Over the past decade, the scientific evidence - much of it coming out
of ICSU’s own research programmes - that deleterious environmental
change is occurring, has become irrefutable. The Earth’s environment
is changing on all scales from local (e.g. air, soil and water pollution)
to regional (e.g. acid deposition and land degradation) and global (e.g.
climate change and loss of biodiversity). These changes are to a large
measure due to human activities and their negative effects are disproportionately
felt in poorer countries.
ICSU has an extensive environment portfolio, which was subject to review
as part of the Priority Area Assessment of the Environment and its Relation
to Sustainable Development. This forward-looking assessment highlighted
the need to strengthen links between environmental research, monitoring/Earth
observation, integrated assessments and provision of information for decision-making.
ICSU is a major global player in each of these areas but needs to assume
responsibility for ensuring better integration of the four components
in the coming years. This will be a major aspect of two newly developing
interdisciplinary programmes on polar research and environmental hazards.
Environmental portfolio: Evolution of
ICSU's environmental research programmes
