| European
Tropical Forest Research Network |
17TH
INTERNATIONAL BOTANICAL CONGRESS
18 to 23 July 2005 in Vienna, Austria
We wish to announce the availability of the First Circular for the 17th International Botanical Congress to be held 18 to 23 July 2005 in Vienna, Austria (nomenclature sessions 13 to 16 July). The First Circular and additional general information are available on our congress website http://www.ibc2005.ac.at/. Specific details or clarifications can be obtained through e-mail from the Secretary-General: office@ibc2005.ac.at.
Please see
the registration form in our website, fill in the requested information, and
return the form (preferably electronically) to:
Dr. Josef Greimler
Secretary-General, IBC 2005
Institute of Botany, University of Vienna
Rennweg 14
A-1030 Vienna, Austria
e-mail: office@ibc2005.ac.at
Phone: +43-1-4277-54123
Fax: +43-1-4277-9541
Please note the deadline for proposals for symposia: 30 September 2003. The Second Circular will be distributed in the summer of 2004.
CONGRESS
ON ‘GLOBALISATION, LOCALISATION AND TROPICAL FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST
CENTURY'
22 to 23 October 2003
Roeterseiland,
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Website:http://gp.fmg.uva.nl/agids/agids/globalisation.html
Background
Globalisation and localisation have altered the actors involved in forest
management. The role of the nation state has eroded, while that of the private
sector and civil society is on the increase. Forest management is no longer
in the hands of a single entity (whether government, NGO or local community),
but increasingly the product of negotiations and joint actions between players
at the global and local level. Consequently, the start of the 21st century
is marked by new forums for stakeholder negotiations, alliances and joint
actions for the protection and co-management of forest resources. These can
be found at the global level (e.g. the World Bank/WWF Alliance for Forest
Conservation) and at the regional level (e.g. the Amazon Cooperation Treaty
and the Guiana Shield Initiative), while numerous partnerships for the protection
and co-management of forest resources emerge at the global-local interface
between international donors, government agencies, national and international
NGOs, private sector actors, research organisations and communities.
International agreements and initiatives were not able to curb deforestation. The question now rises as to whether and under what conditions the new alliances and partnerships will be able to put sustainable forest management – understood as deliberate efforts to maintain the forests' ecological values, production services and their role as source of livelihood for the rural poor – into effect and play a role in improving the living conditions of 500 million people who depend on forests for their livelihoods.
Objectives
Participants
Scientists and students in human geography, anthropology, economics, development
studies, environmental sciences, tropical forestry, etc.; representatives
of development agencies, environmental organisations and other NGOs; policy
makers at national and international level, natural resource and forestry
professionals.
Preliminary
programme
The two-day congress programme will include plenary sessions, regional and
thematic workshops and a poster session.
Day one will focus on markets and the potential of responsible trade, certified forest products, new financial mechanisms for forest conservation and the trade in forest values for improving the livelihoods of forest-adjacent communities. Proposed mini-symposia/workshops on this day include:
Day two will focus on global-local partnerships for sustainable and collaborative forest management, paying specific attention to the role of local communities and science. Proposed mini-symposia/workshops are:
Keynote speakers include the following persons:
Expected
outputs
Planned publications include a pre-congress background document, a summary
document with ideas for follow-up projects, research proposals and "lessons
learnt" about the significance, opportunities and constraints of multi-level
and multi-stakeholders partnerships for forest conservation and management;
proceedings; and refereed journal articles.
Sponsorship
This congress is being organised with support from several organisations based
in the Netherlands. Core funding comes from the Amsterdam Institute for InternationalDevelopment
(AIID) and the University of Amsterdam and additional financial support from
the International Agricultural Centre (IAC) in Wageningen and Oxfam-Netherlands
(Novib). Organisational support is also provided by Tropenbos International,
the Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA) and the Institute
for Environmental Studies (IVM, Free University).The pre-congress background
document is sponsored by the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN)
and will be published as the ETFRN News Summer Issue (No 39). The congress
will merge with the seminar organised in the framework of the IAC training
programme "Leadership and Adaptive Management in Forest Environments".
If you are interested in becoming involved providing financial assistance in support of Congress, for instance to enable the participation by more scholars and practitioners from developing countries or a wider dissemination of congress results.
Contact
Dr Mirjam A.F. Ros-Tonen
Amsterdam Research Institute for Global Issue and Development Studies (AGIDS)
University of Amsterdam
Email: m.ros@frw.uva.nl
Further
information
Information about the social programme, hotel accommodation, congress fees
and how to register can be found at http://gp.fmg.uva.nl/agids/agids/globalisation.html
INTERNATIONAL
AGRICULTURAL CENTRE (IAC) WAGENINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS
TRAINING PROGRAMME
ON LEADERSHIP AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT IN FOREST ENVIRONMENTS
Duration:
1-11 weeks
Period: September- November 2003
We are pleased to inform you about this year's IAC training programme on collaborative adaptive forest management (CAFM) and biodiversity conservation (BC). The course is designed for managers, co-ordinators, senior staff, policy-makers, trainers and researchers, involved in the policy and practice of collaborative forestry and nature management. They wish to renew, broaden and strengthen their professional and leadership qualities and share experiences with colleagues from other countries and continents, and are committed to critically assess their own work and environment.
Course
Focus
Collaborative adaptive forest management aims at achieving a balance between
the conservation and utilisation of forest resources in the pursuit of rural
development and sustainable livelihood in complex and dynamic environments.
Therefore, foresters who work in CAFM need a balance of social and technical
skills and insights. In response to this need the programme covers the following
broad areas of interest: collaboration and decision-making between stakeholders,
integrated land use, sustainable adaptive forest management, biodiversity
conservation, poverty reduction, equity and empowerment. Training is based
on experience-based and task-oriented learning, which participants and resource
persons develop together.
Outline
of the programme
The training programme offers five short courses and one seminar, addressing
different aspects of collaborative adaptive forest management. Although each
of the courses is designed to stand alone, the programme permits various combinations.
The full course program comprising all six elements provides a comprehensive
package on collaborative forest management and bio-diversity conservation.
The programme consists of the following short courses:
More information
and application forms can be obtained from our website or from the address
below:
IAC, P.O. Box 88, 6700 AB Wageningen
The Netherlands
Fax: + 31 317 495 395
E-Mail: Training@IAC.AGRO.NL
1ST
WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY
Working Together for Sustainable Land-use Systems
27 June to 02 July 2004 Orlando, Florida, USA
Background
Agroforestry began to attain prominence in the late 1970s, when the international
scientific community realized its potentials in the tropics and recognized
it as a practice in search of science. During the 1990s, the relevance of
agroforestry for solving problems related to deterioration of family farms,
increased soil erosion, surface and ground water pollution, and decreased
biodiversity was recognized in the industrialized nations too. Thus, agroforestry
is now receiving increasing attention as a sustainable land-management option
the world over because of its ecological, economic, and social attributes.
Agroforestry research and development are, however, at a crossroads today. The potential of the practices has been amply illustrated, but the investment in a science base has not reached a level that can meet the demand for technology delivery. It is time, therefore, to evaluate progress, assess available options, and design strategies for the future.
Program
The overall Congress theme is "Working Together for Sustainable Land-use
Systems." Plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions will be organized
around five major topics:
Who Should Attend
Congress Objectives
Expected
Outputs
Planned publications include a state-of-the-art compendium, a summary document,
a book of abstracts, and refereed journal articles. A declaration that embodies
the essence of Congress deliberations will be developed as a tool for discussions
with policy makers and donor agencies to advance the cause of agroforestry
worldwide.
Sponsorship
The Congress is being organized as collaborative effort by a diverse group
institutions worldwide. Current sponsors the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation Agriculture (IICA); Mars, Inc.; University of Florida/IFAS; and
the World Agroforestry Centre/ICRAF. If you are interested in becoming involved
in this effort providing financial assistance in support of the congress,
please contact P.K. Nair.
Co-Chairs
Contact
Information
Technical Program and Sponsorship
P. K. Nair, Distinguished Professor
Director, Center for Subtropical Agroforestry, SFRC, University of Florida/IFAS
PO Box 110410 Gainesville, FL 32611-0410, USA
Tel: 1-352-846-0880
Fax: 1-352-846-1277
E-mail: pknair@ufl.edu
Web Site: http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu
Congress
Logistics
Mandy Padgett, Conference Coordinator
Office of Conferences & Institutes, University of Florida/IFAS,
PO Box 110750
Gainesville, FL 32611-0750, USA
Tel: 1-352-392-5930
Fax: 1-352-392-9734
E-mail: mrpadgett@mail.ifas.ufl.edu
Web site: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/
LIST
SERVER
On people, land management and Ecosystem Conservation
PLECserver 25 November 2002
PLECserv- a free list-serv has been recently set up by the United Nations University Project on People, Land Management and Ecosystem Conservation at http://c3.unu.edu/plec.
The PLECserv objective is to inform the scientific and professional community concerned with rural development and conservation in smallholder farming regions of the developing world, by calling attention to recent publications, new research methodology, and developments in agrobiodiversity, in the study of farmer innovation and farmers' technical knowledge, and in development practice and thinking generally. The first issue of PLECserv will appear early December 2002, and will be twice-monthly from then on. You are welcome to subscribe PLECserv either through the web form or by email. To via email, send email to plec-request@list.unu.edu. In the body of the message, type subscribe [password] [digest-option] [address=<address>]. [password]: Optional. Your password must be given to unsubscribe or change your options. When you subscribe to the list, you'll be reminded of your password periodically. [digest-option]: Optional. 'digest-option' may be either 'nodigest' or 'digest' (no quotes). [address=<address>]: Optional. If you wish to subscribe an address other than the address you send this request from, you may specify "address=<email address>" (no brackets around the email address, no space around the equal symbol, no quotes).
INTERNATIONAL PH.D PROGRAMME SUPPORTS TEAMWORK
Giuliana Deflorio from Italy has been taking part in the international Ph.D. programme in Freiburg "Forestry in Transition" for one year and "feels quite at home". The aim of the programme which is funded by the DAAD (German Academical Exchange Service) and the DFG (German Research Council), is to make Ph.Ds more attractive and competitive on an international level. The programme provides foreign Ph.D students with the possibility to finish their project within three years.
The programme offers intensive academic guidance to the participants. Another programme objectieve is to assist participants to develop scientific qualifications by offering language courses, workshops about scientific working methods and discussion platforms to facilitate an exchange of knowledge. As not every participant knows sufficient German, the main language is English.
Guiliana participated in a one-week seminar dealing with "techniques of presentation". She feels a lot more secure for when she has to present her project. This spring the IPP is going to offer its participants courses in "scientific writing" and "time-management". Hoang ho Dac Thai from Vietnam is visiting a German course two times a week together with three other IPP-students. In this small group of four students the rate of success is high and moreover everybody enjoys meeting and getting to know one another.
Giuliana does her research at the Institute for Forest Botany and analyses the effects of wood decomposing fungi. Her professor and a second professor from the Institut of Forest Utilization provides her with scientific advies. The IPP programme secures academic supervision through two professors right from the start. Moreover the IPP finances a student assistant for her laboratory and field work. It is also possible to invite guest scientist for a short period of time to complement the scientific research. This gave Jelena Tomicevic from Serbia the possibility to work together with a Professor from her home-university.
Guiliana was in Australia for two months. She learned a lot about research methods at one of the few scientific institutions that deal with her topic. IPP made this possible. She is glad for the experience and recommends everybody to make use of this opportunity. After returning she presented her research concept at the monthly IPP discussion-platform and discussed it with the other participants. "Through the different points of view everyone learns from the others", says Giuliana Deflorio. This scientific exchange among the students participating in the IPP is of great importance. Esther Muschelknautz, the coordinator of the programme, says, that it took a while, before participants were willing to examine a topic completely different to their own. But now they are very motivated and believe in the advantages of the IPP-network. At the moment the coordinator is organising a four-day trip to the Biosphere Reserve "Pfälzer Wald".
In addition to the opportunities, which the programme offers, the participants have to report on their progress on a regular basis. By most of the students this pressure is seen as an incentive, to structure and plan their research. The participants have to present their results every year in milestone-colloquies in front of a bigger audience, for example. The programme is funded for three years and is supplied with a budget of Euro 175 000 per year. The maximum number of Ph.D students admitted to the progamme is 30. There are still ten places left. As a structural programme it does not offer scholarships. The participants have to look for a scholarship or other financial source themselves. Graduates with an above average Diploma or Masters degree can apply to the programme. The next application deadlines are the 15th of July 2003 and the 15th of January 2004.
Contact:
Esther Muschelknautz,
Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Science
79085 Freiburg
Germany
Tel.: 49-(0)761-203-3607
Fax: 49 (0)761-2033600
Email:esther.muschelknautz@dekaforst.uni-freiburg.de
GRASSROOTS PEOPLE'S ORGANISATIONS AND FOREST RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT: THE PROSHIKA CONCEPT
Since 1976, Proshika, a non-government development organization working throughout Bangladesh has been conducting participatory sustainable development through empowerment of the poor. Proshika has been working to improve the access of the poor to public land, water and forest resources through people's participation in natural resource management. To this end, Proshika has been facilitating grassroots people's organizations (Trinomul Janasangathans), supporting them with training and education, credit, technical assistance and marketing programmes.
Under the Social Forestry Programme, Proshika planted about 2.5 million seedlings with active participation of 2317 organized groups (20 persons on average) with food assistance by the World Food Programme (WFP) between 1991 and 1998, and from 1997 to 2001 about 3.4 million seedlings with 1974 groups, with financial assistance of the EU food security project. Proshika also implemented forestry activities with financial assistance by the Heinrich Boll and Ford Foundations. It has played a significant role in protecting the rapidly degrading natural sal forest in the central region of Bangladesh with involvement of the grassroots organizations of the poor.
Proshika has learnt several lessons in the quarter century of its activities:
In 1997, Proshika started social forestry programme in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh, since these uplands are being mismanaged, resulting in soil degradation, erosion and silting up or disappearance of many streams. The forest coverage has been increased through this intervention with active participation of the organized groups. Government should complement this result by strengthening the land rights of the people and enacting a pro-people forest law. The beneficiaries appreciate the social forestry project for its contribution to income generation, fuelwood, timber, fodder, fruits, herbal medicine, environmental conservation, training and social empowerment.
Contact:
Montosh Kumar Das
Associate Coordinator, Social Forestry Programme, Proshika I/1-Ga, Section
2, Mirpur-2, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh. Tel:880-2-8013398,880-2-9005795
Fax: 880-2-8015811
E-mail: montosh2001@yahoo.com
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A REVIEW AND OUTLOOK ON AUSTRIAN CO-OPERATIONS WITH (SUB-)TROPICAL AND MEDITERRANEAN PARTNERS
In November 2002 a conference for Austrian researchers and their counterparts in (sub-)tropical and Mediterranean partner countries took place in Vienna. It was organised by the Austrian National Node of ETFRN based at the Institute for Forest Ecology (University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, BOKU). The purpose of the conference was a review and open discussion on the future of environmental research in partner countries of Austrian research institutions, NGOs and the Austrian Development Co-operation (ADC).
On the first day, a broad spectrum of best-practice projects was presented to the audience. The topics ranged from biodiversity, sustainable use of natural resources, appropriate technologies to research partnerships for development. After this review of past and present work, the second day of the workshop was dedicated to discussions on visions for future development. Working groups focused on financing, interdisciplinary, participation and the role of stakeholders, profiling and focus, and capacity building. As a result of this discussion process, a strategy paper on the future role of Austrian environmental research with (sub-)tropical and Mediterranean partner countries was formulated.
This strategy paper particularly emphasises the need for long term networks and partnerships, as well as the establishment of long term national funding programs linked with international programs. Further more the integration and harmonization of the funding systems of various donors is requested in the paper, as well as more emphasis on demand driven research, open exchange, and sharing of research results. Research agendas should be jointly formulates by decentralised and participatory, south based and proactive. Finally it was emphasised, that more consideration of ethical and cultural aspects, as well as gender issues, would be required. For a follow-up on the outcome of this conference, it would be necessary to initiate a workshop series on specific topics, and to establish working groups, as well as a coordination unit for environmental research and development in Austria.
Birgit Habermann
Email: Birgit.Habermann@gmx.at
ANN-ETFRN (Austrian National Node - European Tropical Forest Research Network)
Institute for Forest Ecology
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna
FOREST COVER MAP OF INSULAR SOUTHEAST ASIA
A new forest cover map of insular Southeast Asia at a scale of 1:5,5 million has been recently published by the Global Vegetation Monitoring Unit (IES/GVM) of the European Joint Research Centre at Ispra, Italy.
This map is one result of JRC's TREES project and reflects present possibilities of regional (and sub-regional) mapping of tropical forest cover from satellite images of coarse spatial resolution. The map has been produced from SPOT4-VEGETATION satellite images of the years 1998 – 2000 and of a spatial resolution of 1km by 1km.
The new forest cover map has been designed to provide an overview on forest cover at the beginning of the year 2000 for the sub-region of insular Southeast Asia, including Papua New Guinea (PNG). At such scale the map may serve as a reference, as base layer for further detailed forest mapping and assessment, and for regional vegetation modelling. The map has not been designed to provide the detail and accuracy required for most local forestry applications.
The thematic focus of the map has been put on the differentiation between ‘forest' and ‘non-forest', although further distinction has been introduced for evergreen montane and lowland forests, swamp and mangrove forests. An indication on the extent of the burnings on Sumatra, Borneo and PNG in 1997/98 is given by the non-forest classes.
A paper
copy of the map can be obtained from JRC and the digital data set is available
from: http://www.gvm.jrc.it/Forest/asia/carto_sea2000.htm.
The map data set has also been integrated into a new global land cover database
for the year 2000 (GLC2000) prepared by JRC. The GLC2000 SE-Asia and global
datasets are available from http://www.gvm.jrc.it/glc2000/ProductGLC2000.htm
free of charge for non commercial users.
Contact:
H-J Stibig,
Joint Research Centre
I-21020 Ispra (Va)
Italy
IES-GVM, TP440
E-mail: hans-juergen.stibig@jrc.it
HIMALAYAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE (HIRI)
Background
Himalayan Resources Institute (HIRI) is a Government-registered, action-oriented
and non-profit making Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in District
Administration Office, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal (Registered No. 57/057/58),
established in 2000 in Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal with the objectives of serving
the Himalayan people and the World through scientific communication on research
and development of Himalayan resources, their conservation and promotion and
sustainable utilization. HIRI is concerned with the exploration, economic
utilization, conservation and management of Himalayan ecosystems based on
past human experiences, activities and their achievements at present. HIRI
also coordinates with different scientific institutions and individuals of
the Himalayan regions and the world in scientific research and development
related to the Himalayan biodiversity. HIRI has already conducted several
such scientific communications with the scientific institutions and individuals
of Nepal and the world regarding Himalayan Biodiversity. HIRI's mandate is
research and development on Himalayan resources to alleviate poverty within
a sustainable development framework. The very conception of HIRI is deeply
rooted in worldwide concerns about the over-exploitation and destruction of
Himalayan resources. In its focus on environment and sustainable development,
HIRI's activities significantly contribute the spirit of Agenda 21st of the
Earth Summit at Rio. HIRI develops, provides and promotes appropriate technologies
and other resource based solutions to benefit people and their environment.
HIRI is dedicated in enhancing the contribution of Himalayan resources to
livelihood security, food security and ecological security for life on Earth.
Vision
The vision of HIRI is to improve human welfare through the sustainable use
of Himalayan resources.
Mission
The mission of HIRI is to promote education, research, extension, and services
on the sustained economic utilization, restoration and conservation of Himalayan
ecosystems. The premise of HIRI is that problems of Himalayan resources conservation
and management cannot be solved by technical solutions alone. HIRI programs
therefore emphasize the integration of the biological and social sciences
and promoting professional, disciplinary and land use boundaries. HIRI believes
in the development and use of Himalayan resources to raise the socio-economic
condition of the rural and urban people and the country. It intends to conduct
need-based programs depending upon the availability of local resources.
Objectives
HIRI's objectives include:
HIRI's program of works is divided into three areas: research, development and extension.
Address
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Ram Bhandari President,
Himalayan Resources Institute (HIRI)
GPO Box: 13880, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 00977 1 4 491646
E-mail: hirinepal@mail.com.np,
hirinepal@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.hirinepal.com
UGANDA SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR NATIONAL FORESTRY AUTHORITY
The Government of Uganda has embarked on a major reform of the forestry sector. As part of this reform a new National Forestry Authority (NFA) will be established as the successor institution to the present Forestry Department. A launch date in early 2004 is planned. The Executive Director is being recruited before this date to contribute to the launch of the new organisation, prior to assuming responsibility for its day-to-day operations.
Closing date for applications is 8 August 2003
For more details please see: http://www.etfrn.org/etfrn/opportunities/nfajob.htm or contact: gasterk@ugandaforests.org
NFA Institutions
Advisor
Forestry Inspection Division
P.O.Box 27314
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 77 755 914 (mobile)
Tel: +256 41 340 684
Fax: +256 41 340 684