participation for “Sultanah,”. It excelled many submarines
that have experience in the race. Moreover, “Sultanah,” is the fastest submarine
from outside USA and Canada. The international submarine race is held every
two years. The one which took place at Bethesda (Maryland, USA) is the eleventh
edition of the race.
Dr. Jamil Abdo, technical supervisor of the project, told that 16 students and
two faculty members – himself and Dr Nabeel al Rawahy – have worked on the
project. “Four groups worked on this project, of which the first and the second
groups consisted of three students each, the third group had four students and
the fourth group had six students.”
The college started its preparations a couple of years ago, with a group of
students in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering actively
involved in designing and building a submarine under the supervision of faculty
members.
Summer Club Blends Fun and Learning
at helping children to learn new skills, re-discover themselves in an atmosphere
of fun, how to work as a team, and how to make friends.
“The camp was aimed at keeping the children physically active and mentally
stimulated in a positive way, and we encouraged them to venture out beyond
classroom learning. The activities helped children develop their hobbies and
interests into meaningful pursuits and instil positive values,” said Marwa al Hinai,
Head of Marketing and Promotion Section of the Centre for Community Service
& Continuing Education.
As part of Islamic studies activities, the participants were given lectures and
lessons in Islamic Fiqh and ethics. The basics of French language was taught for
the students. The participants were also trained on the use of internet in research
and entertainment. The lessons were given in different class rooms and computer
labs of the university.
This summer was filled with fun and learning for children, with the SQU Centre
for Community Service & Continuing Education organizing the 8th Summer Club
from June 20 to July 20. A series of activities such as Islamic studies, learning
French language, innovation and small projects, the internet, fine arts, and sports
had been lined up at different locations on SQU campus.The Summer Club,
organized for boys aged 9 to 14 and girls from 9 to 15 , included activities aimed
Drawing, formation of raw materials, printing on canvas and ceramic sculpture
making and craft were the major fine arts trainings given to the participants. In
sports, the students were given lessons in football, swimming and gymnastics.
The facilities at the Male and Female Sports Complexes of the university were
utilized for sports activities. Accompanying activities included educational
movies and entertainment trips.
30 July 2011 P3
Insight
Growing Bio-fuel in
Oman
In a context of growing interest for renewable energy sources liquid bioenergy
production from vegetable oils is proposed as one of the possible options to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, bio-diesel production
from Jatropha curcas L. has become a booming business. The oil produced by
this crop can be easily converted to liquid bio-fuel which meets the American
and European standards. Additionally, the press cake can be used as a fertilizer
and the organic waste products can be digested to produce biogas (CH4). The
plant itself is believed to prevent and control soil erosion or can be used as a
living fence or to reclaim waste land. Jatropha Curcas is an excellent biofuel crop
which has many other advantages over existing crops. It grows almost anywhere,
even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive on the poorest stony soil and
grow in the crevices of rocks.
The hardy Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests, and produces seeds
containing up to 40% oil. When the seeds are crushed, the resulting Jatropha
oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel that can be used in a
standard diesel car, while the residue can also be processed into biomass to power
electricity plants. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can
be used in a standard diesel engine, while the residue can also be processed into
biomass to power electricity plants. Jatropha is perennial which can grow in arid
conditions (even deserts), on any kind of land, and does not require irrigation or
suffer in droughts. Therefore unlike the common bio-fuel crops of today (corn
and sugar), they are very easy to cultivate even on poor lands in providing great
social and economic benefits for the people. Jatropha is fast growing and it
begins yielding oil in the second year and for the next forty to fifty years. Jatropha
absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and therefore
earns carbon sequestration credits. The plant can grow in wastelands, fertilizes
the soil that it grows in, and yields more than four times as much fuel per hectare
as soybean; more than ten times that of corn.
Biodiesel in the world
Management of soil and water salinity in Oman is direly needed if agriculture of
the country has to be kept alive and the ever increasing desertification is to be
mitigated at all. Growing salt tolerant crops should be the focus of research in
Oman at present. Experience shows that different crops will behave differently if
they are grown under different saline and water stress conditions. Pot and field
trials will clarify their ability to grow and produce.
Under the prevailing situation in Oman it is imperative that Jatropha be tested
in Oman with regard to its suitability for commercial production. Four kilograms
of seeds were received from National Biodiversity Authority, National Bureau of
Plant Genetic Resources and Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute,
30 July 2011 P4
By: Dr. Ahmed Al Busaidi
College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences
Email: ahmed99@squ.edu.om
India and a research project was initiated. The purpose of this study was to
evaluate the ability of Jatropha plant to grow under different saline and water
stress conditions. Moreover, the study investigated the ability of this plant to
grow and survive under Oman conditions of heat, water and salinity stresses. At
the end of the study, the quality of bio-fuel will be evaluated and compared by
international standards.
It was concluded that the Jatropha plant can grow well under saline and
drought stress conditions. The growth of Jatropha under 2 and 4 days irrigation
intervals was almost the same and the heights of 6 days irrigation plants were
the lowest. Since Jatropha is a drought tolerant plant, in some cases we found
that 6 days irrigation treatment was as good as 2 and 4 days irrigation in term
of plant growth and water use efficiency. The role of the succulent stem in the
water economy of Jatropha seems confined to balance the small water losses of
the leaves during drought. The conservative transpiration rate, high growth rate,
transpiration efficiency and water productivity are promising characteristics for
a quick establishment of the species on degraded or unvegetated sites and for
high production on suitable sites, whilst not consuming too much water.
The findings of this preliminary study were used as the bases for a further study
with different parameters. The objective of that task is to evaluate Jatropha
growth under field conditions in Oman and examine the quality of oil produced
from those plants. A fuller report on the field trials will follow in due course. It
can be concluded that, the approach of small scale Jatropha production for local
oil use offers additional advantages. First, as an additional crop to the current
set of farmers’ activities, applicable in different cropping systems, farmers can
diversify their income sources. Second, Jatropha produces woody by-products
such as pruning waste and fruit hulls which are useful as combustible, which
will reduce pressure on remaining forests and woodlots. Third, planted as
a hedge Jatropha can be used as a living fence, to exclude browsing animals
for ecological restoration or food crop protection because it is unpalatable to
livestock. Fourth, Jatropha can also be planted in contour hedgerows to reduce
soil erosion and to improve soil quality in degraded ecosystems. Finally, locally
organized oil extraction will keep seed cake, which is useful as combustible or
as a soil amendment, available for the local farmers, which is more difficult in
centralized processing setups, often used for large scale projects.
Attitudes towards
Business Ethics
Mind Over Matter
This article is based on a study done by the author on ethical
perceptions of female and male business students of Oman and
India. It was entitled “Attitudes towards business ethics: a crosscultural comparison of students in Oman and India”.
The number of female students and employees in colleges and
workplace is increasing exponentially almost everywhere in
the world. During early industrialization, men dominated the
workforce in every level of the organizations. Few women were
able to climb past the glass ceiling which highly influenced the
decision making process in organizations. Hence, norms defining
ethical behaviors are accepted and expected were primarily
established by men who sit in the top level in organizations.
However, this trend started to change since the beginning of
the 20th century where women started working not only in
Western countries, but also in developing and impoverished
nations. Hence, many researchers have been investigating how
the sudden surge of women in the workplace would affect the
decision making, especially with regards to ethical issues. As a
result, academics have produced a body of research designed
to investigate attributes that differentiate female employees
from their male counterparts. Though many researchers have
investigated the ethical beliefs of managers and employees in
general, specific studies on gender differences in ethical beliefs
of students are few.
As a consequence of major corporate scandals, business schools
all over the world have recognized the importance of introducing/
strengthening business ethics in their curriculum to promote
the awareness of ethical issues among the students. Hence, the
purpose of my study is to determine the ethical perceptions of
male and female business students of Sultanate of Oman and
India. A comparative study involving Oman and India would add
new knowledge to this body of literature as student opinions
on ethical standards and behavior in the Middle East and Indian
subcontinent have received scant attention in the literature.
Oman and India are chosen because both the countries share
many traits in common, yet the differences also striking because
of the culture followed in respective countries. Though India
and Oman are linked by shared history and cultural affinities,
significant differences do arise from religions followed by people
of this two neighboring countries. Because of a religion’s pervasive
role in shaping people’s lives, the day to day living, and business
practices, the ethical standards followed in each country is likely
to be different from the other.
Two major themes emerged after the literature review. Those
are (1) Ethical attitude and gender, and (2) Ethical attitude and
religion. Based on the literature, then two hypotheses were
constructed. Hypothesis-1 proposed that there would be
significant differences toward business ethics between female
business students and male business students of Oman and
India. Hypothesis-2 proposed that there would be significant
differences toward business ethics between business students of
Oman and India.
Attitude Towards Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) was used
to collect the basic data from undergraduate business students
of Sultanate of Oman and India. The questionnaire was originally
developed and used by Preble and Reichel (1988) and has thirty
questions. The ATBEQ questionnaire is a widely used instrument
by business ethics researchers to study ethical perceptions
between genders. Totally 311 students participated in this study.
Out of 311 students, 112 are females and 199 are males. Of the
total sample, Omani male students are 67 and female students
are 71. From the Indian side, there are 41 female respondents and
132 male respondents. No monetary or non-monetary incentives
were given for the respondents to complete the questionnaires.
Participants completed the questionnaires during regular class
periods and they participated voluntarily. The college students,
especially business students were chosen as respondents of this
study as these students would become future managers whose
present ethical perceptions will shape how they will handle an
ethical dilemma tomorrow.
By: Dr. James Rajasekar
Department of Management
College of Commerce and Economics
Hypothesis one stated that there would be ethical differences between male and female
business students. The mean for female respondents stood at 88.74 which is significant.
The ethical attitude of females is also significant (t-value 4.564). Hence, Hypothesis one is
supported. This is consistent with the literature review. Hence, this study reinforces female
business students tend to have higher ethical standards than male business students. While
men respondents readily believed that the only moral of business is making money, women
respondents did not agree with this notion. It appears that by disagreeing with the above item,
female business students from India and Oman are exhibiting that their ethical perceptions
are higher than men respondents.
Hypothesis two stated that there would be significant differences toward business ethics
between business students of Oman and India. Here the respondents of Oman (both male
and female) are compared with the respondent of India (both male and female). Since the
mean and the t-value are significant, hypothesis two is also supported. To a large extent, the
cultural, societal, and personal behaviors and business ethics are shaped by the religion and
ethnic specific principles in each country. In case of Oman it was mainly through Islam and in
case of India it was mainly through all the major religions, i.e. Hinduism, Christianity, Islam,
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism plus other secular literatures. Islam gives clear cut rules and
regulations a Muslim must follow in everyday life. This encompasses values, perceptions,
norms including business ethics. On the other hand, India is a multicultural country with many
religions, customs and practices. In fact people in one region of India follow totally different
life style than their counterparts from some other regions of India. Hence, there is no unifying
factor that shape Indian respondents’ ethical attitude which obviously reflects in not sharing
common ethical practices as put forth by ATBEQ questionnaire.
One of the important findings of this research study is when male and female respondents from
within a country are compared, there were no significant differences between them. However,
if the responses of two genders from two countries are compared, then there were significant
differences in the ethical perceptions. This again reinforces the fact of cultural influence within
the country. Every culture transmits between generations a set of traditional values, rules, and
standards that define acceptable behavior. In this way, individuals channel their conduct in
socially approved directions. Eventually these socially approved directions become personal
standards of ethics which will become corporate ethical standards in future.
The findings from this study should help both educators and employers in creating necessary
programs to maximize the ethical potential of their constituents. The findings should also
help educators to direct their attention to students with specific traits or characteristics to
effectively improve students’ ethicality.
30 July 2011 P5
News Round Up
SQU Team ‘Brothers Forever’ Wins Second place at Imagine Cup
SQU team ‘Brothers Forever’, the only Arab team to reach the finals in the
category of Digital Media, won second place in the Digital Media category
of the Imagine Cup 2011 finals held in New York, USA. Two Omani teams
participated in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup USA 2011 worldwide competition,
having qualified for the finals in New York. The first team ‘Help Me Educate
Others’, a first-place winner in the GCC regional finals, participated in the
Software Design competition.
The ‘Brothers Forever’ consisted of Osama al Adawi and Salim al Harbi, with
Malik al Kindi as Team Mentor. Competitors in the Digital Media category were
asked to make web videos to share their points of view and generate awareness
of critical global issues. The ‘Brothers Forever’ project team video, entitled
‘Cloro-filter for a Green Life’, tells the story about a man from the future, who
shows us a better future with a great invention that can help reduce pollution
by filtering smoke and toxins from the air.
news, a very happy Osama al Adawi said, “I am thrilled to have placed second in
the world in the Digital Media category. This is just the beginning for us! From
now on, we will continue to participate in other international IT competitions.
Salim Al Harbi had this to say, “What a great joy it was to be able to stand on
the stage carrying the Oman flag and see all the participants clapping for us
and our country. I will never forget that moment!”
Malik al Kindi, the ‘Brothers Forever’ team mentor, offered this statement:
“The team sought to provide something different in the competition and
were successful. The video they made impressed everyone who viewed it. The
participation in this competition is a journey towards a world of excellence in
the science and technology field. We also worked together as a team. Despite
difficulties we faced in completing our work, being that the participation was
in the midst of study, it was the teams’ determination and will that enabled us
to reach our goal. Teamwork and co-operation was enough to overcome the
difficulties and thankfully we got to the point of winning.”
The awards ceremony was held at Lincoln Center, New York and attended by
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and officials of Microsoft Corporation,
alongside hundreds of fellow global competitors. On hearing the exciting
Academic Bags Award for Book on “Sick Building Syndrome”
Prof. Sabah A. Abdul-Wahab, an academic in the Department of Mechanical &
Industrial Engineering of the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University
won “WSO Education Award” for the year 2011 instituted by World Safety
Organization, for serving as editor of the book titled “Sick Building Syndrome in
Public Buildings and Work Places” published by Springer. This is the first book on
sick building syndrome to focus on libraries and public buildings, which examines
the impact of interior environments on people’s health, evaluates the effect this
has on their performance, and includes ideas on how to improve design.
HE Dr. Ali bin Soud Al-Bemani, Vice-Chancellor of SQU congratulated Prof. Sabah
and the team of experts who contributed to the book on their achievement. In
his statement the Vice Chancellor said that this achievement testifies existing
communication between researchers from SQU and those from various
universities and research institutions in different parts of the world. He hoped
that this kind creative cooperation between would continue to grow in future.
On this occasion, Dr. Al Bimani thanked his Majesty for his unlimited support to
the university especially in promoting research.
The book “Sick Building Syndrome in Public Buildings and Work Places” throws
light on the Sick Building Syndrome in Libraries and other public buildings, and
the extent to which it is influenced by the internal environment of these buildings.
One of the signs of this disease is that the person suffers from a set of symptoms
closely related to his/her presence in the building, without the identification of
any clear causes, and his/her relief of these symptoms when he/she are out of the
building. Hence, the book sheds on the extent to which the interior environment
impacts upon the health of the people, and the extent to which this is reflected
in their performance.
The book can be used for teaching, research, and professional reference. It
concludes with the recommendation that is essential to observe environmental
dimensions when designing library and public buildings, taking into
consideration the expected impact of SBS in library and public buildings on
people. The significance of the book derives from the fact that it is the first of
its kind to examine the issue of the interior environment and SBS of library and
public building worldwide.
30 July 2011 P6
A statement issued by the World Safety Organization on the occasion on
presenting the award to Prof. Sabah said that the book provides an international
collaboration approach to improving health and safety in the indoor environment.
“This is where many people today work and live. Authors of the chapters in this
book live in Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, India, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Portugal,
Spain, Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, USA, Turkey and in the United Kingdom.
Prior to this publication there was inadequate recently published literature
that comprehensively covered the history of sick building syndrome, the latest
theories and knowledge about sick building syndrome, sick building syndrome
identification, assessment, risk control measures and sick building syndrome
from a medical perspective”. The statement further said that this publication
truly meets the World Safety Organisation motto of “Making safety a way of life
world-wide.”
Panorama
Water for Food
By: Dr. Mumtaz Khan & Dr. Msafiri Mbaga
Water plays a vital role in food production and ensuring food security.
According to an estimate (FAO, 2009) at least one liter of water is required
to produce each calorie of plant food. On the other hand, one calorie of meat
or dairy product requires about 10 liters of water. This shows a significant
link of water to food production (food security), while water resources are
diminishing and agriculture is experiencing more and more scarcity of
irrigation water supplies. It is evident from the history of human civilization
that water control in irrigation schemes has always been considered an
effective tool for prosperity of the humanity.
The amount of water, however, required in agriculture has been tripled
over last many decades. According to the UN reports, it is estimated that
irrigation dependent agriculture covers about 20% of total cultivated land
in the world and its share in global food production is approximately 40%.
But different factors like urbanization, degradation of agricultural land, biofuels mandating, climatic change and drought conditions have great impact
in reducing the amount of water available to agriculture. In the last century
green revolution doubled cereal production with only a small increase in
the cultivated land. FAO reports also indicate that agriculture represents
70 per cent use of global water consumption. According to the FAO
reports food production kept pace with the increasing global population
through improvements in cereal yields, and expansion of irrigated lands,
particularly in Asia. It cautions that the “world has to improve massively
water productivity in agriculture if it is to feed its growing population”.
The concept of food insecurity is receiving attention from last three decades.
All dimensions of food security are likely to be affected by climatic change.
From the last 10 years new threats have emerged to water and food security,
agri­cultural production and their access, which affect the nutrition and
health of people. Different changes in climate trends such as rise in sea
level, heat waves, droughts, floods and variation in rainfall patterns, can
push approximately 600 million people by 2080 into malnutrition and can
increase the number of people facing water scarcity to 1.8 billion. Different
climatic change models are not clear with respect to rainfall and drought
periods; however, temperature projections are generally reliable. Increase in
evapotranspira­tion, and evaporation have caused soil-moisture deficits that
will impact the rain fed agriculture on large scale.
Increase in growth of population and mismanagement of water resources
are also leading to hydrological poverty. By 2050 it seems that more than 40%
of the world’s population may face scarcity of water. Agriculture consumes
about 70% of the freshwater that is withdrawn annually by humans. Water
quality is also being affected by agricultural activities, runoff and leaching
of fertilizer and pesticides, and through other toxic substances which affect
human health. As a result of urbanization, intensive agricultural practices
and run off many coastal habitats are also being degraded and polluted,
In the context of agriculture, water is the most crucial input
that is getting scarce everyday. As a result, water scarcity has
emerged as a potential global crisis with serious implications
for not only food security, but also human health and social
and economic development. This article examines the issue
of water in relation to food security and comes up with
strategies in reducing food and water insecurity in coming
times. The United Nation estimates that 2.7 billion people
will face water scarcity by 2025. Recent research results
show that countries in the GCC region will face serious
water scarcity by 2050. Oman is among countries that will
face serious water deficit by 2050. Based on FAO (2003) by
2030 developing countries (such as Oman) would require an
average production of 3,000 kcal/capita/day. Assuming that
20% of this is animal protein, an estimated 1,300 cubic meter
per capita per year of freshwater would be needed. Oman
will have by 2050 between 0 and 500 cubic meters per capita
per year of freshwater available which is a serious water
deficit since the amount required is 1,300 cubic meter per
capita per year.
which in turn is affecting the entire marine food chains system.
Water Effects on Food Security
The most immediate impact of erratic rainfall on rural livelihoods is on
crop production. Droughts and floods reduce household and national food
availability, and agricultural income derived from crop sales. Poor harvests
threaten food security and livelihoods from household to national level, to
varying degrees according to the extent that the family or nation depends
on agriculture for its food and income. Households and economies that are
more diversified are less vulnerable to these direct impacts of droughts and
floods, provided that their alternative income sources are neither correlated
with rainfall nor directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. The impact
of droughts and floods also affects rural labor markets, because weather
shocks not only influences agricultural production, but also affects the
entire rural economy. Drought reduces the demand for goods and services
in affected communities, threatening the livelihoods of those whose incomes
depend indirectly on agriculture, such as traders and rural barbers.
The following suggestions if adopted may help in reducing food and water
insecurity in coming times.
- Develop strategies to raise the awareness of the citizens through education,
on the importance of water and how to utilize it efficiently
- Declare water as a national security issue and put in place policies that will
ensure that every citizen abides to the requirements to conserve water.
- Educate people to change their eating habits and embark on health
lifestyles. For example in the GCC countries traditionally people eat more of
rice which is imported from places like Pakistan and India. Through heath
education it might be possible to convince people to eat less rice.
- Develop (through crop and plant breeding) locally adapted crops and
plants (drought resistant) these will reduce the need for water.
- Develop ecological agriculture adaptable to climate change conditions
- Promote low-cost adaptation technology based on ecological agriculture
- Enhance public awareness on ecological agriculture’s adaptability for
climate change
- Provide financial support to protect the interests of farmers and increase
their active participation
- Improve the development of new technologies in the agricultural sector,
while devising relevant adaptive measures.
- Measures need to be taken to ensure timely adequate water availability to
the crops
- Develop site specific precision agriculture practices for promoting “more
crops per drops”
(Dr. Mumtaz Khan is a Senior Researcher at the Water Research Centre of SQU and Dr.
Msafiri Mbaga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources Economics
in the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at SQU.)
30 July 2011 P7
Straight Talk
Horizon: Why did you select the topic of Malabar’s Omani connection?
Dr. Ilias: For last one and half decades I have been engaged in a research related to South
India’s trade, religious and cultural contacts with the Arab world. Oman holds a prominent
position among the Arab countries which maintained constant contacts with major cultures
in South India. Traders from both Malabar and Oman have benefited from the flow of
goods and ideas, thereby enriching the culture and society of each other. It is well known
in the history that a large number of North Indian families from Bhatia, Baniya and other
communities have set up diasporic settlements in various port towns of Oman. However, the
South Indian diaspora (both group and individual) are relatively unknown to the scholars in
this field. My paper’s major objective was to understand the historical contours of MalabarOman relations through the life histories of two Keralites who spent considerable amount of
time in their life in Oman.
Horizon: Could you please explain briefly, Oman’s trade relations with the Malabar Coast?
Dr. Ilias: Oman’s trade ties with the Malabar Coast traces back to even before the birth and
spread of Islam in the seventh century. The recent archaeological excavations in Pattanam
(Kerala) have brought forth a variety of tangible evidences for South India’s trade links with
the Arab World, including Oman, from first century A.D. There were frequent Omani sailings
back and forth between the major ports of Oman and Kerala since the first century, though
the major diasporic drive came from the merchants of Oman only during the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries. Oman had a pivotal role in the Indian Ocean trade between East and
West. Evidences are next to nil for direct sailing between Mediterranean coast and India until
around 100BC. Ports in Oman, therefore, served as half-way houses or major transit points for
exchange and trans-shipment from Egypt to India. Oman by then had been emerged as the
major hub of ship-building in the Indian Ocean region.
Horizon: Could you elaborate on Omani settlers in Malabar?
Dr. Ilias: The long-distance trade in high value goods like spices necessitated the presence
of on-site agents from Oman and other parts of the Arabian Peninsula to represent the
interests of traders sending goods from faraway places in many port towns of Malabar, Kerala.
By twelfth century, a system of interlinked trading networks had been established, with
Malabar Coast possessing an all-important role. Major salience of the development of trade
in Malabar was the migration of substantial merchant communities from widely dispersed
lands. The exponential growth of Islam simultaneous to the expansion in Arab trade since
the ninth century accelerated the trend of settling colonies of expatriate merchants from
Arabian Gulf and Persia in major trading centres. The trading diasporic population of Malabar
consisted mostly of Arabs from Hadramawt and Oman. Among them, Hadramis and Omanis
were the most influential foreign Muslim settlers all over the Malabar Coast.
Horizon: How would you introduce Cheraman Perumal and his life in Dhofar to the young
Omanis and Indian residents in Oman?
Dr. Ilias: There has been much of mention in books of ancient history about Cheraman
Perumal, a king of Kerala, who became the first known convert to Islam from the Indian
subcontinent, went to Mecca to meet the Prophet Mohammad and finally settled down in
Dhofar province of Oman and sent messengers who established the first ten mosques on
the West Coast of South India. A widely circulated oral tradition has it; “the King Perumal
landed first in Shihr from there he proceeded to Dhofar, where he settled for a while. After
some years, Perumal wished to return to Kerala in order to invite his own people there to the
new faith he embraced, but the deteriorating physical condition seized him and finally died
and was buried in Dhofar.” Before he died, Perumal urged his companions, Malik bin Dinar
and others, to carry out his designs and propagate the faith in Malabar. Following Perumal’s
instructions, Malik ibn Dinar and his friends landed at the ancient port of Kodungallore. In
Kodungallore they received a red-carpet welcome by the close associates of Perumal and
the first mosque in the Indian subcontinent was established there. In Omani local records
Cherman Perumal is known by another name- al-Samiri. He is believed to have accepted
the name of Abdul Rahiman on his arrival in Arabia. The appellation Samiri may be derived
from the word Zamorin, a Sanskrit word means the custodian or caretaker of the sea. For
last many centuries, Perumal’s tomb remains to be a significant place for ziarat or shrine in
Oman. Worship is offered at his grave in Dhofar and it is a nice coincidence that the place,
where Cheraman Perumal’s body was buried has got strikingly similar climatic conditions
and vegetation as that of Kerala. People still maintain a powerful myth that it was through
his karamat or divine powers that Dhofar is blessed with frequent rain which is a rare
phenomenon in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Dr. M.H.Ilias
M.H.Ilias is Associate Professor at the India-Arab Cultural
Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. He completed his
doctoral research in Middle Eastern Studies from Jawaharlal
Nehru University, New Delhi. His main areas of research include
culture and society in the Arab Gulf; India-GCC cultural contacts;
film and popular culture in the Middle East; Hadrami Diaspora
on the Malabar Coast; and, social anthropology of Islamic
societies in south Asia. Dr. Ilias was recently been awarded the
Ford Foundation Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research at Oxford
University and Post-doctoral Visiting Research Fellowship at
the Centre for Modern Orient, Berlin. His articles and chapters
have been published in many national and international
journals and edited volumes. He presented a working paper
on Malabar’s Omani connection in the Symposium on IndiaOman relations at SQU.