| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
In a joint effort of the global network of nfp national focal points, the National Forest Programme Facility and FAO, a web-based information platform has recently been established to provide public access to updated country information on their countries’ national forest programmes.
The information is available at: http://www.fao.org/forestry/nfp-update, where 44 country updates are already online, with more becoming gradually available in the near future. Each update brings a summary of the country nfp process, the address of the nfp contact person in that country, general information on the country’s forest sector, specific information on the forest policy, legislation, institutional framework and strategic planning process. Links and relevant documents for that country are also provided. Readers are welcome to consult these nfp-updates and send comments or request for further information to: nfp-update@fao.org
For more information on the National Forest Programme Facility, please see the article on page 11.
THE EC FOREST PLATFORM – A FERN INITIATIVE THAT LINKS PEOPLES IN THE SOUTH AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ON AID AND FOREST ISSUES
In 2002, a FERN study revealed that much of the money given by the European Community for development does not recognise the role that forests play in providing food, fuel and materials for forestdependent people. This is partly due to the very little direct contact that the EC has with the people and organisations that know about forest issues in recipient countries.
The EC Forest Platform was established to give a voice to NGOs and forest peoples who want to present their issues to the European Community and to debate the impacts of EC aid policies and projects on forests and forest peoples. To date, the initiative has made good progress, and two national Platforms have been established in Cameroon and Indonesia.
The EC Forest Platform provides a forum where Platform members can exchange information about EC related policies and practices, comment on new EC aid policies and are supported if they want to convey a message or experiences to relevant people in the EU. We regularly distribute aid-related briefings and the Platform News, a quarterly newsletter update on what’s happening within the Commission on forest co-operation related issues. All Platform publications are also available at our website: http://www.fern.org/pages/aid/platform.htm
The Platform is open to anyone who is interested in EC aid policies and practices, especially EU-based NGOs and Southern NGOs, community based organisations and indigenous peoples organisations. Becoming a member is free and informal.
If you are interested in these issues please join the Platform by emailing the Platform co-ordinator Iola Leal Riesco at iola@fern.org with details of your organisation and interests.
CALL FOR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
REPRESENTATIVES AND
TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE ‘INTERNATIONAL EXPERT MEETING
ON TRADITIONAL FOREST RELATED
KNOWLEDGE AND RELATED
INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS’.
SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA, 6-10
DECEMBER 2004
The International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests and Associación Ixacavaa are pleased to announce an Indigenous Peoples’ Led Expert Meeting on Traditional Forest Related Knowledge (TFRK) to be held in December this year. Central to discussions in this event are national government actions related to their international commitments to protect and promote TFRK. The international event will commence with a two-day preparatory meeting on the 6th and 7th of December open to indigenous experts, holders of traditional knowledge and representatives of forest dependent and/or indigenous communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific to discuss the promotion and protection of Traditional Forest Related Knowledge.
On the 8th, 9th and 10th of December indigenous and local community experts will join government and international agency delegates in a three-day official Expert Meeting of the United Nations Forum on Forests which is being organized by the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests and Associación Ixacavaa, with support from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological The meeting will provide a valuable and timely opportunity for indigenous and other experts to discuss the extent to which governments have implemented international commitments related to the protection, promotion and support of Traditional Forest Related Knowledge. Outcomes from this meeting will be introduced into the 5th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, and will feed into discussions on the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant international and national forest policy processes.
Further information about this meeting,
contact the Secretariat:
Kittisak Rattanakrajangsri
Executive Secretary
E-mail: kittisak@international-alliance.org
Annabel Pinker
Project Assistant for the Expert Meeting
E-mail: annabel@international-alliance.org
Helen Leake
Information Officer
E-mail: helen@international-alliance.org
Phone: +66.53 904 037
Fax: +66.53 277 645
Website: http://www.international-alliance.org/tfrk_expert_meeting.htm
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FORESTBASED LIVELIHOODS
The third issue of InfoResources Focus entitled “Climate change and forest-based livelihoods” can be downloaded as pdf-file at: http://www.inforesources.ch/pdf/focus_2_04_e.pdf (16p., 191 KB).
InfoResources Focus provides a general overview of pertinent and topical subjects to guide its readers through the information jungle. Each issue focuses on a current theme relative to forests, agriculture, or natural resources and the environment, in the context of international development cooperation. The next issue will take up the theme of environmental services.
InfoResources Focus is published two to three times a year in English, French and Spanish. It is available free of charge either in print format or as a pdf file. Please let us know if you prefer to receive InfoResources Focus in another language or in another format by sending an e-mail to info@inforesources.ch.
InfoResources
Länggasse 85
3052 Zollikofen
Switzerland
Phone: +41-31-910 21 91
Fax: +41-31-910 21 54
E-mail: info@inforesources.ch
Website: http://www.inforesources.ch
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT ILLEGAL LOGGING: A GLOBAL REVIEW OF BEST PRACTICE ORGANIZED BY THE FORESTS DIALOGUE
The Forests Dialogue (TFD) emerged in 1999 from processes convened independently by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the World Bank, and the World Resources Institute. These converged to form a unique international multi-stakeholder dialogue group. It includes the major environmental NGO’s and private forest landowner associations. This group is focused solely on issues related to the realization of sustainable forest management around the world.
Objectives of the proposed dialogue on illegal logging
Potential outcomes of the dialogue
The three-day Dialogue will be held in Hong Kong in February, 2005 (the date and exact location will be announced on the website indicated below).
Partners who will assist or advise in organizing and convening the Summit will include the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Asia Forests Partnership, CIFOR, ITTO, Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests, and WWF. About 40-60 participants are expected to participate in the meeting, including representatives from about 20 companies.
For more information about The Forests
Dialogue contact:
The Forests Dialogue Secretariat
Yale University
360 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511
USA
Phone: 203.432.5966
Fax: 203.432.3809
E-mail: info@theforestsdialogue.org
Website: http://research.yale.edu/gisf/tfd/
UNECE/FAO TIMBER BRANCH, GENEVA, “FOREST PRODUCTS ANNUAL MARKET REVIEW, 2003-2004” ON WEBSITE
The Forest Products Annual Market Review begins with an overview of forest products markets and policies, followed by a chapter focusing on policy issues related to forest products markets. These are followed by analyses of the economic factors affecting the forest and forest industries sector. Statistics-based chapters are included for markets of sawn softwood, sawn hardwood, wood-based panels, paper, paperboard and woodpulp, wood raw materials and tropical timber. Other chapters highlight the rapid developments in forest products certification, as well as value-added wood products, e.g. furniture. The Review concludes with a chapter on tropical timber markets.
The statistical TIMBER database upon which the Review is based may be found at: http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/mis/ fp-stats.htm
Copies of the Review may be obtained from the web site homepage of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission, or from the postal address below.
For further information please contact:
Mr. Ed Pepke
Forest Products Marketing Specialist
UNECE/FAO Timber Branch
Trade Development and Timber Division
United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Phone: + 41-(0) 22-917-2872
Fax: + 41-(0) 22-917-0041
E-mail: info.timber@unece.org
Website: http://www.unece.org/trade/timber
INTERNATIONAL TEAK UNIT - COILLTE CONSULT
Coillte Consult provides services to investment companies, growers, traders and development agencies in the tropical timber plantations sector - with emphasis on teak. To consolidate the services that Coillte Consult provides in Latin America, Africa, and Asia they have launched the International Teak Unit.
Coillte Consult has worked with clients in the teak sector in Latin America (Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, El Salvador, Belize, Africa (Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, and Tanzania), Asia (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam)
For more information about Coillte, please
contact:
Coillte, The Irish Forestry Board,
Newtownmountkennedy,
Co. Wicklow
Ireland
Phone: + 353-1-2011111
Fax: + 353-1-2011199
E-mail: teakunit@coillte.ie
Website: http://www.coillte.ie/international_consultancy_services/international-teak.htm
THE LITTLE GREEN DATA BOOK 2004
The Little Green Data Book is based on the World Development Indicators, 2004 and is the result of close collaboration between the staff of the Development Economics Data Group, and the Environment Department.
The Little Green Data Book is a pocket-sized quick reference on key environmental data. Each page corresponds to one country. The user-friendly presentation of country data provides a baseline for comparison with regional and income group averages. Under the headings of agriculture, forests, biodiversity, energy, emissions and pollution, water and sanitation, and ‘greener’ national accounts, the Little Green Data Book presents 47 key indicators of the environment and its relationship to people for more than 200 countries.
If you would like to receive a copy by mail, please send your request to eadvisor@worldbank.org
The file [PDF 864KB] is downloadable at: http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/essd/envext.nsf/44ByDocName/TheLittleGreenDataBook2004/$FILE/TheLittleGreenDataBook2004.pdf
SCIDEV.NET’S BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE DOSSIERS
SciDev.Net has put together a dossier on biodiversity that provides a comprehensive yet focused set of electronic resources on biodiversity and its relationship to development.
The dossier provides a series of commissioned policy briefs and opinion articles, an annotated directory of key documents, links to relevant organisations and events, and a basic glossary of definitions, as well as articles covering the latest developments in the field from SciDev.Net’s news service.
By their nature, the problems created by climate change cut into the core of economic activities in fields such as transport, energy, public health, agriculture and forestry. In addition, policies linked to both reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to the impacts of climate change are closely linked to broader development issues.
Impressions that the battle against global warming is being won are misleading. In many ways, the struggle has only just begun - both on scientific and political fronts - while for many developing countries, dealing with its potentially disastrous impact is becoming increasingly urgent. This dossier on climate change provides recent news and feature articles on issues relating to the science and politics of climate change, policy briefs analysing key issues and describing their importance, selected opinion articles from stakeholders in the climate change debate, and key documents covering the spectrum between climate change science and development needs.
For comments or suggestions, please
contact:
SciDev.Net
11 Rathbone Place
London W1T 1HR
UK
Phone: + 44-(0) 20-7291-3690
Fax: + 44-(0) 20-7291-3697
E-mail: dossiers@scidev.net
Website: http://www.scidev.net/index.cfm
FREE AUDIO INFORMATION & EDUCATION TOOL: EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
International Biological Diversity Day fell on Saturday 22nd May this year and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, the United Nations Environment Programme’s centre for biodiversity has made a contribution by creating an educational website which explains the true meaning of biodiversity in easy to understand “consumer focussed” language.
The interactive presentation is based around the UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Benefits People posters, which are also available to download and print from the same site. The presentation is an automated presentation with full audio commentary – if you have speakers, please have them switched on – if you don’t then you can see the full transcript of the commentary by clicking to the notes box in the bottom left hand corner.
You can also adjust the size of screen to virtually full size should you wish.
This website also has useful links to: Defining Biodiversity UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity series of publications Biodiversity Assessment Biodiversity Posters (for download and print)
It is designed to be used as an information and education tool and will be available in CD ROM in the not too distant future. Educators can use this in the classroom, the public and private sector can also use this in supporting presentations whenever needed – the website tool is free of charge, the CD may be at additional cost including P&P – all we ask as that this is clearly acknowledged to UNEP-WCMC.
Please click to: http://www.unep-wcmc.org/biodiversity/index.htm
ACCESS TO MAJOR SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS: GLOBAL ONLINE RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURE (AGORA) INITIATIVE
Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) is an initiative to provide free or low-cost access to major scientific journals in agriculture and related biological, environmental and social sciences to public institutions in developing countries. Launched in October 2003, AGORA provides access to over 500 journals from the world’s leading academic publishers.
Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the goal of AGORA is to increase the quality and effectiveness of agricultural research, education and training in low-income countries, and in turn, to improve food security. Through AGORA, researchers, policy-makers, educators, students, technical workers and extension specialists may access high-quality, relevant and timely agricultural information via the Internet.
Blackwell Publishing, CABI Publishing, Elsevier, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Nature Publishing Group, Oxford University Press, Springer-Verlag, and John Wiley & Sons are the founding publishers of AGORA, providing access to over 400 of their journals. Additional publishers have been invited to participate in AGORA and have joined since.
Potential users are required to register with FAO, and access to AGORA is password controlled. The AGORA Publisher Partners are opening access free to relevant institutions in the countries listed on the AGORA website. Individual publishers reserve the right to add to or delete from this list. The countries, generally with an annual GNI per capita per annum of US$1000 or less at 31 December 2000, have been selected by the Publisher Partners and will be amended by them from time to time. The publishers have also set several criteria for inclusion of institutions in the initiative one of which is that eligibility is limited to certain categories of not-forprofit national institutions: academic, research and government institutions.
Website: http://www.aginternetwork.org
RE-LAUNCH OF AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL)
The International Network for Scientific Publications (INASP) launched AJOL in 1998 with only 14 journals. By January 2004 it had over 175 African journals covering most subject areas. It is now being relaunched on its own website that continues to provide free access to tables of contents and abstracts for all titles – but also provides a number of additional facilities. AJOL offers a document delivery service, and full (improved) searching and browsing facilities, as well as a new Email alert function. The service remains free to both users and participating journals (with charges only for document delivery requests from outside developing countries).
Journals included in AJOL are scholarly in content with peer reviewed articles, and publish a mixture of pure and applied research as well as review papers. Journals included cover Agricultural sciences and resource management; Arts, culture, language and literature; Health; Science and technology; and Social sciences. An evaluation of the AJOL service undertaken at the end of 2002 showed that participating journals benefit from the international visibility, with more international submissions and citations, and that users value access to African research that they have been unable to locate from other sources. Use of the service has more than doubled in the past few years (almost 4000 people registered during 2003) and the demand for document delivery tripled (reaching over 650 articles during 2003). The evaluation highlighted a need to update the website, to make it easier to use with an emphasis on improved searching and retrieval of articles.
In response to the evaluation, the new website now offers a greatly improved and more sophisticated search system and email alerting to identify new issues. Journals can also manage their own content online, giving them more control over their own work. We look forward to more users, an increase in demand for document delivery and increased worldwide visibility for African published research.
Website: http://www.ajol.info (Sign up for email alerts to any journals of interest)
New journals onto the service are also welcomed; please contact INASP for further information: ajol@inasp.info or visit http://www.inasp.info
ENCOFOR, AN EU-FUNDED PROJECT FOR THE DESIGN OF SUSTAINABLE CDM FORESTRY PROJECTS
The European Commission and the Face Foundation (The Netherlands) have entered into an agreement to develop a toolkit for sustainable CDM afforestation and reforestation projects and to test pilot projects in Africa and South America. With a budget of 2.2 million euros for 3.5 years, this project is a joint effort with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Joanneum Research (Austria), B,S,S. Economic Consultants (Switzerland), ICRAF (Kenya), Forest Industry Services (Uganda), Centro Técnico Forestal (Bolivia), and Profafor (Ecuador).
ENCOFOR (“ENvironment and COmmunity based framework for designing afFORestation, reforestation and revegetation projects in the CDM: methodology development and case studies”) aims at creating maximum synergy between greenhouse gas mitigation and benefits for environment and local stakeholders. Target groups are governments, local communities and NGOs in developing countries, and project planners, managers, investors and certifiers. The project will incorporate decisions of the Conferences of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and existing experience in project development, funding and execution. By establishing a internet-based ENCOFOR community the project will closely communicate with stakeholders.
Funding agency: EuropeAID
Project coordinators:
Face Foundation (Dr. Igino Emmer -
igino.emmer@facefoundation.nl)
Laboratory for Forest, Nature and Landscape Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Prof. Bart Muys - bart.muys@agr.kuleuven.ac.be)
Project duration: October 2003 - March 2007
More information: http://www.joanneum.at/encofor
BEYOND WOOD: THE VALUE OF
NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS.
A WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG
FORESTERS
Eden Project, Cornwall, UK 2-5 December 2004
Over 150 non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as roots, bark, fruit, latex and fungi, are traded by forest-dwelling people throughout the world. In many countries these resources are critical, especially for the rural poor and women, and may provide them with their only source of personal income, medicine, construction material, and dietary variety. In contrast, in other countries the potential of NTFPs to provide income and maintain indigenous knowledge remains largely under-exploited. However, there remain differences of opinion concerning the best way to utilise NTFPs to improve the livelihoods of rural poor, whilst protecting biodiversity and ensuring sustainability. This presents a challenge to forest managers, ecologists, socio-economists and policy level decision makers.
To increase awareness amongst young foresters (both students and young professionals) of the importance of NTFPs the Commonwealth Forestry Assocation is holding an NTFP workshop at the Eden Project in the UK from 2-5 December. Lessons learned will enable forest managers of the future to give a high priority to responsible and sustainable forest management, give due concern to the people who depend on the forest for their livelihood and open up new resources to communities and First Nations.
For more details of the programme, and how to book please visit: http://www.cfa-international.org/NTFPworkshop.html
4TH INTERNATIONAL CANOPY CONFERENCE “CANOPY ECOLOGY - TROPICAL VERSUS TEMPERATE FORESTS”
Leipzig - Germany, 10-17 July 2005
The 4th International Canopy Conference is intended to bring together experts in forest canopy biology from all over the world in order to spread and share research results and ideas, to strengthen existing collaborations, and to establish new ones. Since the map of big permanent canopy access facilities shows six functioning canopy cranes in temperate forests and five in tropical rain forests (including the COPAS system in French Guyana), it appears to be quite appropriate to aim at a comparison of the ecology and functioning of whole forests including their canopies in both zones.
The conference will be organised by the University of Leipzig and the UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle. Plans for the programme include morning and evening plenary presentations, and up to three parallel sessions on different topics like canopy structure, epiphytes, effects of climate change, plant physiology, phenology, pollination, etc.
The organisers would like to encourage especially colleagues from non-US or non- European countries to apply early and to look for travel grants.
For any further information concerning
scientific matters, please contact:
Wilfried Morawetz
University of Leipzig
Institute for Botany
Systematic Botany
Johannisallee 21–23
04103 Leipzig
Germany
Phone: + 49-341-97385-90
Fax: + 49-341-97385-49
E-mail: morawetz@uni-leipzig.de
XVII INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS
Austria Center Vienna 17-23 July 2005 - Vienna, Austria
As with previous International Botanical Congresses, this conference will emphasize the newest developments throughout the botanical sciences worldwide. There will also be an historical flavour to IBC Vienna 2005, as the Second International Botanical Congress was held in Vienna in 1905, exactly 100 years ago. The program of XVII IBC 2005 includes all aspects of basic and applied botanical research. The programme will include plenary talks, general lectures, symposia, and poster sessions. Ample meeting space will be provided for specialized workshops, small group meetings, and ad-hoc discussions. There will also be a large exhibition area including booksellers, publishers, laboratory equipment manufacturers, societies, etc., designed to demonstrate the newest products and applications in the botanical sciences. The international character of IBC Vienna 2005 will help to broaden our scientific horizons and facilitate and strengthen personal contacts with colleagues throughout the world. Vienna is an international city and has long been a gateway between western and eastern European countries. Young scientists are especially encouraged to participate, and toward this end, the registration fee for students has been kept as low as possible. The scientific contents and significance of IBC Vienna 2005 are determined by contributions from the participants. These will result in a broad and remarkable diversity of specialized symposia, plus general lectures summarizing current and newly developing botanical frontiers. Opportunities also exist for visiting the many university facilities, libraries, and rich botanical collections throughout the city, as well as for participating in numerous field excursions.
General themes:
Deadline for Abstract Submission: Monday, January 31, 2005, 24.00 hrs CET.
Contact:
Josef Greimler
Secretary General
Nadja Oschgan
Administrative Assistant
Institute of Botany, University of Vienna
Rennweg 14,
A-1030 Vienna
Austria
Phone: + 43-1-4277-54122
Fax: + 43-1-4277-9541
E-mail: office@ibc2005.ac.at
Website: http://www.ibc2005.ac.at/
Report on European Community Fifth Framework Project “Improving Fraxinus (Ash) productivity for European needs by testing, propagation and promotion of improved genetic resources”. (RAP: Realising ash’s potential)
This project has fifteen partners in nine countries; it is now in its final year of a four year programme. The main objective is on genetic improvement of ash (Fraxinus excelsior). The work involves examining existing provenances trials, establishing a European provenance trial in six countries, improving the vegetative propagation of selected materials, studying genetic diversity and hybridisation and defining effective means to communicate the research results and market situation for ash to end users.
Ash seeds have been collected, distributed and stratified by the 7 partners who will establish the European provenance trial. Each partner will test a core collection of 30 provenances collected in diverse geographic regions within the natural European distribution of ash.
The first estimates of genetic diversity using microsatellites showed a high level of diversity within populations. However, more detailed analyses showed a deficiency in heterogyosity in some populations which may indicate a higher level of inbreeding than previously expected.
A fine scale genetic structure was revealed in ash populations using spatial autocorrelation tools and parentage analysis. It showed that two trees separated by less than 100 m were genetically more similar than two trees chosen at random in the same population. It means that gene flows by pollen and seeds are restricted within the stand. The neighbourhood size estimates showed that any given tree in the studied stand mates at random with 178 individuals.
A parentage analysis of natural seedlings in four zones within a stand showed that the mean distance of seed dispersal was about 80 meters and followed geographic contours in two valley sites. This means limited seed dispersal within the stands which are significantly lower than the level expected by random events. Estimates of gene flow from outside the ash stand was 58%, due to dispersal by pollen.
The best trees in the best provenances were used to establish shoot cultures and to develop an effective system for large scale micropropagation. Shoot cultures were established successfully from diverse sources; dormant winter buds, shoots from grafted plants and immature embryos. Viable shoot cultures were established from 27 mature trees and from seeds collected from selected trees (16 new cultures). Scale up of selected tree production has been underway by two commercial laboratories with 1000 plants now at the rooting stage. Rooting experiments have started giving 50- 90% rooting in microshoots and 80-90% survival of rooted plants in the green house. Somatic embryogensis was demonstrated for the first time in F. excelsior by using immature embryo as the primary explant culture on MS medium with 2.0 m/L 2,4-D and 1.0 m/L BA. The somatic embryos continued to develop to the maturation stage by further culturing. In addition, adventitious shoot regeneration was recorded in the axes of cultured embryos.
Studies on flower induction showed that application of drought stresses to grafted trees in the proceeding year increased tree flowering from 4 to 21% and delayed flushing date. Paclobutrazol applications reduced shoot growth and increased trunk diameter.
Cuttings from ash seedlings give 75-95% rooting. High rooting rates of 68% to 95% were recorded in cuttings from four mature trees when the cuttings were collected from micropropagated plants which had been transferred to the glasshouse. This indicates that the micropropagation step restores rooting competence to mature material. Monitoring of the levels of soluble carbohydrate in ash cuttings indicated that a low initial level of mannitol or a rapid decrease in the level of mannitol was indicative of high rooting rates.
Methods to survey the end users of ash were determined in the context of identifying the key players who will affect the adoption of any new technologies (or germplasm) in relation to ash. The existing state of the art in adoption models has been reviewed.
Based on this, the methods were developed to conduct the survey in relation to this project. The participants who will constitute the Consultation Panel of end users have been identified among the European partners in this project. They will act as an important source of information in the market for ash as well as on other aspects related to ash improvement.
Coordinator:
G. Douglas
E-mail: gdouglas@kinsealy.teagasc.ie
Website: http://www.teagasc.ie/advisory/forestry/rap/index.htm
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR HIMALAYAN BIODIVERSITY (ICHB- 2003)
On December 11, 2003 the ICHB was set up for Himalayan Biodiversity education, research, development, extension and networking .
The “International Center for Himalayan Biodiversity (ICHB)” has been set up in close coordination, collaboration and cooperation with institutions and individuals working in education, research, and development in the field of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity supporting Himalayan people in their search for sustainable development. The center is running as an autonomous and self governed institution and is supported by the Himalayan Resources Institute (HIRI). The ICHB is committed to the dissemination of information about current conservation issues to researchers and development professionals. To this end, the Network maintains active affiliations with a variety of local organizations and provides educational opportunities through community speakers, speaker series, Conservation Forum, Himalayan Biodiversity Day.
The vision of the ICHB is to improve human welfare through the sustainable use of Himalayan biodiversity. The ICHB provides education, research, training and development opportunities, and a unique intellectual environment for the development of solutions to ecological questions and problems facing Himalayan Biodiversity. The ICHB is committed to attracting students from Himalayan countries who will play leadership roles in future conservation efforts, as well as graduate students from Nepal and abroad seeking expertise in Himalayan Biodiversity, systematics, and conservation biology. The Network associates have active research programmes in the economics and politics of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The Network in future will not only maintain state of the art equipment, laboratories and Himalayan and Tropical green houses to conduct biochemical, molecular, eco-physiological and ecological research but also develops research and international training programs and activities through out the Hindu Kush- Himalayan (HKH) and other mountain countries in the world.
The goal of the ICHB is to bring in all the diverse stakeholders of various field of Himalayan biodiversity in a common forum with the objective of exchanging information and technical expertise.
For further information, please contact:
Ram Bhandari
Coordinator
International Center for Himalayan
Biodiversity (ICHB)
ICHB Secretariat,
C/o Himalayan Resources Institute,
GPO Box: 13880,
Kathmandu,
Nepal
Phone.: 00977-1-5532080 (Office),
00977-1-4462572 (Resident)
E-mail: ichb@mail.com.np and
ichbnepal@yahoo.com
Staff from the World Land Trust, a British NGO concerned with tropical forest ecology and conservation, developed a text and website directed at keystage 3 children, together with a teachers’ pack, Focus on forests! During the development of the website (http://www.worldlandtrust.org/forestry/), they did not stop at asking scientists about the facts, but also asked children at a local school to test and criticise the usefulness.
Not only has this procedure helped to improve the ‘Focus on Forests’ website, it has also demonstrated a new way forward for the development of similar sites in true collaboration with the clients. With the help of leafy graphics and navigation buttons, the user is guided through the concepts of sustainable forestry as well as the consequences of losing biodiversity.
For more information about this project
contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk
or the Project Leader:
Mr John A. Burton
E-mail: jab@worldlandtrust.org
ZF0109: Development of multi-media resource on forest conservation issues Source: DFID/FRP Prunings 2003
It was a challenge to put to 18 researchers to participate in a training course on communication methods and scientific advocacy organised by Brighton-based IMA International. In these role plays, the researchers tried their best with politeness and persuasion, and afterwards discussed how to engage with stakeholders at all stages of a project, from inception to promotion.
It was this connection between researchers and non-researchers that was central to the training. A one-off meeting with a government minister, journalist or funder is most likely insufficient for success, but constant engagement is necessary, and beneficial, in both directions. The training course participants did not all agree that advocacy is part of their role and that it is the researchers, not intermediaries, who should get off the fence and become involved in policy dialogue in order to change the livelihoods of the poor. The debate about whether “advocacy” is a dirty word signifying brown envelopes in swish hotels, or a lawful fact of life, was very heated indeed, and ended without being resolved. The pilot training course in Brighton in January 2004 was a successful platform for researchers to discuss and learn from each other’s experience. It is now being followed by locally adapted courses in three other continents. By the end of the year, 80 researchers will be more skilled in engaging successfully with the nonscientific community at large, thus making a difference to the world’s poor.
ZF0147E: Communication methods and scientific advocacy Source: DFID/FRP Prunings 2004
For more information about this project
contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk
or the Project Leader:
Mr Chris Grose
E-mail: chris@imainternational.com
or Ms Angela Christie
E-mail: angelachristie@compuserve.com
The Performance and Impact Programme at the Natural Resources Institute is developing an approach to help improve the performance of agricultural and forestry research organisations.
The group worked together with staff from the Crops Research Institute and the Food Research Institute in Ghana and the National Banana Research Programme in Uganda to address performance measurement at programme and organisational levels. The team used the ‘balanced scorecard approach’ as a tool for exploring ways to improve the measurement and management of performance in natural resources research organisations in the public sector.
Two main accomplishments stand out. Firstly, the balanced scorecard approach enabled each partner organisation to consider and partially reconfigure their goals and objectives, making them more relevant and measurable. Secondly, the participants identified areas that had not previously received attention, such as enhanced feedback between staff and the importance of monitoring employee satisfaction and its link to organisational performance.
R8086: Institutionalising impact orientation Source: DFID/FRP Prunings 2003
For more information about this project
contact:
FRP Senior Administrator
E-mail: k.rothschild@nrint.co.uk
or the Project Leader:
Dr Alistair Sutherland
E-mail: a.j.sutherland@greenwich.ac.uk
RARE is the quarterly e-zine of Coral Cay Conservation (CCC), an international NGO dedicated to providing resources to help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs and tropical forests. To request a copy contact: rare@coralcay.org
Coral Cay Conservation
The Tower, 13th Floor, 125 High Street
London SW19 2JG
UK
Phone: +44-(0) 870-750-0668
Fax: +44-(0) 870-750-0667
E-mail: info@coralcay.org
Website: http://www.coralcay.org
The Global Environment Centre has taken the initiative to construct a dedicated PORTAL site that will allow quick exchange of information, identification of problematic areas in management, sharing of ideas, and enhancing global awareness of pertinent issues in peatland management.
The site offers e-forums on many peat related subjects such as climate change and biodiversity in relation to peat- and wetlands, peatland management and restoration and fire-and-haze management. The discussions can be read by all visitors, but registration is necessary if you want to join in.
Interesting are the many downloadable documents available on the site on various subjects, ranging from newsletters like PeatMatters-Vol 1, the newsletter for project on integrated management of peatlands for biodiversity and climate change, to workshop reports such as the synthesised report of the international workshop on integrated management and rehabilitation of peatlands, brochures, guidelines and strategy documents.
There is also limited information on peat projects and events. You can add your own documents, projects and events.
Geographically the site focus is on South East Asia, although there is room for discussion from other regions as well, and the documents are of general interest.
Webiste: http://www.peat-portal.net