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APN Newsletters | ||||||||||||
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APN Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 3 September 1997
The APN Secretariat is pleased to announce the appointment of APN Liaison Officers in two START regions: Dr. Danesh Chandra Parasher for South Asia, and Mr. Zhibin Wan for Temperate East Asia. Liaison Officers facilitate two-way communications to and from the region to the larger APN community, via the APN Secretariat. Tasks include monitoring global environmental change research and related workshops, trainings, etc., in countries of each START region; updating the inventory of global change research projects, reporting at Scientific Planning Group (SPG) meetings, and reporting periodically to the APN Secretariat (first reports are shown below). Researchers in each region are encouraged to contact the APN Liaison Officer in the respective region to notify them of events, workshops, projects, etc., relevant to the work of APN. (See addresses below.) On behalf of the APN community, we offer a warm welcome to Dr. Parasher and Mr. Wan.
In the coming fiscal year (Oct 1997 - Sept 1998), TEACOM will focus efforts on the further development of regional global change research and research-driven capacity building:
SOUTH ASIAN FACE PROGRAMME: The South Asian FACE Design Workshop was organised at New Delhi during June 23-27, 1997 at the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi jointly by START/SASCOM, the National Physical Laboratory and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The FACE (Free Air CO2 Enrichment) Facility developed for the study of plants/crops growing in small fields with increased CO2 in free air does not as yet exist in South Asia. The purpose of the Workshop was firstly to decide the scope and specific objectives of the FACE based scientific research priorities for the South Asian Region, secondly, to choose a configuration of FACE facilities that would ideally meet these objectives and, thirdly, to review the draft design document prepared by the Indian Design Team for indigenous development of a large FACE facility for South Asia. The FACE Programme worked out for the South Asia envisages setting up of a large Arizona type FACE facility and an Italian type mid-FACE facility. The first crop to be studied intensively will be rice. SASCOM along with START have initiated efforts to raise funds to set up the requisite facilities.
When the global change programs initiated the START system they allowed for development of a regional network in the Pacific area so that the island countries could benefit from START activities. A feasibility study was organised by the Australian Academy of Sciences in 1994. It involved consultation with many people in the region and supported the idea. In July this year a consultation on the prospects of initiating START Oceania was held in Suva, Fiji, in association with the Pacific Science Association Inter-Congress. The participants agreed that there is a need for a framework mechanism to encompass global change research activities currently underway in the region. An organisation such as START could also play a valuable role in bringing scientists and policy makers together at regional forums or workshops. Participants responded positively to the recommendation that a START framework be developed for Oceania, to co-ordinate continuing global change research programs and strengthen linkages between regional scientists and policy makers. A planning meeting, at which the APN will be represented, is being arranged for January 1998 in Canberra, Australia, in association with the APN Scientific Planning Group meeting.
Human Dimensions Open Meeting (Laxenburg, Austria, June 1997) The APN was able to sponsor the attendance of 6 young scientists from the Asia-Pacific region to the 1997 Open Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research Community held in Laxenburg, Austria from June 12 to 14. The meeting was sponsored by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The purpose of the meeting was to bring together the growing human dimensions research community to promote exchanges of information on current research, teaching and outreach, to encourage networking in this new field, and to attract social scientists, humanists and others not previously involved in human dimensions work. There were about three hundred participants from all parts of the world and representing many interests and disciplines. By using parallel sessions and allowing plenty of time for discussion the organisers provided a marvelous opportunity for the participants to follow up their interests productively. The issues highlighted at the APN workshop held in New Delhi in January were all covered, including food security, freshwater and health, integrated assessment, public awareness and eco-consciousness. It was clear from the Forum proceedings that the greatest effort has gone into well defined, limited topics. The task ahead is to pursue analysis, synthesis and integrative work so that all the strands of new knowledge and insights can be brought together to help solve problems raised by the complex global changes now underway. Mr. Natori, Director of the APN Secretariat, announced at the Forum that the APN and other institutions in the region would like to support hosting the next Open Forum in the Asia-Pacific region, in 1999.
Invitation for Proposals The APN Secretariat has posted Procedures and Criteria for Selection of Funded Activities on the APN Homepage. Copies have also been distributed to members of the APN Scientific Planning Group and participants of the recent APN Inter-Governmental Meeting. The document describes procedures, criteria, and format for making proposals. APN's primary purposes are to foster global environmental change research in the Asia-Pacific region, increase developing country participation in that research and strengthen science-policy links. The APN is able to provide a limited amount of financial support for research and workshop activities. Please see the APN Homepage or contact the APN Secretariat for a copy of the document. The deadline for proposals is 30 September.
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Links APN Director attends IAI Meeting Yoshihiro Natori, Director of the APN Secretariat, represented the APN at a meeting of Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the APN's sister network in the Americas. At the 9 to 10 June Executive Council (EC) meeting in Buenos Airies, Argentina, Mr. Natori reported on recent and planned activities of the APN, and discussed future cooperation between the APN and IAI. One outcome was reflected in text of the EC Chair' Report to the IAI Conference of the Parties: "The EC Chair welcomed the APN's interest in collaborating with the IAI on ENSO [El Nino Southern Oscillation] issues and proposed that the IAI director and the EC Chair talk with the APN Director to discuss this future collaboration." Discussions now underway.
The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is an inter-governmental organization created to support the promotion of global environmental research in the Asia-Pacific Region. Japan is serving as the Secretariat.
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