APN Newsletter Vol9, No.1 January 2003
Message from the Director
Partnership initiatives are an important element of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) and non-negotiated partnerships in sustainable development
aimed at implementing Agenda 21, coined Type II Partnership/Initiative
, proved to be an important outcome of the WSSD.
The recent APN Steering Committee meeting (Kuala Lumpur, 9-10 December
2002) discussed Scientific Capacity Building/Enhancement for Sustainable
Development , which was proposed by the Ministry of the Environment of
Japan (MOEJ) as a Type II Partnership/Initiative under the Framework of
the APN from FY2003-2007. It was agreed by the SC meeting that the proposal
should be submitted to the 8th Inter-Governmental Meeting (IGM) in Hanoi,
March 2003, for final approval to launch.
The objective of this new 5-year Programme is to develop and enhance scientific
capacity in developing countries and to improve their decision-making
in the target areas related to climate change and water and food security
that are directly linked to their sustainable development. The objectives
of the Programme are expected to be achieved through a two-track approach,
i.e. capacity building for young and/or aspiring scientists and capacity
enhancement for experienced leading scientists.
Expected results include (1) Capacity enhancement of leading researchers
in developing countries to produce comprehensive scientific information
on climate change impacts, vulnerabilities, adaptation and mitigation
opportunities which are made available for policy makers in developing
countries and contribute to international scientific exercises such as
the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC, (2) Enhanced sharing of knowledge,
experience and scientific information on quality data collection and analysis,
impacts, vulnerability, adaptation and mitigation to climate change within
the Asia-Pacific region and between regions in the world for the capacity
building of developing country experts, and (3) Improvement of informed
decision-making in developing countries by disseminating the outcomes
of the research activities to policy makers and civil society, and by
enhancing collaboration between scientists and policy makers.
It is highly expected that the proposal will be approved by the 8th IGM
meeting and the Secretariat also envisages that Scientific Capacity Building/Enhancement
will become one of the largest pillars of APNs activities, and thus in
harmony with the action agenda being set by the WSSD.
Sombo T. Yamamura
Director, APN Secretariat
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NEWS FROM THE SECRETARIAT
GCOS Regional Capacity Building Workshop for East and Southeast Asia
GCOS Regional Capacity Building Workshop for East and Southeast Asia
The mission of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is to ensure
the availability and quality of the atmospheric, oceanographic, and terrestrial
data critical to a wide variety of climate users and to promote improvements
in climate observing systems where needed. Gaps and deficiencies in observing
system networks are especially significant in developing countries. Aware
of these deficiencies, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC,
Decision 5/CP.5, invited GCOS to launch a regional workshop programme
to facilitate improvements in climate observing systems. The central goals
of the programme are:
To assess the contribution of each region to GCOS baseline networks;
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To help participants understand the UNFCCC guidelines
for reporting on systematic observations; |
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To identify national and regional needs and deficiencies
for climate data (including needs for assessing climate impacts, conducting
vulnerability analyses, and undertaking adaptation studies); |
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To improve links between national climate change coordinators
and national meteorological and hydrological services; and |
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To initiate the development of Regional Action Plans for improving
climate observing systems.
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The GCOS Regional workshop for East and Southeast Asia convened in Singapore
on 16-18 September, 2002 and was co-sponsored by UNDP, GEF and ASMC. ASMC
hosted the workshop, which was organised to specifically recognise the
need to identify the priority capacity-building needs of developing countries
in terms of the above-mentioned objectives. The meeting was attended by
directors of the National Meteorological Services, National Climate Change
Organisers and experts from 17 countries in East and Southeast Asia. In
addition to a representative from APN Secretariat, Mr. Chow Kok Kee, Malaysia
APN national Focal Point, Dr. M. Manton, current APN project Principle
Investigator (who showcased APN support in Climate Extremes Monitoring)
and APN Liaison Officer for Southeast Asia, Dr. Anond Snidvongs, attended
the meeting.
APN-UNU/IAS Roundtable Session
As a follow-up to the WSSD, and in particular to extract key messages
for the global change community, APN and the United Nations University
hosted a roundtable session on Post WSSD: Sustainable Science and the
Way Forward for Global Change Research on 1 October in Tokyo. Keynote
addresses were made by representatives from the UNU, the National Institute
for Environmental Studies, Japan, (NIES), and the global change research
communitythe APN and IGBP-LOICZ. Participants from Hyogo Prefectural government,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan, the scientific community, and the
media participated in a discussion session, after key note addresses,
linking the outcomes of the WSSD and the future of global change research
and sustainable science.
Selected recommendations from the discussion session include: the need
to create/enhance regional groupings/networks; necessity of linkages between
global change research programmes and APN activities; place-based and
indigenous knowledge should be incorporated more into global change research;
APN (and the rest of the global change community) should further promote
an interface between science and policy; call for issue driven and communicable
science keeping in mind time lags between science and policy; enhanced
multi-disciplinary approach, especially from a human dimensions and socio-economic
perspective; and Capacity Building is a key follow-up to WSSD commitments,
and in particular Type 2 Partnerships will be important entry points into
the WSSD Plan of Implementation. APN
A comprehensive roundtable report will be issued at the 8th APN Inter-Governmental
and Scientific Planning Group meetings and will also be available on APN
website.
IGFA Meeting
APN Secretariat attended the IGFA Meeting, which was held at the University
of East Anglia in historic Norwich City, UK, where it was noted that global
change is on the move. New frameworks and centres of excellence are being
established, and there is stronger national integration. Arctic research
was a new reported activity, and some of the joint voyages were extremely
interesting. It was reported that the new EU framework in 2002 would include
Adaptation and Mitigation, Biodiversity, Observation and Monitoring, and
Sustainable indicators. In the US, it was noted that the Climate Change
Science Program were planning a workshop for scientists and stakeholders.
This workshop was organised to allow participants to discuss the draft
version of the Strategic Plan for US Climate Change and Global Change
Studies. (www.climatescience.gov). The US is also planning to implement
a new inter-agency planning committee that will give GC more visibility.
As for the GC programmes and networks, IGFA acknowledged that GC programmes
and networks are committed to closer collaboration and joint activities.APN
APEIS Capacity Building Workshop on Integrated Environmental Monitoring
of Asia-Pacific Region
The project of Asia-Pacific Environmental Innovation Strategy (APEIS)
aims to develop scientific knowledge-based tools such as an integrated
monitoring systems and innovative strategy options to promote informed
decision-making for sustainable development, to promote environmental
cooperation and capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region, and to propose
an Asia-Pacific model for sustainable development. The integrated monitoring
systems are being developed by NIES, Japan, CAS, China and NUS, Singapore.
The purpose of the workshop, which was held on 20-21 September 2002, Beijing,
China, was to address two main issues: (1) Capacity building on the development
of integrated monitoring system (satellite-based monitoring, ground-based
monitoring and integration of satellite-based and ground-based systems);
and (2) Exploration of monitoring network expansion. APN directly funded
6 participants at this meeting from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, P. R. China,
Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and Viet Nam.APN
APEIS Capacity Building Workshop on Integrated Environmental Assessment
of Asia-Pacific Region (and COP8 Side Event)
This workshop, which was held in New Delhi from 24-26 October, 2002, was
part of an initiative to build capacity for cooperative assessment of
environment policies in the Asia-Pacific region and was co-organised by
Professor Shukla of IIM, India and Professor Morita of NIES, Japan. The
outcomes of the workshop were very successful and APN was highly recognised
and praised for its funding and participation at the APEIS workshop and
its important work in capacity building activities. There is a strong
APN awareness in India and appreciation of APN efforts. The main points
of the workshop, which was held during COP8, are highlighted by Dr. Sharma
in his SASCOM report on p.9 in this edition of the newsletter. APN
2nd APN Workshop on Vegetation Recovery in Degraded Land Areas
The 2nd APN Workshop on Vegetation Recovery in Degraded Land Areas convened
in Kobe, 26 to 28 November 2002. Workshop participants were mainly drawn
from the first workshop held in Western Australia last year. The specific
purpose of the workshop was to develop suitable research proposals to
be submitted to the APN and/or other funding agencies. A select list of
proposals developed during the workshop included: Adequacy of on-ground
measurement necessary for monitoring vegetation change using remotely
sensed date; Human dimensions in vegetation recovery from degraded land
areas in Asia-Pacific; Participatory ecosystem approach to watershed management;
and Livestock and grazing management for increased productivity and grazing
land improvement.APN
International Symposium on Land Use/Cover Change & Vegetation Recovery
Following the aforementioned workshop there was a half-day international
APN symposium which linked both APN Land Use Cover Change (LUCC synthesis
Principal Investigator, Professor Sharifah S.A. Mastura, gave a keynote
address) and Vegetation Recovery activities. This symposium attracted
around 200 participants from the local research community, as well as
the general public in Hyogo Prefecture, and provided a great opportunity
to promote APN in its own back yard. Furthermore, a DIVERSITAS Scientific
Committee member, Prof. Tohru Nakashizuka, also gave a keynote presentation.
For more information on DIVERSITAS, refer to article written by Dr. Anne
Larigauderie on pp.5-6 of this edition of the APN newsletter. APN
The 6th APN Steering Committee Meeting
In preparation for the 8th Scientific Planning Group Meeting and the Inter-Governmental
Meeting, which will be hosted by Viet Nam in the City of Hanoi in March,
2003, the APN held its 6th APN Scientific Committee Meeting in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on 9-10 December. The meeting was hosted by APN SPG Co-chair,
Dr. Subramanian Moten and APN national Focal Point for Malaysia, Mr. Chow
Kok Kee, of the Malaysian Meteorological Service.APN
APN Member Changes
Cambodia, National Focal Point
Mr. Sovannora IENG replaced Mr. Chou SOPHARK (both of the Ministry of Environment)
Japan, Scientific Planning Group member
Prof. Nobuo MIMURA (Ibaraki University) replaced Dr. Shuzo Nishioka (National Institute for Environmental Studies)
The APN Secretariat would like to thank Mr. Sophark and Dr. Nishioka for their outstanding contribution to APN. We would also like to welcome Mr. Ieng and Prof. Mimura into the APN family.APN
Back to the contents of APN Newsletters
Jan 2003
APN
Supported Project
Climate Variability and Rice-Wheat Productivity in the Indo-Gangetic
Plains
Raj K. Gupta, Rice-Wheat Consortium Coordinating Unit, New Delhi, India
Rice and wheat are two of the most important cereals in the world. These
crops, grown in rotation on 13.5 million ha of land in the Indo-Gangetic
Plains (IGP) spread over Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and provide
food for more than 400 million people, about 8% of the world s population.
The intensification of agriculture which exists today has evolved rapidly
since the 1960s after the introduction of modern high-yielding varieties,
access to irrigation and fertilisers.
There is now growing evidence from long-term agronomic trials within
the region that the productivity of the system is declining. Continuation
of these trends will have serious implications for food security, local
livelihoods and the regional economy. The causes of this observed yield
decline are fairly well documented but the combined effects of multitudes
of factors responsible for the yield decline are often difficult to apportion,
although several key management aspects including planting dates, which
are closely related to the seasonal weather, are thought to be major factors.
As climate is a major determinant in yield (due to both the direct effects
on crop growth and indirect effects related to management), there is major
concern that changes in climate, especially increased temperatures and
changes in rainfall patterns, will exacerbate the observed trend.
Simulation studies suggest mean decreases in rice yields across Asia
of about 4% per degree increase in temperature. By mid-century, temperatures
in the IGP region of India will have increased by 1.8-2.4 oC in the rice
(wet) season and 2.5-3.8 oC in the drier wheat season. Considering a business
as usual scenario and no new technological interventions, a significant
decline in system productivity as a direct result of climate change is
predicted over the next century, with rice and wheat yields in northern
India 20-30% below current levels by 2070. This is all the more alarming
considering Indias population alone is forecast to increase by at least
50% by that time. Serious though the long-term situation may well be,
it is also very important to consider the nearer-term issues associated
with both current and potentially-changed climate variability. Improving
management capacity to adapt to such changes will in itself go a long
way to increasing preparedness for the long-term situation. Research in
adaptive response can best be developed within a systems analysis approach,
underpinned by targeted field studies.
Recognising the added complications that climate change and variability
could bring to rice-wheat productivity, the Rice-Wheat Consortium for
Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC), (http://www. rwc-prism.cgiar.org),
a regional collaboration between agricultural research organisations from
Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and representatives from the CGIAR
Centres for wheat (CIMMYT) and rice (IRRI) approached APN to support a
planning workshop to develop a strategic regional research programme.
The objective of this programme is to develop decision support tools for
the improved management of the rice-wheat system in the IGP in the context
of climate change and variability and build on existing work in the region
in collaboration with the IGBP-GCTE networks.
The planning workshop was held in New Delhi from October 8-10, 2002,
and brought together regional and international scientists to develop
a collaborative research programme whereby new and existing agronomic
data and rice-wheat cropping system models could be better utilised to
determine the likely effects of climate change variability and investigate
management strategies to improve the productivity and sustainability of
the system.
Key note speakers highlighting existing regional and international efforts
included Drs J.R. Porter, P.K. Aggarwal, and J.K Ladha. A number of senior
scientists from India, Bangladesh and Nepal presented overviews of regional
problems and data availability, whilst many of the worlds most prominent
systems modelling groups (e.g. DSSAT, APSIM, DNDC, and SIRIUS) were represented
and outlined the capacity of existing models to simulate rice-wheat systems
and data requirements. These workshop presentations are available on a
CD-ROM from the RWC office (see contact details below). The last day of
the workshop involved group discussions on key aspects of the research
proposal, i.e. the science, collaborators, milestones and funding needs.
Main areas for future development include geo-referenced data management;
cropping system model development; scientific capacity building for model
use and interpretation; and developing client-oriented applications. This
will be closely coupled with field experimentation specifically designed
to improve modelling capacity in relation to new resource conserving technologies
(e.g. developing permanent systems of zero-tillage and raised bed planting
for rice-wheat, direct seeded rice in unpuddled flats, and crop residue
and nutrient management etc., assessing yield loses due to pests, and
their role in promoting yield stability and gains in the face of climate
change and variability.
Past multi-location experiments need to be subjected to more complete
ecosystem modelling analyses to evaluate yield gaps and hypothesize causes
for yield gaps to allow better selection of cultivars and management strategies
to accommodate climate change and variability. Models should be improved
with respect to simulating responses to increases in CO2 and the effects
of stressfully high or low temperature on fertility, grain-filling, and
yield, and crop, soil and agronomic adaptation strategies. More emphasis
should also be placed in acquiring emissions data from agronomic experiments,
particularly conservation management technologies, which would
allow the potential impact of newer management practices on climate change
mitigation to be provided at the same time as developing adaptation strategies.
The linkage between adaptation and mitigation would provide win-win solutions
for the sustainable development of the rice-wheat cropping systems.
The value of the proposed research programme for underpinning and contributing
to the developing CGIAR Challenge Programs on Food and Water and Climate
Change , to the Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS)
initiative and to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research Climate Change
Network was well recognised.
A full proposal for developing systems analysis capability for the rice-wheat
rotational systems and targeted field research will be formulated to aim
at a number of agencies representing both global change science donors
(e.g. APN, national research councils) and other development agencies.
For further details please contact r.gupta@cgiar.org
APN
Workshop participants during a question and answer session
with members
of the Farmers Club village Dasna, (Meerut) UP, India
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Jan 2003
FEATURED
ORGANIZATION
DIVERSITAS: AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME OF BIODIVERSITY SCIENCE
Why do we need an international programme on biodiversity?
During the long history of life, Earth has experienced several periods
of mass extinction. But the current extinction crisis differs from the
previous ones in that it is occurring at an unprecedented rate, and is
the direct result of human activities. Erosion of biodiversity occurs
at various levels, from the genetic diversity of many natural and domesticated
species to the diversity of our planets ecosystems and landscapes, through
the tremendous richness of species. Biodiversity loss is a matter of concern,
not only because of the aesthetic, ethical or cultural values attached
to biodiversity, but also because it could have numerous far-reaching,
often unanticipated, consequences for our life-support system. The capacity
of natural and managed ecosystems to deliver ecological services (e.g.
production of food and fibre, resistance to climate and other environmental
changes) could be reduced. Assessing the causes and consequences of biodiversity
changes, and establishing the bases for the conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity, are major scientific challenges of our time.
The past decade has seen the birth of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD), of many conservation programmes aimed at protecting biodiversity,
as well as many national research programmes dedicated to developing biodiversity
science. Scientific efforts, however, need international co-
ordination to address the complex scientific questions posed by the loss
and change of biodiversity globally, as well as a research framework integrated
across disciplines. DIVERSITAS, founded by ICSU, several ICSU bodies (IUBS,
IUMS, SCOPE) and UNESCO, provides such an international framework. DIVERSTAS
published in September 2002 a new science plan, which is described next.
The missions of DIVERSITAS are:
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to promote integrative biodiversity science, linking
biological, ecological and social disciplines in an effort to produce
socially relevant new knowledge. |
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to provide the scientific basis for an understanding
of biodiversity loss, and to draw out the implications for policies
for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. |
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To achieve these missions, the DIVERSITAS Science Plan
is articulated around three complementary and interdisciplinary core
projects (Figure 1). |
Core Project 1 Discovering biodiversity and predicting its changes
Core Project 1 addresses the following questions:
| 1) |
How much biodiversity is there? (Focus 1.1)
Despite the growing interest in biodiversity during the last decades,
our knowledge of the true diversity of life that inhabits our planet
is still very limited and fragmented. This focus was designed specifically
to promote research on poorly known organisms, and on habitats and
geographic areas that have received insufficient attention. Of special
importance are micro-organisms, including, bacteria, archaea, and
many protist and fungal lineages, which we are currently discovering
thanks to new molecular techniques (e.g., Lopez-Garcia et al. 2001)
and which probably fulfil important functions in biogeochemical cycles.
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| 2) |
How and why is biodiversity changing? (Focus 1.2)
The assessment of the state and change of biodiversity requires monitoring
at the relevant scales of space and time. These scales can vary from
days to years and from fractions of a metre to thousands of kilometres.
Monitoring is essential to evaluate the success or failure of conservation
and restoration measures (e.g. in the framework of the Convention
on Biological Diversity) and to calibrate and validate models and
scenarios. The objective of this focus is to develop the scientific
basis for monitoring biodiversity, as well as the tools of monitoring
and their use.
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| 3) |
How can we predict biodiversity changes? (Focus 1.3)
The aim of this focus is to improve our capacity to predict and hence
to respond to biodiversity loss. The basic knowledge obtained will
help identify the likely biodiversity effects of anthropogenic changes
at different spatial and temporal scales, and the sensitivity of those
effects to variation in climatic and economic conditions. This knowledge
is essential if decision makers are to be able to assess the relative
costs and benefits of different resource use options. It will support
a range of decision-tools, including scenario building. |
Core Project 2 Assessing impacts of biodiversity changes
The goal of Core Project 2 is to understand the consequences of biodiversity
changes on ecosystem functioning and goods and services (Focus 2.1). It
investigates how the biodiversity changes studied and predicted in Core
Project 1 affect ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services, thereby
influencing strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
(Core Project 3). A particular emphasis, within the context of ecological
services, is placed on impacts of biodiversity changes on human health
(Focus 2.2). Historically, approaches to the study of emerging diseases
in humans have focused on treating infectious agents and producing medicines
to combat them. These approaches have not generally placed infectious
agents (virus, parasites, microbes) in their ecological context, nor examined
the complex factors leading to emergence of diseases. The ultimate goal
of this ecological approach is to contribute to developing a broader,
predictive science of infectious diseases.
Core Project 3 Developing the science of conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity
Core Project 3, assesses the effectiveness of current regulatory measures
and incentives to protect biodiversity, investigates alternative social,
political and economic motivators for biodiversity protection, and establishes
a scientific approach for optimising multiple use of biodiversity, considering
possible trade-offs between economic and environmental goals. The first
focus of Core Project 3 has two objectives:
| 1) |
the scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of existing
conservation measures; |
| 2) |
the identification of the socio-economic causes of
the failure of conservation measures. |
The two objectives of the second focus (Focus 3.2) are:
| 1) |
to identify the economic consequences of biodiversity
change in particular systems or landscapes, to evaluate the trade-offs
involved in alternative strategies, and to identify the scope for
biodiversity enhancement; |
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to develop the scientific basis of precautionary decision-making,
and to apply this in specific cases.
Cross-cutting networks |
In addition to these three thematic core projects, a few integrated cross-cutting
networks, which embrace issues addressed in all the core projects, are
currently being developed around particular topics or ecosystems:
| 1) |
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA)
just released the first assessment of mountain biodiversity (Krner
& Spehn 2002) and is currently contributing to the Convention
on Biological Diversity in the context of the International Year of
the Mountain (see the poster from E. Spehn and C. Krner Global Mountain
Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA): a DIVERSITAS network ) and to the
Millennium Assessment. |
| 2) |
The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP): a framework
for international cooperation and capacity building to address the
issues of invasive alien species. |
| 3) |
.The International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY):
a window in time (2001-2002) in which scientists and educators across
the world are joining forces to increase communication of important
science-based information about biodiversity to a broad audience.
IBOY was launched following the successful Biodiversity Observation
Year (BOY), launched by DIWPA, DIVERSITAS in Western Pacific and Asia. |
References
Krner, C., and Spehn, E. (2002). Mountain BiodiversityA Global Assessment,
Parthenon Publishing, Switzerland, 350 pp.
Lopez-Garcia, P., Rodriguez-Valera, F., Pedros-Alios, C., and Moreira, D.
(2001). Unexpected diversity of small eukaryotes in deep-sea Antarctic plankton
Nature 409: 603-607.
The DIVERSITAS International secretariat is located in Paris. To find
out more about DIVERSITAS, get involved in DIVERSITAS activities, or receive
the newsletter, please visit the web site: www.icsu.org/diversitas/,
or contact its Executive Director: Dr. Anne Larigauderie (anne@icsu.org).
APN
Figure 1: The three Core Projects of DIVERSITAS
Scientific Committee of DIVERSITAS, in front of ICSU (International
Council for Science) in Paris, at its annual meeting (12-13 April 2002)
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Jan 2003
APN Supported
Project
APN-LUCC Synthesis
Following approval at the 7th IGM, APN will produce an annual synthesis
report with the global change theme changing each year. This report will
be part of, or a joint publication of, an APN annual report (the first
of which will be published for 2002). A common factor of the annual synthesis
report will be how the results of projects funded by APN contributed to
APN in terms of the six main goals highlighted in the APN Strategic Plan
1999-2004, which are as follows:
| Goal 1. |
Support regional cooperation in global change research
on issues particularly relevant to the region.
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Goal 2.
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Strengthen the interactions among scientists and policy
makers, provide a scientific input to policy decision making and scientific
knowledge to the public.
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| Goal 3. |
Improve the scientific and technical capabilities of nations in
the region.
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| Goal 4. |
Facilitate the standardisation, collection, analysis
and exchange of scientific data and information relating to global
change research.
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| Goal 5. |
Cooperate with other global change networks and organisations.
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| Goal 6. |
Facilitate the development of research infrastructure
and the transfer of know-how and technology. |
The first synthesis workshop was on Land-Use and Cover Change (LUCC),
with Professor Sharifah S.A. Mastura as principal investigator. This workshop,
in which scientific experts from the Asia-Pacific region participated
(APN project members and global change community), was held in Kobe in
September, 2002.
In the past few years APN has been
active in funding Global Change research in the Asia-Pacific region with
a LUCC-based theme. In 2000 and 2001 APN provided funds for Southeast
Asia Regional Research and Information Network (SEARRIN) to carry out
LUCC research in Southeast Asia, and awarded another grant in 2001 to
undertake a new project on Spatial Data and Information for Land Use and
Forest Assessment and Management. Following the completion of the LUCC
research APN agreed to sponsor a synthesis report to collate and synthesize
individual country reports. The publication of this South East Asia LUCC
synthesis report will be useful not just to APN but also to the scientific
community, policy makers and other interested users worldwide. There have
been several other projects related to LUCC in the Asia-Pacific region
that APN has funded over the years. (For more details, see APN website:
www.apn.gr.jp/prjct00.htm)
The workshop aimed to assess and synthesize APN-funded LUCC research
in addressing the present state of LUCC science, and finding the answers
to the scientific questions related to it, in exploring its future potentials
and in evaluating its existing built capacity. In addition, the final
report will include suggestions for an APN LUCC strategic plan which could
support future funding priorities in both basic and applied research in
LUCC in the future. The report will be completed by the end of February
2003, with main writers being Sharifah S.A. Mastura and David Skole. It
is also expected that a peer-reviewed paper will also be published in
the Journal Regional Environmental Change.
From 1999-2002, those projects funded by APN under the umbrella of LUCC
focused on rates of change, drivers of change, scenarios of change, impacts
of change, policy options and data management. Although the areas of research
and methodology employed differ considerably, researchers are becoming
aware of the need to understand the complex issues of LUCC.
The projects funded by APN that were considered suitable for the synthesis
project were:
Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC) in Southeast Asia (SEA) which investigated
the inter-annual dynamics of deforestation, regrowth and land use change
in the SEA region related it to the driving forces of change.
Spatial Data and Information for Land Use and Forest Assessment and Management
provides support systems that allows for development of online, internet-based
application providing users access to geospatial data and information.
Change and Sustainability of Pastoral Land Use System in Temperate, East
and Central Asia Symposium provided a forum for regional and international
scientists to share information on all aspects of pastoral land use and
develop a stronger understanding of linkages between climate, ecosystem
and human elements in the region.
Land Use and Land Cover Change and Carbon Stocks Capacity Building, Impact
Assessment, Policy Support in South and Southeast Asia. The project investigated
the inventory of below- and above-ground biomass of various land use types,
emissions of GHGs from soil in the changing LUCC, and the role of ecosystem
disturbance such as fires on the dynamics of terrestrial carbon stocks.
Global Change Impact Assessment for Himalayan Mountain Region for Resource
Management and Sustainable Development studied the natural- and man-made
land degradation in this young and fragile ecosystem.
Land Use/Management Change and Trace Gas Emissions in East Asia developed
trace gas fluxes and a LUCC database, integrated agriculture and management
into a land use database, evaluated methodologies to project regional
trace-gas emissions and developed mitigating strategies to reduce
impact.
Interaction between LUCC and Carbon Cycle provided a good understanding
of carbon sources and their magnitude, and gave the bases for developing
strategies to reduce emissions and promote practices that may increase
carbon uptake.
Network for Collaborative Research on the Ecology of Global Change in
Island Landscapes of the Tropical Pacific emphasized the management of
natural ecosystems in maintaining their natural services and their capacity
for self-recovery after major land use disturbance.
The workshop also allowed researchers to evaluate their respective research
and determine gaps in LUCC research and to chart the future direction
of LUCC research, not only from an A-P regional perspective, but from
a global perspective as well. One of the major conclusions of the workshop
was that APN strategies of LUCC policy should build on existing projects
and networks within the Asia Pacific region, as well as inter-regionally.
Furthermore, LUCC synthesis initiatives should lead toward developing
an effective land cover decision support system for APN contribution to
Global Change research and development. Among other things, this LUCC
support system is expected to incorporate:
The development of a standardized land cover and environmental classification
system;
The development of a system for land cover baselines and change detection;
The identification of areas of rapid change;
The analysis and modelling of LUCC to the drivers of change;
The prediction of land cover and environmental change risk zones; and
The development of environmental indicators of LUCC.
The findings from the LUCC Synthesis Workshop, which will be published
in an APN-LUCC Synthesis Report in time for the 8th APN SPG/IGM Meetings
in March 2003, are expected to benefit not only the scientific community
but also decision-makers and other interested parties at local, regional,
and global scales.APN
For more information, please contact:
Prof. Sharifah S.A. Mastura
Earth Observation Centre
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 Bangi, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: +603-89213679
Fax: +603-89213334
Email: sharifah@eoc.ukm.my
APN Secretariat
IHD Centre Bldg. 5F
Wakinohama Kaigan Dori
Chuo-ku, Kobe, 651-0073
Japan
Tel: +81-78-230-8017
Fax: +81-78-230-8018
Email: info@apn.gr.jp
Back to the contents of APN Newsletters Jan 2003
REGIONAL NEWS
OCEANIA
Pacific Islands Community-Based Conservation Course, 28 Oct-15 Nov
The second 3-week phase of this course reconvened after about 6 months
in their respective home countries working on specific conservation projects.
The aim of the course was to enhance the skills and knowledge of participants
in supporting community-based conservation. SPREP (South Pacific Regional
Environment Programme), ICPL (International Centre for Protected Landscapes),
USP and START were responsible for the management of the course.
Beach Surveying/Monitoring Workshop, 23-24 Nov
The workshop, facilitated by Prof. Nick Harvey (Australia) and Dr. Paul
Kench (New Zealand), was held at USP as part of APN project (2002-16)
Atoll island change and linkages to sea level variations in Oceania. The
workshop was attended by key beach monitoring/surveying personnel from
Tuvalu, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Fiji. Leigh-Anne Buliruarua represented
APN and START at the meeting. The main objectives of the workshop were
to:
provide basic techniques/ methods for surveying /monitoring.
set up a regional support network to enable participants to exchange information,
and to conduct subsequent analyses and synthesis of data with regard to
coastal management policy.
PABITRA Training Course, 18-29 Nov
A training course was held as part of the capacity building component
of the Pacific Islands Biodiversity Transect Project (PABITRA) headed
by Professor Muller Dombois (APN 2002-17). The training aimed to look
at methodologies or sampling protocols in the field. The PABITRA strategy
is to combine the horizontal and vertical approaches to ecosystem studies
and biodiversity conservation.
Pacific GIS/ RS Annual User Conference, 19-21 Nov
The objective of the conference was to encourage the development of a
professional and more effective GIS and Remote Sensing User Community
in the Pacific Island Region. The meeting enabled the sharing of organisational
goals, achievements, problems, goals, and needs, discussions on future
directions and needs of the regional GIS and Remote Sensing community.
START-Oceania Committee Meeting, 25-26 Nov
Committee members were briefed on Secretariat activities over the course
of the year. Present at the meeting were Prof. Nick Harvey (chair), Prof.
Mike Hamnett, Dr. John Campbell, Mr. Taito Nakalevu (SPREP), Dr. Koshy
and Ms. Leigh-Anne Buliruarua.
Main items discussed at the meeting included:
A drive for a wider regional representation on the committee including
IRD (Institute of Research and Development based in New Caledonia) and
University of Papua New Guinea.
Oceania support plan for the START Decadal Plan.
Future projects.
Compiled from report by APN Liaison Officer Ms. Leigh-Anne Buliruarua
SOUTH ASIA
APN RWC-GCTE Research Planning Workshop on Climate Variability and Rice-Wheat
Productivity in Indo-Gangetic Plains , New Delhi, India, 8-10 October.
Workshop was organized by the Rice Wheat Consortium (RWC) in collaboration
with GCTE. The workshop participants discussed several key issues like
agronomical practices, constrains in Rice-wheat ecosystem especially in
the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) area.
A CD ROM containing all the presentations made during the Workshop was
released during the final session of the workshop. Further details of
this workshop can be obtained from pp.4-5 of this edition of the APN newsletter,
as well as from Dr. Raj K. Gupta (r.gupta@ cgiar.org) and Mr. John Ingram
(jsii@ ceh.ac.uk).
APEIS Capacity Building Workshop on Integrated Environment Assessment
in the Asia Pacific Region, New Delhi, 24-26 October.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, India and National
Institute of Environmental Studies (NIES), Tsukuba, Japan organized the
Workshop under the sponsorship of Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change
Research (APN) and Asia-Pacific Environmental Innovation Strategy (APEIS)
Project.
The objective of the workshop was to build capacity in the Asia-Pacific
region to fulfil the need for integrated environment assessment modelling
and policy making which is required for meaningful participation of this
regions nations in global environmental actions, such as in the global
sustainable development and climate change regimes. All these issues require
integrated assessment of environmental policies and measures in the context
of their specific local conditions. The Asia-Pacific Integrated Model
(AIM) developed by NIES researchers is an important tool for the development
of integrated environment assessment in the region. The workshop provided
exposure to state-of-the-art knowledge about AIM model structures, applications
and hands-on experience with the important Integrated Environment Assessment
(IEA) models used in the Asia-Pacific context to about twenty participants.
For future collaboration on this component of the APEIS project and IEA
modelling, several important points were highlighted and included: The
need for data validation and appropriate model structures; inclusion of
more ecosystem-related modelling; more vulnerability and adaptation studies
required; more integrated models required; specific policy needs to be
addressed. In order for an integrated model such as AIM to be effectively
validated, modellers must be involved at the regional level; must strengthen
data collection and the sharing of data. From this aspect, capacity building
is extremely important to APN particularly for those developing countries
that are most likely to be affected by the impacts of global change.
The workshop was held during COP8 and thus provided an opportunity for
an APEIS Side Event Asia-Pacific Forum for Collaborative Modelling of
Climate Policy. The side event was well attended providing an excellent
opportunity to showcase APN. The meeting was also attended by the APN
national Focal Point for India, Dr. S.K. Sharma, and the Ministry of the
Environment, Japan, Mr. Takahashi and Mr. Ono.
Further information about this workshop can be obtained from Dr. P.R.
Shukla, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India 380015, Phone:
91 79 6324827, Fax: 91 79 6306896, Email: shukla@iimahd.ernet.in
Compiled from report by APN Liaison Officer Dr. C. Sharma
SOUTHEAST ASIA
The Seventh Workshop on Ocean Models (WOM) for the APEC Region, 30 September-1
October
The workshops (held in Singapore) objective was to share experience of
APEC member economies in development and application of computer models
for hydrodynamics, water quality and ecological simulation in coastal
and ocean environments. The workshop was separated into four sessions:
ocean circulation modelling and data assimilation,
remote sensing, environmental modelling, and ocean circulation modelling.
Thailand will be the host for the next workshop in 2003.
1st SARCS Regional Council Meeting and 16th START Scientific Steering
Committee (SSC), 12-16 October
The SARCS Regional Council met in Hanoi, Viet Nam, on 12th October 2002.
This was the first meeting of the Southeast Asia regional advisory body
of START since the reorganization of SARCS in 2000. The meeting was attended
by representatives from government, global change science programmes,
international science programmes, and funding agencies. Present status
and ongoing work in the region under the framework of START were reported
by activity leaders. The future of projects and work plans were discussed
and approved.
Immediately following SARCS Regional Council Meeting, the 16th START
Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) also met at the same venue from 13th
to 16th October 2002. The committee discussed the updates of START sponsoring
programsIGBP, IHDP, WCRP and DIVERSITAS as well as of regional partnershipsAPN
and IAI. Dr. Linda Stevenson and Mr. Martin Rice represented APN in the
meeting. The SSC also discussed the decadal plan for capacity building,
cross cutting projects, and regional ongoing and proposed activities.
GAME-T and Hydrometeorological Studies in Thailand and Southeast Asia,
29-31 October
GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment Tropics (GAME-T) and Hydrometeorological
Studies in Thailand and Southeast Asia Meeting was held in Chiang Rai,
Thailand. About 100 international scientists joined in this event. The
topic related with the implementation and the process of research team
using GAME data for study climate situation in Southeast Asia Region.
During the meeting, SEA START RCs Director, Dr. Anond Snidvongs, also
presented the Application of Variable Infiltration Capacity Concept to
Runoff and Discharge in Small Drainage Basins in Southeast Asia.
Meeting on Environmental Assessment and Early Warning Strategy for 2003/04,
22 November
UNEP Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP) organized
this meeting with an emphasis on framework and indicators for environmental
assessment at the Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRCAP),
Asia Institute of Technology, Thailand. The mission of RRC.AP is to provide
the world community with improved access to meaningful environmental data
and information, and to help increase the capacity of governments to use
environmental information for decision-making and action planning for
sustainable human development.
Workshop on Impact of Climate Change on Water and Wetland Resources in
Mekong River Basin, 25-26 November
SEA START RC with IUCNThe World Conservation Union organized this Workshop
in Bangkok, Thailand. The purpose of the workshop was to address the following;
a) what climate changes will be induced by an increase in CO2 levels in
the atmosphere? b) how may climate change affect the water and wetland
resources in the Mekong River basin, and as policy makers and stakeholders
how can we incorporate this factor into long-term planning strategies?
Participants consisted of representatives of governments, experts on climate
change and water and wetland resources, international and regional academics
and representatives of local and international NGOs.
East Asia Acid Deposition Monitoring Network Meeting, 25-27 November
Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) organized a meeting
at Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRCAP), Asia Institute
of Technology, Thailand. The meeting was intended to discuss about acid
deposition monitoring including regional collaborative monitoring network.
Compiled from report by APN Liaison Officer Dr. Anond Snidvongs
TEMPERATE EAST ASIA
1. Meeting
10th TEACOM meeting, Vladivostok, Russian Federation, 6 October
The 10th TEACOM meeting was held in Vladivostok with financial support
from DGIS/Netherlands through the International START secretariat and
in-kind support from the Institute of Marine Biology, Far East Branch
of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was also held in conjunction with
the APN/START Global Change Awareness Raising Symposium in Northeast Asia
(October 7-8, 2002) as part of APN s networking and capacity building
programme.
The meeting was attended by START Deputy Director, TEACOM members, guests
from PAGES and LOICZ and observers from China, the Russian Federation,
Republic of Korea and Japan.
This meeting was opened by Prof. V. Kasyanov, chair of TEACOM, and followed
by a brief introduction about START and APN. In the morning session, progress
reports of on-going TEA regional projects were presented by TEACOM members,
which included Regional Model Inter-comparison Project for Asia, Study
on Aridification in Northern China, Russia Coast Ecosystem Study, LUTEA
and Transition to an AIACC project in Mongolia, and an AIACC Project in
Western China, etc. The afternoon session focused on the LOICZ East Asia
Basins Project, and the development of a coastal zone research proposal.
This TEACOM meeting also considered ways to improve the functioning of
TEACOM. A major suggestion was to revise the current structure of the
Committee to include more than one member per country and suggested that
this proposal be brought up for consideration at the START SSC meeting
in Hanoi. The next TEACOM meeting will be held in either Hong Kong or
Japan.
2. Publication
The International START Secretariat recently published a regional synthesis
book under the IGBP synthesis series, entitled Global-regional Linkages
in the Earth System (ISBN3-540-42403-2, Springer) edited by Peter Tyson,
Roland Fuchs, Congbin Fu, Louis Lebel, A. P. Mitra, Eric Odada, John Perry,
Will Steffen and Hassan Virji. This book contains a chapter on East Asia.
The book synthesizes current knowledge of regional-global linkages in
four regions to demonstrate that the study of environmental change on
a regional scale can enhance understanding of global-scale environmental
change.
Compiled from report by APN Liaison Officer Ms. Yang YingAPN
Speakers of the workshop on impact of climate change on
water and wetland resources
Back to the contents of APN Newsletters Jan 2003
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