xvii
agriculture research management. He was coordinator for AICRP on dryland agriculture and Director of CRIDA, Hyderabad during 2013–2017. He was the National
Coordinator for the ICAR-flagship program on climate change, NICRA, and served
as the technical chairman of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, a
climate change negotiator in the Indian delegation represented at UNFCCC,
SBSTRA, and COP meetings, etc. He is executive board member of the International
Dryland Development Commission and Member, Asian Carbon Network. He is a
Fellow of NAAS, ISSS, ISPRD, and received prestigious awards from the
Honourable President and Prime Minister of India. He has published 255 research
papers, 25 books, and serves as a regular reviewer for 15 international journals.
Ali El-Keblawy is a Professor and Chair of the Applied Biology Department,
University of Sharjah, UAE. He was awarded his Ph.D. degree in Plant Ecology
from Tanat University, Egypt and Windsor (Ontario, Canada) in a joint program. Dr.
El-Keblawy has established the Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium and was its
director for 5 years. His research interests include plant ecology, biodiversity and
conservation of desert plants, invasion biology, rangeland management, propagation of native plants of the Arab Gulf deserts, and domestication of desert native
plants for urban landscaping. He has been awarded the Distinguished Faculty award
in Scientific Research, University of Sharjah.
Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil Abhilash is a senior Assistant Professor of sustainability science in the Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development at
Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India and Chair of the Agroecosystem
Specialist Group of IUCN-Commission on Ecosystem Management. He is a Fellow
of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), and his research interests include land degradation and restoration, bioremediation, integrated remediation techniques, and harnessing plant–microbe interactions as low-input techniques
for multipurpose environmental benefits. He is serving on the editorial board of
Agronomy, Biodegradation, Biomass & Bioenergy, Energy, Ecology & Environment,
Environmental Management, Land Degradation & Development, Land, Restoration
Ecology, Sustainable Earth, and Tropical Ecology and as an expert of IPBES, IPCC,
UNDP-BES Network, UNCCD, and IRP of UNEP.
About the Authors
agriculture research management. He was coordinator for AICRP on dryland agriculture and Director of CRIDA, Hyderabad during 2013–2017. He was the National
Coordinator for the ICAR-flagship program on climate change, NICRA, and served
as the technical chairman of the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, a
climate change negotiator in the Indian delegation represented at UNFCCC,
SBSTRA, and COP meetings, etc. He is executive board member of the International
Dryland Development Commission and Member, Asian Carbon Network. He is a
Fellow of NAAS, ISSS, ISPRD, and received prestigious awards from the
Honourable President and Prime Minister of India. He has published 255 research
papers, 25 books, and serves as a regular reviewer for 15 international journals.
Ali El-Keblawy is a Professor and Chair of the Applied Biology Department,
University of Sharjah, UAE. He was awarded his Ph.D. degree in Plant Ecology
from Tanat University, Egypt and Windsor (Ontario, Canada) in a joint program. Dr.
El-Keblawy has established the Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium and was its
director for 5 years. His research interests include plant ecology, biodiversity and
conservation of desert plants, invasion biology, rangeland management, propagation of native plants of the Arab Gulf deserts, and domestication of desert native
plants for urban landscaping. He has been awarded the Distinguished Faculty award
in Scientific Research, University of Sharjah.
Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil Abhilash is a senior Assistant Professor of sustainability science in the Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development at
Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India and Chair of the Agroecosystem
Specialist Group of IUCN-Commission on Ecosystem Management. He is a Fellow
of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), and his research interests include land degradation and restoration, bioremediation, integrated remediation techniques, and harnessing plant–microbe interactions as low-input techniques
for multipurpose environmental benefits. He is serving on the editorial board of
Agronomy, Biodegradation, Biomass & Bioenergy, Energy, Ecology & Environment,
Environmental Management, Land Degradation & Development, Land, Restoration
Ecology, Sustainable Earth, and Tropical Ecology and as an expert of IPBES, IPCC,
UNDP-BES Network, UNCCD, and IRP of UNEP.
About the Authors