ABSTRACT
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces enduring and escalating challenges due to poverty and environmental insecurity, exacerbated by social inequalities and inadequate policies. These development challenges require strong multidisciplinary research that integrates social and institutional issues alongside natural science dimensions. However, the region is hindered by an inadequate capacity to integrate social and gender issues in environment and natural resource management, particularly among National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), limiting the effectiveness of research efforts.
