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Sustainable development
PANEL ON THREATS, CHALLENGES AND CHANGE
ADDRESSES POVERTY, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
On 1 December 2004, the UN
Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
presented their report entitled “A More Secure World: Our Shared
Responsibility.” Containing 101 recommendations, the report addresses a range
of issues identified by the Panel as being the greatest threats to worldwide
security in the twenty-first century, including. The Panel also dedicated a
section of its report to the security implications of continued poverty and
environmental degradation, focusing on the MDGs, finance, climate change and
renewable energy, trade, and HIV/AIDS.
WORLD BANK ACCEPTING
PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT MARKETPLACE 2005
The World Bank’s
Development Marketplace (DM) is awarding $3 million to innovative
bottom-up development projects that address environmental challenges.
TOURISM BODY DEVELOPS NEW DEFINITION ON
SUSTAINABILITY
The World Tourism Organization has revised its definition of sustainable
tourism to better reflect the outcome of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development.
Trade,
investment, finance in SD
COMPANIES URGED TO REPORT SOCIAL,
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Not enough major companies are reporting properly on the risks and opportunities
resulting from environmental and social considerations, according to a new
report. In related news, conservation group WWF has criticized power
companies for failing to respond to climate change.
ASIAN STATES ANNOUNCE TRADE DEALS
Several new trade negotiations have been announced in Asia, with China, Japan
and India all in talks with ASEAN—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
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Chemicals
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF BHOPAL DISASTER
REKINDLES DEBATE ON CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY, UNDERSCORES HUMAN RIGHTS
RESPONSIBILITIES
The 20th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster that occurred in 2 December 1984 was
observed by numerous events, including the opening of a free medical clinic
in Bhopal, the release of a number of documentaries on Bhopal, vigils at over
40 U.S. colleges and a shareholder resolution calling on Dow to resolve its
liabilities
Climate,
energy and atmosphere
EU URGED TO LEAD WAY AT COP-10
European politicians have sent a strong
message that they want EU negotiators to take a strong line on climate change
at a major UN conference taking place this month.
HANSEN SUPPORTS FOCUS ON TRACE GASES
Reducing emissions from trace gases such as
methane could be the answer to keeping a lid on global warming, according to
veteran climate experts James Hansen and Makiko Sato.
ALARM SOUNDED ON HERITAGE SITE WARMING
THREAT
The climate debate has also crossed into
discussion on World Heritage sites, with three developing countries calling
on the World Heritage Committee to list their sites as being at risk as a
result of global warming.
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Oceans
ACTION UPDATE: HIGH SEAS
BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION
Efforts to ensure international action on protection of deep sea
biodiversity in the high seas are gaining momentum.
Biodiversity
and wildlife
AGROBIODIVERSITY TRUST ENTERS INTO
FORCE
The Global Crop Diversity Trust, an initiative aimed at conserving plant
genetic resources vital for food security, entered into force on 21 October
2004.
GM MAIZE, SOY MAKES NEWS
The debate over genetically-modified (GM) crops has continued in recent weeks
with the release of a report on GM maize in Mexico,
approval of GM maize in Europe, and a decision to allow GM soy in Brazil.
Forests,
deserts, land
“GREEN POLICE” TO PROTECT AMAZON
Brazil has opened Latin America’s largest environmental police training camp
as part of ongoing efforts to protect the Amazon. In related news, the
Brazilian non-governmental organization Imazon
released a study in late November containing satellite photos showing that
land occupation and deforestation now covers approximately 47 percent of the
Amazon.
Human
development
UN MARKS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY WITH CALLS
FOR EDUCATION
The United Nations family recently
commemorated International Human Rights Day recognizing the critical role of
human rights education.
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Sustainable development
IGES LAUNCHES ENVIROSCOPE
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has launched a new website
“IGES EnviroScope.” This online platform is
developed as a resource on environmental strategy, policy and research,
providing detailed and up-to-date information on current environmental and
sustainability issues, policy measures in different countries and regions, as
well as research output from IGES and other institutions.
AGRICULTURE,
FOOD SECURITY, NUTRITION AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
(IFPRI 2004) In this essay from the forthcoming IFPRI Annual Report
2003-2004, authors Joachim von Braun, M. S. Swaminathan
and Mark W. Rosegrant outline the linkages between
agriculture, food and nutrition security, and each of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). They offer suggestions for how these linkages can
be reinforced, including through investment in infrastructure such as roads
and bridges, to meet the MDG to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty. They
also note the need to overcome the obstacle of poor governance, including by
“giving voice to poor citizens” and ensuring government accountability. The
authors argue that a shift toward decentralization and devolution of
decision-making has increased in the rural poor’s
participation in decisions on rural development, and believe that “preventing
or stopping violent conflict remains a necessary undertaking in many
developing countries that hope to stabilize rural areas and improve the lives
of their poor citizens.”
INDICATORS
OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR TOURISM DESTINATIONS
(World Tourism Organization 2004) This guidebook was produced by the World
Tourism Organization to help the managers of tourism companies and
resorts/destinations, their partners and other stakeholders to make better
decisions regarding tourism. The text’s five sections focus on the use of
indicators as a central instrument for improved planning and management
through: an introduction to the use of indicators; a description of indicator
development procedures; and discussions of sustainability issues and
indicators in tourism, applications for various destinations, such as coastal
zones and mountain destinations, and applications of indicators in tourism
planning and management.
GREEN
miniATLAS
(World Bank September 2004) The World Bank’s Green miniAtlas
draws from the Bank’s Little Green Data Book to provide information on
numerous environmental topics, such as agriculture, forestry, biodiversity,
energy, emission and pollution, water and sanitation, and protected areas,
offering a quick reference guide for monitoring environmental performance
across over 200 countries.
Water,
wetlands, oceans, coasts
THE
WORLD’S WATER: THE BIENNIAL REPORT ON FRESHWATER RESOURCES
(November 2004, Island Press) The World’s Water report – by 2003 MacArthur Fellow recipient Peter Gleick
– provides comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis on
freshwater sources as well as on the political, economic, scientific and
technological issues associated with them. In this fourth volume, Gleick and his research team focus on the most
significant trends worldwide, including how to meet the basic needs of over
one billion people without access to clean water, the growing controversy
over public versus private water, the role of conservation and efficiency in
solving water problems, and concerns about the dramatic growth in bottled
water consumption.
UN WORLD
WATER DEVELOPMENT REPORT ON CD-ROM
An interactive version of Water for People,
Water for Life - The United Nations World Water Development Report is now
available on CD-ROM. The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s
freshwater resources, this report is based on the collective input of 23 UN
agencies and convention secretariats. The global picture it presents is
complemented by the presentation of seven pilot case studies of river basins
representing different social, economic and environmental settings.
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Chemicals
CLOUDS
OF INJUSTICE: BHOPAL DISASTER TWENTY YEARS ON
(Amnesty
International, December 2004) This report reviews the 20 years following the
Bhopal disaster through a human rights lens, focusing on human rights impact
of the leak and contamination, accountability of Union Carbide Corporation
(UCC), and the role of the Indian government in holding UCC accountable and
ensuring adequate compensation and rehabilitation for the victims. The report
seeks to illustrate the failure of UCC/Dow and the Indian government in
complying with their respective responsibilities and obligations, and to
demonstrate the need to establish a human rights framework that can be
applied directly to companies.
Biodiversity and wildlife
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND
BIOSAFETY WEBSITE
FAO’s Research and Technology Development Service
is involved in a number of activities relating to biotechnology and
biosafety, particularly on strengthening the capacities of developing
countries. It has recently launched a new website.
INTEGRATION OF
BIODIVERSITY CONCERNS IN CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES: A TOOLKIT
(German Federal Environmental Agency, September 2004) The objective of this
toolkit is to provide practical guidance on designing climate mitigation
projects and activities in a way that also benefits biodiversity. It provides
an overview of possible climate mitigation activities, and their possible
benefits and negative impacts on biodiversity. It also introduces selected
instruments that could be applied to the integration of biodiversity aspects
in climate change mitigation activities.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WATCH WEBSITE
Intellectual Property Watch is a new website reporting on interests and
dynamics that influence the design and implementation of international
intellectual property policies.
BIODIVERSITY
OFFSETS: VIEWS, EXPERIENCE AND THE BUSINESS CASE
(Insight Investments and IUCN, November 2004) Authored by Kerry ten Kate,
Josh Bishop and Ricardo Bayon, this report
describes biodiversity offsets as conservation activities intended to
compensate for the residual, unavoidable harm to biodiversity caused by
development projects. The report explores the potential of biodiversity
offsets, and contains a synthesis and interpretation of interviews with 37
individuals from around the world.
USING
ECONOMIC INCENTIVES TO CONSERVE CITES-LISTED SPECIES: A SCOPING STUDY ON
INDIVIDUAL TRANSFERABLE QUOTAS FOR STURGEON IN THE CASPIAN SEA
(IIED, September 2004) Authored by K. Karousakis,
B. Groom and J. MacGregor, this paper explores how
individual transferable quota systems can be used as economic incentives in
conserving CITES-listed species. It introduces the broad concepts of
individual transferable quotas and explores economic incentives design,
implementation, enforcement and compliance issues,
within the context of the sturgeon population of the Caspian
Sea.
BUSHMEAT
HUNTING, WILDLIFE DECLINES, AND FISH SUPPLY IN WEST AFRICA
(12 November 2004, Science magazine) According to a study published in
Science, declines in fish catches lead directly to increased hunting
and consumption of wildlife. By comparing fish catches in Ghana between 1970 and 1998 with mammal
populations in six of the country’s nature reserves, researchers from Ghana, Canada,
the UK
and US found that when fish was plentiful, mammal populations increased.
However, when fish was scarce, mammal numbers fell. In addition, sightings of
hunters in nature reserves increased in years when fish supplies were low, bushmeat sales in markets increased in months following a
drop in fish supply and an increase in fish price, and the link between
declines in wildlife and reduced fish supplies was greatest in reserves
nearer to the coast.
Human development
WORLD EMPLOYMENT REPORT 2004-05
(ILO, December 2004) Prepared by the International Labour Organisation, this
report underscores the linkages between employment, productivity and poverty
reduction, urging economic policies targeted at creating decent and
productive employment opportunities and a fairer globalization for poverty
reduction.
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Forests,
deserts, land
REPORTS TO THE CCD COP/CRIC
(UNCCD, 2004) A number of new reports submitted to the UN Convention to
Combat Desertification’s Conference of the Parties
(COP) and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the
Convention (CRIC) are now available on the CCD’s
website. The reports detail how affected and developed country Parties, UN
organizations and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations
have carried out their commitments under the Convention, as called for in
Article 26 of the Convention.
WEBSITE ON ILLEGAL LOGGING AND
THE TRADE IN ILLEGAL TIMBER
(RIIA 2004) The Sustainable Development Programme
of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA) in London, with
funding from the UK Department for International Development, has launched a
new website designed to act as a central point of information on all aspects
of the international debate on illegal logging and the trade in illegal
timber. The site links to news stories, documents from research institutes,
governments, international institutions and NGOs working on the topic, and
briefings on all aspects of national and international efforts to stem
illegal forest practices.
Chemicals management
UNEP
RELEASES NEW REVIEW ON CHEMICAL RISKS
UNEP’s Division of Technology, Industry and
Economics has focused its latest quarterly review, Industry and
Environment (April-September 2004), on managing chemical risks. The
publication includes articles on global, regional and national risk
management programmes. Topics covered include the Rotterdam Convention, the
precautionary principle and EU chemicals policy, integrated chemical
management in the developing world, the Africa Stockpiles Programme, and
international trade in hazardous waste. Authors include representatives from
governmental and intergovernmental organizations as well as non-governmental
organizations and industry.
Trade, investment, finance in SD
BILATERAL
INVESTMENT TREATIES AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY MAKING
(IISD 2004) Authored by Luke Peterson, this paper looks at the
impacts of bilateral investment treaties on development-oriented policy
making. It assesses the major elements of concern in various formulations of
key obligations, and the types of desirable policies they might prevent.
IMPLICATIONS
OF THE COTONOU AGREEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE ACP COUNTRIES AND
BEYOND
(IISD 2004) Written by Konrad von Moltke, this paper assesses the Cotonou
Partnership Agreement (CPA) – an agreement between the EU and a group of
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, most of them former colonies,
which relies heavily on the benefits of trade liberalization, complemented by
EU aid in various forms. The paper considers whether the CPA will promote
sustainable development, and what needs to be done to ensure that it does.
A MODEL
INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENT FOR THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(IISD 2004) Written by Konrad von
Moltke, this paper proposes a model for
international investment agreements that explicitly aims to foster
sustainable development as opposed to merely focusing on investor rights.
A
CAPABILITIES APPROACH TO TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: USING SEN’S
CONCEPTION OF DEVELOPMENT TO RE-EXAMINE THE DEBATES
(IISD 2004) Authored by Aaron Cosbey, this
paper takes the thinking of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and uses it to devise a comprehensive new definition
of sustainable development. It then asks how trade and trade liberalization
might contribute to sustainable development and surveys a web of potential
impacts, drawing lessons for civil society, developing countries and the WTO
negotiations from the analysis.
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2004
IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES
Produced by the IUCN Species Survival Commission the latest version of the
Red List indicates that a total of 15,589 species face extinction. The Global
Species Assessment, which is based on and was released in conjunction
with the Red List, evaluates the status of the world’s biodiversity. The Assessment
includes complete evaluations of amphibians, cycads and conifers, as well as
regional case studies. It highlights species that are at greatest risk of
extinction and the threats facing them.
THE
WORLD DATABASE ON PROTECTED AREA CD-ROM 2005
Managed by UNEP/WCMC in partnership with the World Commission on
Protected Areas and the World Database on Protected Areas Consortium, this
database contains information on the status, environment and management of
individual protected areas.
THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS AND CONSERVATION – MANAGING NATURE’S WEALTH FOR SOCIETY’S HEALTH
Produced by IIED and edited
by Dilys Roe, this book includes chapters on:
mainstreaming environment into poverty reduction; conservation and human
health; climate change – biodiversity and livelihood impacts; markets for
ecosystem services to benefit the poor; reconciling global and local
priorities; sustainable landscapes; mainstreaming biodiversity into business;
scaling-up community efforts to reach the MDGs; and linking biodiversity
conservation and poverty reduction to achieve the MDGs.
SHARING
POWER: LEARNING BY DOING IN CO-MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD
A joint publication by IIED
and IUCN/CEESP, this book is designed to support professionals and other
citizens who are trying to understand collaborative management regimes and
develop and enhance them in practice.
HANDBOOK
OF MARKET CREATION FOR BIODIVERSITY: ISSUES IN IMPLEMENTATION
Published by the OECD, this
handbook shows how public policy in the form of market creation can be used
to internalize biodiversity loss.
SECURING
PROTECTED AREAS IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHANGE: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES
Prepared by the World Commission on Protected Areas and edited by Charles
Barber, Kenton Miller and Melissa Boness, this
report reviews patterns of global socio-economic, biophysical and
institutional change, and addresses challenges for protected areas managers,
and tools and opportunities to overcome them.
IMPORTANT
BIRD AREAS IN ASIA
Produced by BirdLife International, this
publication provides the first comprehensive inventory of Asia’s
important bird areas, revealing that more than half of them have no legal
designation or are only partially protected by law.
RED
DATA BOOK OF THE MAMMALS OF SOUTH AFRICA: A CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT
Published by the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the CBSG Southern
Africa/Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN), this publication
includes a conservation assessment for every terrestrial and marine mammal in
South Africa.
Each species is dealt with under 22 headings, including habitat status,
threats, trade, population number and trends, and recommendations regarding
research and management.
THE URBAN IMPERATIVE –
URBAN OUTREACH STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTED AREAS AGENCIES
Edited by Ted Trzyna and published by CIPA for
IUCN and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, this publication contains
papers discussing the multifaceted interdependence of cities and protected
areas and innovative roles for conservation organizations in urban
environments.
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 Click here for a complete
listing of upcoming meetings
The
following are upcoming meetings recently added to Linkages website:
Sustainable
development
THIRD CSD-13 BUREAU MEETING: 20 December 2004. UN Headquarters
, New York, US. The third meeting of the
CSD-13 Bureau is expected to convene on 20 December 2004. For more
information contact: UN Division for Sustainable Development; tel:
+1-212-963-2803; fax: +1-212-963-4260; e-mail: dsd@un.org;
Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev
BPOA+10 REVIEW INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM: 6 January
2005 - 9 January 2005. Port
Louis, Mauritius.
This Civil Society Forum (CSF) will precede the Mauritius International
Meeting on the BPOA_10 review scheduled fro 10-14 January 2005. All NGOs and
other civil society actors, particularly those from SIDS, are encouraged to
participate in the Forum and International Meeting. Workshops planned for the
Forum will focus on: culture; participation and governance for sustainable
development; food security; ocean and marine resource management; water and
renewable energy technologies; trade and environment; nuclear proliferation
and transhipments of hazardous waste. For more
information contact: Pynee A. Chellapermal,
International Secretariat, CSF; tel: +230-465-5036; fax: +230-465-1422;
e-mail: pynee@mu.refer.org
CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE: 18 January
2005 - 20 January 2005. Ahmedabad, India.
The Ahmedabad-based Center for Environment
Education is hosting an international conference in partnership with the
Indian government, UNEP and UNESCO. The conference will mark the beginning of
the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development planned for 2005-2014.
The conference will be organized around 19 major themes, ranging from
communicating for biodiversity conservation, to education for water and
sanitation, to educating for sustainable energy management. For more
information contact: Thaltej Tekra,
Center for Environment Education; tel: +91-79-2685-8002; fax:
+91-79-2685-8010; e-mail: esf@ceeindia.org;
Internet: http://www.ceeindia.org/esf/index.htm
FOURTH CSD-13 BUREAU MEETING: 28 January 2005. UN headquarters, New York, US .
The fourth meeting of the CSD-13 Bureau is expected to convene on 28 January
2005. For more information contact: UN Division for Sustainable Development;
tel: +1-212-963-2803; fax: +1-212-963-4260; e-mail: dsd@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev
FIFTH CSD-13 BUREAU MEETING: 27 February 2005. UN headquarters, New York,, US. The fifth meeting of the
CSD-13 Bureau is expected to convene on 28 February 2005, immediately prior
to the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for CSD-13. For more information
contact: UN Division for Sustainable Development; tel: +1-212-963-2803; fax:
+1-212-963-4260; e-mail: dsd@un.org;
Internet: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: 1 June 2005 - 5 June 2005. San Francisco, CA,
US. World
Environment Day festivities will include special events focusing on urban
environmental issues. Each day of the 5-day event will consider a specific
theme: Urban Power (energy, renewables and energy conservation); Cities on
the Move (transportation); Redesigning Metropolis (waste diversion and the
built environment); Pure Elements (food, water and air); and Flower Power
(open space, biodiversity and greening the urban environment). For more
information contact: World Environment Day 2005; tel: +1-415-355-9905; fax:
+1-415-355-9933; e-mail: info@wed2005.org;
Internet: http://www.wed2005.org/
Climate, energy and atmosphere
SPECIALTY CONFERENCE ON THE INDIRECT EFFECTS OF AEROSOLS ON
CLIMATE: 5 January 2005 - 7 January 2005. Manchester, UK.
This conference on aerosols and their impact on the climate is being organized by the International Global Atmospheric
Chemistry project, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For more
information contact: Dan Murphy, NOAA; e-mail: Daniel.M.Murphy@noaa.gov;
Internet: http://www.al.noaa.gov/igac/
FIFTH GLOBAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY (GFSE): 11 May
2005 - 13 May 2005. Vienna,
Austria. This
fifth GFSE meeting will focus on biomass, and particularly steps to enhance
international cooperation. For more information contact: Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl, Austrian Ministry for Foreign
Affairs; tel: +43-5-01150-4486; fax: +43-5-01159-274; e-mail: irene.freudenschuss-reichl@bmaa.gv.at;
Internet: http://www.gfse.at/gfse5_preannouncement.htm
EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL / TWENTY-FIFTH
MEETING OF THE OPEN ENDED WORKING GROUP: 27 June 2005 - 1 July
2005. Montreal, Canada. The 25th meeting of the
Open-ended Working Group and the second extraordinary meeting of the Parties
to the Montreal Protocol are tentatively scheduled to take place during the
last week of June or the first week of July 2005 in Montreal, Canada.
The extraordinary meeting will seek to resolve disagreements over exemptions
allowing methyl bromide use in 2006. For more information contact: Ozone
Secretariat; tel: +254-2-62-3850; fax: +254-2-62-3601; e-mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org; Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone
GREEN POWER MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE - THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MEETING PLACE: 15 November
2005 - 16 November 2005. Rome,
Italy. This
event seeks to create a focused platform for networking and knowledge
transfer that will further the adoption of renewable energy systems and
energy efficiency programmes in the region. For more information contact:
Sarah Ellis, Director, Green Power Conferences; tel: +423-663-029-144; fax:
+44-207-900-1853; e-mail: sarah.ellis@greenpowerconferences.com;
Internet: http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/events/GreenPowerMed.htm
SEVENTEENTH MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL: 1 November 2005. Dakar, Senegal.
MOP-17 is tentatively scheduled to take place in November 2005 in Dakar, Senegal.
For more information contact: Ozone Secretariat; tel: +254-2-62-3850; fax:
+254-2-62-3601; e-mail: ozoneinfo@unep.org;
Internet: http://www.unep.org/ozone
Trade, investment, finance in SD
PARIS 2005: SECOND HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON HARMONIZATION AND ALIGNMENT FOR AID
EFFECTIVENESS – JOINT PROGRESS TOWARD ENHANCED DEVELOPMENT AID EFFECTIVENESS:
28 February 2005 - 2 March 2005. Paris, France.
The international development community is scheduled to meet in Paris in early 2005 to:
assess progress in implementing harmonization and alignment on the ground;
identify ways to accelerate and scale-up implementation; and sustain and
enhance the momentum for and political commitment to fundamental changes that
enhance aid delivery. These objectives are seen as a key contribution toward
the implementation of the Monterey Consensus and to attaining the MDGs. For
more information contact: Internet: http://www.aidharmonization.org/ah-wh/secondary-pages/Paris2005
Water, wetlands, oceans, coasts
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER FOR FOOD AND ECOSYSTEMS: 31 January
2005 - 5 February 2005. Hague, the Netherlands. Organized by FAO and
the Government of the Netherlands,
this conference will provide a high-level platform to help governments
identify management practices, share practical lessons learned and determine
the enabling environment for harmonizing food production and ecosystem
management with a view to implementing internationally-agreed commitments.
The outcomes of this conference will provide direct input to CSD-13 and help
implement work programmes of the CBD, Ramsar Convention, as well as the JPOI.
For more information contact: Mathieu Pinkers,
Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality; e-mail: m.j.h.p.pinkers@minlnv.nl;
Internet: http://www.fao.org/ag/wfe2005/
RAMSAR COP-9 ASIAN REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING: 9 February
2005 - 12 February 2005. Bhubaneswar, India.
This meeting aims to provide opportunities for a wider participation of
government officials, NGOs, academia and civil society members in the Asian
region in preparing for the Ramsar Conference of the Parties, to be held in Kampala, Uganda
from 7-15 November. For more information contact: Lei Guangchun,
Ramsar Secretariat; tel: +41-22-999-0170; fax: +41-22-999-0169; e-mail: lei@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org
NORTH SEA CONFERENCE 2005: 1 March 2005 - 3 March 2005. Ringkjobing,
Denmark. This
conference will focus on the environmental status of the North
Sea’s coastal zone and the management of its coastal resources.
For more information contact: Gunn Marit Helgesen, President; tel: +47-35-58-42-00; fax:
+47-35-52-99-55; e-mail: nsc@northsea.org;
Internet: http://www.northsea.org
NINTH INTERNATIONAL WATER TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE: 17 March
2005 - 20 March 2005. Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The objective of the conference is to bring together experts, researchers,
and decision makers to discuss a range of water-related issues, from water
resources management to water treatment, sewage treatment and water
desalination. For more information contact: Magdy Abou Rayan, Chair, Water
Technology Association; tel: +203-592-0641; fax: +203-592-0641; e-mail: mrayan@globalnet.com.eg; Internet: http://www.iwtc.tk/
RAMSAR COP-9 AFRICA REGIONAL PREPARATORY
MEETING: 6 April 2005 - 9 April 2005. Arusha, Tanzania. The Regional Meeting of
the African Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention will examine the
major issues and concerns that characterize the expansion of the Convention
and its work in the region. It will provide an opportunity to share
experience and discuss common problems, major achievements, and the need for
future actions. For more information contact: Dwight Peck, Ramsar
Communications Officer; tel: +41-22-999-0170; fax: +41-22-999-0169; e-mail: peck@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org/w.n.html
THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: 11 April
2005 - 13 April 2005. Algarve,
Portugal.
This meeting will bring together engineers, scientists and other
professionals involved in research and development activities in a range of
water resources and management areas to present the most recent technological
and scientific developments associated with the management of surface and
sub-surface water resources. For more information contact: Rachel Green,
Conference Coordinator; tel: +44-238-029-3223; fax: +44-238-029-2853; e-mail:
rgreen@wessex.ac.uk; Internet: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2005/waterresources05/index.html
RAMSAR STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING: 6 June 2005 - 10 June 2005. Gland, Switzerland.
The Ramsar Standing Committee will address technical, logistical and
financial issues leading up to the ninth Ramsar COP in November 2005.
Meetings of the Standing Committee’s Subgroups on COP9 (7-9 March 2005) and
on Finance (10 March 2005) are also scheduled prior to COP9. For more
information contact: Dwight Peck, Communications Officer; tel:
+41-22-999-0170; fax: +41-22-999-0169; e-mail: peck@ramsar.org; Internet: http://www.ramsar.org
UNICPOLOS-6: 6 June 2005 - 10 June 2005. New York, US .
The sixth meeting of the United Nations Open-ended informal consultative
process on oceans and the law of the sea will meet from 6-10 June 2005 in New York. For more
information contact: UNICPOLOS Secretary, DOALOS; tel: +1-212-963-3962; fax:
+1-212-963-2811; e-mail: doalos@un.org;
Internet: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/consultative_process/consultative_process.htm
SECOND GMA WORKSHOP: 13 June 2005 - 15 June 2005. New York, US .
The second workshop concerning a regular process for the global reporting and
assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socio-economic
aspects (GMA) will take place from 13-15 June 2005 in New York. For more information contact:
DOALOS; tel: +1-212-963-3962; fax: +1-212-963-2811; e-mail: doalos@un.org; Internet: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/global_reporting/global_reporting.htm
2005 WORLD WATER WEEK: 21 August 2005 - 27 August 2005. Stockholm, Sweden. The World Water Week
includes topical plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific Stockholm
Water Symposium workshops, seminars and side events organized by different
international organizations, exhibitions and festive prize ceremonies
honoring excellence in the water field. Abstracts for presentations during
the Symposium workshops, which will be held under the theme of “Drainage
Basin Management Hard and Soft Solutions in Regional Development,� will be
accepted until 1 February 2005. For more information contact: David Trouba, Communications Manager, SIWI; tel: +46-8-522-139-89;
fax: +46-8-522-139-61; e-mail: dave.trouba@siwi.org;
Internet: http://www.worldwaterweek.org
WETPOL - INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WETLAND POLLUTANT DYNAMICS AND CONTROL:
4 September 2005 - 8 September 2005. Ghent, Belgium.
This conference will focus on pollutant dynamics and control, environmental
toxicity and ecosystem development in natural wetlands, controlled flooding
areas and constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. For more information
contact: Gijs Du Laing, WETPOL Organizing Committee; tel: +32-9264-5995;
fax: +32-9264-6232; e-mail: wetpol@biomath.ugent.be;
Internet: http://biomath.ugent.be/wetpol
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL WATER EXPO: 27 October 2005 - 29 October 2005. Shenzhen, China.
Supported by China's
Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Water Resources, this event offers
to be a premier exhibition of China's
water industry. For more information contact: Olivia Ho, Project Officer;
tel: +852-2827-6766; fax: +852-2827-6870; e-mail: general@coastal.com.hk
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