Open National Cmt. Chairs Meeting, Banff, June 2003

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Open National Cmt. Chairs Meeting, Banff, June
2003
CASTING A WIDER NET towards a truly global IGBP

• International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

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IGBPs first steps...

• ICSU Executive Board 1983
• ...ICSU to develop a group of interdisciplinary
  programmes that help decision-makers to
  comprehend the changes that are taking place, the
  actions necessary at a national and international
  level and permit scientists to elucidate the
  studies to be continued or developed ()
• ICSU General Assembly 1986 establish IGBP, its
  special cmt. (SC-IGBP) for coordination of the
  scientific programme,() accepts with thanks the
  Government of Swedens offer to provide an
  international secretariat,() encourages the
  development of an appropriate plan for the
  programme including regularly scheduled
  contributions by participating national members.

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first steps (cont.)

• IGBPs nominating group for SC leadership
• (...) the group took note to give special
  attention to young scientists, women and
  scientists in developing countries.
• () IGBP projects cannot be implemented without
  the active participation of national cmts. and
  national scientific communities () although they
  will not be appointed to represent national
  committees.() major parts of national programmes
  will be formal parts of the core IGBP projects
  ...as supporting activities.
• From IGBP, A Plan for Action, IGBP Report 4,
  1988

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Roles and Responsibilities of National Committees

• From the IGBP Constitution
• Provide advice to IGBP Scientific Advisory
  Councilsin Stockholm (1988), Paris (1990),
  Ensenada, Mexico (1993) Beijing (1995) and
  Nairobi, Kenya (1998).
• Help raising funds
• Over the years additional roles have been
  identified
• Promote global change research nationally
• Facilitate the participation of national
  scientists in the international programme (SC and
  SSCs)
• Help disseminate IGBP research to national
  stakeholders.

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1999-2003 IGBP IN TRANSITION

• Synthesis (8 books/CUP/Springer, 2 in press)
• Global Change Open Science Conference, 2001(c.
  1400 participants from 105 countries, 320 LDC
  colleagues attended, 133 supported by IGBP)
• Planning IGBP II New Questions, New Structure,
  New Challenges IGBP is concerned with a loss of
  national level support and recognises that NCs
  represent an enormous but largely untapped
  resource in terms of raising the profile of, and
  participation in, IGBP in both developed and
  developing countries. Secretariat to prepare a
  white paper for discussion at the 2001 SC-IGBP
  meeting

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2001 SC IGBP decisions

• Making IGBP truly Global need to develop a
  strategy to strengthen the National Committee
  structure and to re-engage them more centrally in
  the IGBP programme.
• Based on 2001 survey and SC- IGBP discussions
  determine ways to improve the internal
  communication between the NCs, the Secretariat,
  and the IGBP Core Projects.

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2001 NC Survey results

• 23 out of 78 NCs responses. 65 of respondents
  from the developed world (particularly Europe)
  strongly highlighted the need to involve National
  Committees from developing countries. Key
  messages
• Full support (22 out of 23) to hold a National
  Committee Chairs meeting as part of the 2003 IGBP
  Congress
• Need to identify a clearer role for NCs
• Preferred communication tools web-based and
  presentation materials.
• identified shortcomings capacity building, poor
  funding, limited human resources (voluntary work)
  and poor internet access for developing
  countries.

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2002 NC Survey results

• Questions focused on major research themes, key
  institutions and individuals (by career stage)
  and established networks.
• From 72 updated NCs contacts, 26 responded
• Asia and Middle East (10) Bangladesh, China,
  Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan,
  Singapore, Syria and Vietnam
• Africa (8) Benin, Botswana, Cameron, Comoros,
  Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Maroc
• America (4) Bolivia, Colombia, Jamaica,
  Venezuela
• Europe (4) Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, UK
• The trend has changed since 2001 large majority
  of respondents from the developing world
  (cont.)

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2002 NC Survey results (cont.)

• Major findings
• top agenda stresses sustainability and
  vulnerability themes, particularly related to
  water, LU-CC and health , followed by research on
  climate variability and biodiversity.
• Europe and America rate equally all above
  themes, America with a slight emphasis on climate
  variability issues
• Africa and Asia clear bias for research interest
  on sustainability and climate vulnerability
  themes
• 423 senior and 204 younger scientists listed
• 10 (out of 26) respondents valued equally
  international and regional collaboration

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The way forward 2005 and beyond

• Normative concern to maintain and expand
  National Committees in all regions, well
  connected scientifically (two-way linkages/
  hotspots), well integrated in IGBP
• Strategic concerns
• Jointly identify priority-areas
• building capacity (new generation of ES
  scientists), individual and institutional
  networking and dialogue, reaching out to policy
  and public education.
• Two-way communication joint teams
  (national-transnational, regional-regional and
  regional-global)
• Increased understanding of social-ecological
  systems

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Adding-value
Earth System Science
National Science
Degree of Interaction
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(No Transcript)
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Products

• Website
• PowerPoint presentations
• Press releases, events
• Quarterly Newsletter
• Science Series
• IGBP Book Series
• IGBP and Project brochures
• IGBP Directory
• Science Plans
• Synthesis papers and journal special issues
• NEW Annual Report

www.igbp.kva.se
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Health