nordin presentation @ akademia sinica
DESCRIPTION
Latest presentation on Future Earth from the ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the PacificTRANSCRIPT
FUTURE EARTH IN ASIA
Nordin HasanDirector
ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Brainstorming Session on “Future Asia”8 9 April 2013‐Center for Sustainability Research, Academia Sinica
• Dynamic planet: Observing, explaining, understanding, and projecting earth, environmental, and societal system trends, drivers and processes and their interactions; anticipating global thresholds and risks.
1
• Global development: Knowledge for the pressing challenges to provide sustainable, secure and fair stewardship of food, water, health, energy, materials, biodiversity and other ecosystem functions and services.
2
• Transformation towards sustainability: Understanding transformation processes and options, assessing how these relate to human values, emerging technologies and social and economic development pathways, and evaluating strategies for governing and managing the global environment across sectors and scales.
3
Research themes
Regional workshop
51 participants; 21 countries
• Natural characteristics of the region – seismic risks, monsoons, cyclones and heat stress;
• Pressures of urbanization – megacities, health, pollution; • Coastal hazards, vulnerability and impacts on communities and new
development plans; • Climate variability and extremes; • Key social pressures - rapid economic growth, population, consumption,
global connectivity; • Water, energy, land and food security issues specific to the region; • Emerging health issues; • Green economy, new economic models.; • Valuation of natural capital; • Mountain and low land interactions – trans-boundary issues.
General priorities
Specific recommendations from KL workshop
Coordination and convergence
Learning and capacity development
Science-policy-stakeholder interfaces
Welcome
Develop an understanding of what sustainability means at the national and regional levels taking into account
varying cultural contexts
Develop global sustainability indicators that can guide implementation at the regional and sub-regional levels
Develop strong regional representation in Future Earth and regional priorities that are developed through in-
depth, long-term and sustained discussions
Create alliances of current integrated research projects and researchers upon which to build long-term strength
Define clear mechanisms, such as an endorsement process, for projects to become part of Future Earth
Develop incentive mechanisms to promote transdisciplinary research
Foster networks for scientists across regions, disciplinary fields and stakeholders
Develop an understanding of what sustainability means at the national and regional levels taking into account varying cultural contexts
Develop global sustainability indicators that can guide implementation at the regional and sub-regional levels
Develop strong regional representation in Future Earth and regional priorities that are developed through in-depth, long-term and sustained discussions
Create alliances of current integrated research projects and researchers upon which to build long-term strength
Define clear mechanisms, such as an endorsement process, for projects to become part of Future Earth
Develop incentive mechanisms to promote transdisciplinary research
Foster networks for scientists across regions, disciplinary fields and stakeholders
Coordination and convergence
Compile examples of best practices of transdisciplinary research on sustainability issues beginning with small and local scale projects that could be scaled up through programmes at the regional and national levels
Document case studies of successful integration and interdisciplinary work in the region and create guidelines on how to do co-design and co-production of research
Increase human capacity development training programs, through short-term workshops, exchange of graduate students, increasing the number of graduate research positions and Professorial Chairs within countries in the region
Develop mentoring of young scientists in least developed countries by more experienced researchers
Capacity development
Develop an understanding of what the points of entry into the policy arena are
Develop approaches and programmes to bring into dialogue groups of people who do not normally talk to each other
Translate and share models on how to influence policymakers - taking into account wide range of political systems and cultural settings and businesses, and sustain successful science-policy dialogues
Create or identify science-policy platforms to effectively inform and engage decision- and policy-makers
Engage indigenous communities and local knowledge systems in the research process
Science-policy-stakeholder interface
• International Symposium on Future Asia, December 2012, RIHN Kyoto.
• APL - SATREPS Symposium Living in the changing planet: Future Earth Designed by Simulation, JAMSTEC, Tokyo, Japan. February 2013
• MAIRS Scientific Steering Committee Meting, Guangzhou 25-26 March
• Brain-storming session on Future Earth in Asia; Academia Sinica, Chinese Taipei. 8-9 April
• OECD Global Science Forum (GSF) Workshop on Research Collaboration between Developing Countries and Developed Countries in Climate Change Adaptation and biodiversity, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 18 – 19 March
Meetings in Asia after the Regional Workshop
• Japan GEC National Platform possibility of RIHN, JAMSTEC , MEXT, JST, JICA and SCJ playing pivotal role through SATREPS.
• China: MAIRS playing a lead role; Future Earth as theme of 1st MAIRS Open Science Conference, Beijing, April 2014
• China Taipei: Academia Sinica and the Center for Sustainability Research
Key research groups already at work
• Pacific Science Association– 12th Pacific Science Intercongress, July 2014,
Suva Fiji• Science Council of Asia– Panel 13th SCA Annual Conference. Bangkok,
May 2013– International Symposium 14th SCA Annual
Conference, June 2014
Key regional science organizations already promoting Future Earth
• Understanding nature and type of partnerships (types, interaction, communication, mutuality)
• How to effectively organise research collaboration that is – National– Transboundary
• How best to translate scientific knowledge into benefits for society
How to take it forward?
• Across economic, social and cultural divides• Significant added value by collaborating• Complementarities between competencies
and knowledge systems, and exchange on underlying values in intercultural partnerships, promote sound research contributions to development
• Enhance capacities and experience among all partners
• Contribute to evidence-based planning and decision-making
On the partnerships
Ensuring cohesion
Source: KFPE 2012
Which foci and priorities?Goal orientation of partnership-based research
Modified from KFPE 2012
Innovative
Development Societal relevance
Taking the specific recommendationsof the KL workshop as a starting point:
Coordination and convergence
Learning and capacity development
Science-policy-stakeholder interfaces
Design a coordination
facility
What would the facility do?
Facilitate/pursue coordination and convergence
• Develop an understanding of what sustainability means at the national and regional levels taking into account varying cultural contexts;
• Develop global sustainability indicators that can guide implementation at the regional and sub-regional levels;
• Develop strong regional representation in Future Earth and regional priorities that are developed through in-depth, long-term and sustained discussions;
• Create alliances of current integrated research projects and researchers upon which to build long-term strength;
• Foster networks for scientists across regions, disciplinary fields and stakeholders.
What would the facility do?Create learning and capacity development opportunities
• Compile examples of best practices of transdisciplinary research on sustainability issues beginning with small and local scale projects that could be scaled up through programmes at the regional and national levels;
• Document case studies of successful integration and interdisciplinary work in the region and create guidelines on how to co-design and co-produce research;
• Increase human capacity development training programs (short-term workshops, graduate student exchange, brokering opportunities for research positions and Professorial Chairs, mentoring of young scientists in least developed countries
What would the facility do?Enhance understanding of science-policy and stakeholder interface
• Develop an understanding of what the points of entry into the policy arena are;
• Develop approaches and programmes to bring into dialogue groups of people who do not normally talk to each other;
• Translate and share models on how to influence policymakers – and businesses (wide range of political systems and cultural settings prevalent in the region) - and sustain successful science-policy dialogues;
• Create or identify science-policy platforms to effectively inform and engage decision- and policy-makers
• Engage indigenous communities and local knowledge systems in the research process;
Organizational structure of Future Earth
Future Earth in Asia
Concept
Planning
Implementation
Analysis
Consolidate
Future Earth A-P
coordination office
• Establish a designated coordinating facility• Obtain funding support and recruit
personnel• Constitute a planning group for research
and network development• Develop an implementation strategy and
programme of work • Opportunistically commence work
Next steps (not necessarily sequential)
Questions?