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A two-day ICSU Scientific Unions Meeting was held at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Rome , Italy . A total of 23 out of the 29 Scientific Unions of ICSU were present. A broad range of topics were tabled and discussed. This included ICSU and Union activities on human health, natural and man-made hazards and disasters, sustainable energy, and on environment programmes. A presentation was made of the progress with the implementation of the ICSU Strategic Plan by the ICSU Executive Director, Thomas Rosswall. Also discussed were proposals for the review of the ICSU dues structure, an update of the ICSU grants programme, initiatives to strengthen inter-Union and UNION-ICSU interactions, engaging the Unions in the work of the Regional Offices of ICSU, and on restructuring ICSU's international data systems. Five Unions made presentations. These were on the “dual use” of biological sciences (Angelo Azzi IUBMB), food science initiative (Walter Spiess IUFoST), biology and biodiversity (Motonori Hoshi IUBS), chemistry (Bryan Henry IUPAC) and Astronomy (Ian Corbett IAU). The presentation by the Director of the ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is available from the Resource Centre.

• ICSU Regional Office Presentation at Unions Meeting Rome, 23 & 24 April 2007

The Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) was originally known as the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction. The Platform will build on and expand the membership of the Inter-Agency Task Force. Participation in the Global Platform will be open to States.It will also include United Nations and other international agencies, regional organizations, civil society organizations and technical and scientific bodies covering the social, economic, humanitarian, political, environmental and scientific fields and committed to disaster risk reduction. The GPDRR aims at recreating an international forum to discuss disaster risk reduction and the advancement of Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) implementation in country as well as at the regional and international levels. It will provide a forum for devising strategies and policies to reduce disaster risk, monitoring progress and identifying gaps in policies and programmes and recommending remedial action. It will also aim to ensure complementarity of action at all levels of implementation through increased coordination and cooperation. Finally, the Global Platform will also facilitate sharing knowledge and lessons among the UN/ISDR system partners.

• Pre-Announcement: Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

The ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific held its 3 rd meeting in Tehran , Iran on 6 and 7 March 2007. It was hosted by the University of Tehran ( ut.ac.ir ) and attended by 8 members of the Committee. Conflicts in travel and other schedules prevented four other members of the committee from attending. Professor Derek Gardiner, the newest member of the Committee who is based in Fiji attended the meeting for the first time.

The Committee was apprised of the activities of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific since January by its Director, Professor Mohd Nordin Hasan, and on the implementation of the ICSU Strategic Plan 2006 – 2011 by Professor Thomas Rosswall, the Executive Director of ICSU. Various new activities were discussed including plans to hold a one-day forum on the implications of polar warming on earth systems, a brainstorming workshop to delineate and document the roles of academies and associations of science in Asia and the Pacific, and on a roundtable dialogue on freedom and responsibility in science in conjunction with the forthcoming meeting of the ICSU Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in science that will be held in Kuala Lumpur in October.

The basis of a framework for long-term collaboration with UNESCO was also discussed. It is likely that the focus of this collaboration will be capacity building for enhanced scientific research and understanding on the management and mitigation of hazards and disasters in Asia and the Pacific. It was learnt that the UNESCO office in Jakarta was also keen to involve ICSU in promoting research programmes on bio-energy and on science education.

Perhaps the most important matter discussed during the Meeting was on planning the key focus of research development work at the Regional Office. This had been narrowed down to three main themes: natural and human-induced environmental hazards and disasters; ecosystem approach in the management of water resources and food systems; and on energy sustainability. Science plans for the hazards and disasters, and for the ecosystem approach thematic areas, will be prepared and discussed among members of ICSU and key partner organizations at the ICSU Regional Meeting planned for November. With energy sustainability, the Regional Meeting will be used to carefully scope the work of the Regional Office in energy sustainability so that it will truly meet the critical needs of Asia and the Pacific.

The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) has initiated various new fellowship programmes for PhD, Postdoctoral and Advanced Research. These schemes present opportunities for scientists and researchers who may be interested in enhancing their scientific knowledge. The fellowships are overseen jointly by TWAS and various host institutes in countries in the South, including Brazil , Pakistan , China and India . They allow scientists from developing countries to study or do research in other developing countries and then to return home to continue their careers.

The mud volcano that has been flooding the Indonesian town of Sidoarjo since May 2006 has so far been both a defeat and an opportunity for scientific understanding. How did it destroy the town and what is being down to stem the flow?

Mud Volcano

Policymakers need to give more attention to adaptation policies to cope with climate-related impacts, regardless of their cause, argue Roger Pielke and colleagues in an article in Nature. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) pushes mitigation policies, thinking adaptation is only necessary because of climate change associated with rising greenhouse gas emissions. However there are non-climate factors — such as rapid population growth along coastlines — that make a far more important contribution to people's vulnerability to climate events. They suggest that one reason for the absence of policies that focus on adaptation may be the lack of a high-profile international body to promote the broad benefits of adaptation strategies. The authors say that unless adaptation strategies are given as much attention and investment as other policies promoted by the UNFCCC, the effects of climatic events on vulnerable societies will continue to rise no matter how much greenhouse gas emissions are cut. Read article.

• World Bank discussion paper for discussion

On February 13-15, 2007, the World Bank, in partnership with CIDA. DFID, Global Research Alliance (GRA), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Science Initiative Group (SIG), UNCTAD, and UNESCO, will convene a Global Forum on Building Science, Technology, and Innovation Capacity for Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction. The Forum will seek to understand the lessons of previous and ongoing STI capacity building experiences and map out new and more effective ways for governments, industry, academia, foundations, and donors to work together to apply STI capacity building to development in low and middle-income countries.

For more info please visit STI Global Forum

The "2 nd International Advanced Course on Renewable Energies: Resource assessment, Data processing, Feasibility studies, Interpretation, Policy, Management, Design and Applications " will be held in May 21 - 30, 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey. It is organised by the Renewable Energy Research and Development Center (RERDEC) and Water Foundation Turkey.

Applications are invited from engineers, scientists and specialists working in renewable energies related agencies and institutions.

General program and detailed information about the course can be found at www.rerdec.org In the light of the high number of participants applying for the course reviewis of applications will start sooner than scheduled, i.e. on May, 4th. For this reason, the organisers ask that hose interested to submit application forms as soon as possible.

A UK think-tank Demos in a recent report on science and innovation in China , India and South Korea reported that these countries were "innovation hotspots" and can become centres of research dominance in future. The Atlas of Ideas reports were the result of an 18-month study of science and innovation in Asia, with a focus on opportunities for collaboration with the UK and Europe . The project was funded by the UK government and a consortium of public and private sector partners. A project summary can be found at
http://www.demos.co.uk/files/File/ATLASsummaryLong.pdf

For more go to http://www.demos.co.uk/projects/atlasofideas/overview

The Third Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 5 to 10 February 2007 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Com~ission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), with generous hospitality to be provided by the Government of Malaysia.

The Conference will consist of two major segments, namely the Preparatory Meeting of Senior Officials from 5 to 7 February, and the Ministerial Meeting from 8 to 10 February 2007. The Ministerial Conference is expected to be attended by ministers and senior officials of the members and associate member countries of the UNESCAP.

The Conference is being convened with a new vision to enhance regional cooperation and consider concrete steps towards developing effective institutional arrangements designed to facilitate operational applications of space-based information and communication technologies among members and associate members of ESCAP. It will

• assess the implementation of the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development;
• examine the converging trends in information, communication and space technologies and the issues facing the region in reaching internationally agreed development goals; and
• recommend a regional strategy and action plan and cooperative mechanisms in priority areas that are of common concern to the countries of Asia and the Pacific.

Further details regarding the Ministerial Conference, its provisional agenda, annotated provisional agenda, tentative programme, background documents to be deliberated upon during the Conference, and the information note for participants, are being progressively uploaded at the following website:
http://www.unescap.org/icstd/space/3MC/ 3MC_index.asp.

The consultations were held in 2006 in East, Southeast, and South Asia focussed on four specific themes:

1. energy security and development needs,
2. CDM,
3. technology issues and
4. adaptation.

The major outcomes of this project has been published in a report entitled "Asian aspirations for climate regime beyond 2012" that is available in PDF format at http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=535

If you are interested, the report based on consultations held in 2005 entitled "Asian Perspectives on Climate Regime Beyond 2012: Concerns, Interests and Priorities", is also available in PDF format at http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=169

The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University 's Center for International Development invites applications for resident fellowships in sustainability science for the University's academic year beginning in September 2007. The fellowship competition is open to advanced doctoral and post-doctoral students, and to professionals engaged in the practice of harnessing science and technology to promote sustainable development.

Successful applicants will spend their fellowships in residence at the Sustainability Science Program, receiving a competitive stipend plus health, office space and computer support, and access to Harvard's libraries and other research facilities.

The Sustainability Science Program seeks to advance basic understanding of the dynamics of human-environment systems; to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of practical interventions that promote sustainability in particular places and contexts; and to improve linkages between relevant research and innovation communities on the one hand, and relevant policy and management communities on the other.

More information about the Fellowship may be obtained from http://www.cid.harvard.edu/sustsci/grants /fellows/index.html and an application coversheet at the following URL http://www.cid.harvard.edu/sustsci/grants/fellows/ 07_fellows_cover_sheet.htm

This Regional Office was inaugurated on the 19 September by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak. The new office will promote the development of science throughout Asia and the Pacific and help strengthen the voice of developing countries in this region. It will also ensure that its scientists become involved in those aspects of the ICSU 2006-2011 Strategic Plan that are especially relevant for this area. The official inauguration was accompanied by the 2nd Meeting of the ICSU Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific (18-20 September) and the Regional Conference on Natural and Human-Induced Environmental Hazards and Disasters (17-20 Sept)

• Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia inaugurates ICSU’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
• ICSU hosts conference on hazards and disasters

Although the site will focus on the Asia and the Pacific region, it will be integrated with the website of the ICSU Secretariat in Paris, and websites of the ICSU regional offices for Africa in Pretoria, and for Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico CIty. The launch of the new website will broaden the reach of ICSU ROAP. It will provide a unique platform on which web users can, not only access compelling content on science and technology, but also participate in providing important information on science and technology in Asia and the Pacific. Registered users may also engage in dialogue with the scientific community worldwide through the website.

Fifty years ago, ICSU sponsored the International Geophysical Year established a new paradigm for international collaboration in the earth sciences. Scientists across the world are now gearing up the International Polar year (IPY) 2007-2008. For more information please go to www.ipy.org

Professor Mohd Nordin Hasan is Director of the ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Emeritus Professor in Environment and Development at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (National University of Malaysia) and Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia. Nordin’s obtained his first degree in the field of agricultural sciences from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Malaya (1971) and his PhD from the Faculty of Science, University of London (1974).  His current interest is on inter-linkages between science and policy with particular emphasis on environment and development. His past work included the development of conservation strategies in several states in Malaysia, and the development of the National Conservation Strategy, Malaysia. The sustainability of development in Asia and the Pacific is within the scope of his current concerns.

He has extensive experience in conservation biology, tropical forest ecology, ecosystem health assessments and sustainable development indicators. He served as a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) task force on ecosystem services and management from 2009 - 2010. He also serves on various UNDP evaluations of Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and bilateral projects in Malaysia, and was on the Technical Advisory Panel of the Asian Development Bank’s Greater Mekong Sub-region, Core Environment Programme. He has represented the Government of Malaysia at a number of international fora including the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), the RAMSAR Convention, and on Technical Working Groups responsible for preparing the Malaysia Plans.

Nordin was the founding Director of the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and has held a number of honorary positions, including Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University (now Fenner School of Environment and Society). He was the Regional Vice Chair of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), IUCN the World Conservation Union, and the Global Thematic Leader on Ecosystem Status Indicators, of the CEM. He is currently Board Member of the Science Council of Japan, a Fellow of the Malaysian Society of Applied Biology, Member, Scientific Steering Committee, Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), and Member, Science Planning Group on Health in a Changing Urban Environment: A Systems Approach of the ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

This major global-change open science conference will be held from 16-19 April 2012 in London. The conference, which will focus on solutions, is sponsored by International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme with co-sponsored by the International Council for Science's (ICSU) global-environmental-change research programmes and their Earth System Science Partnership. It is expected to bring together natural and social scientists, economists, national and international policymakers, industry, NGOs and many other communities.

In the UK, the conference will be hosted by the Royal Society, the Living With Environmental Change programme (LWEC, which represents all the UK's main agencies and government departments tackling environmental change) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the UK's largest funder of environmental science.
Elinor Ostrom (winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in economics), Angela Cropper (Deputy Executive Director of UNEP) and Mark Stafford Smith (Science Director of the Climate Adaptation Flagship of CSIRO) will lead the Scientific Organising Committee for the conference. The full committee will be announced in August, and details will be made available on the IGBP website in due course.

For further details, please visit http://www.igbp.net/

The 1st Asian Regional Conference on Systems Biology (ARCSB) 2010 will be held on 29 November – 1 December 2010. The ARCSB 2010 will be the first gathering on systems biology research in this region. This meeting is organized by the Institute of Systems Biology (INBIOSIS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Topics include :
• Functional genomics and biological networks
• Computational methods and tools
• Proteomics and systems biology
• Metabolomics and systems biology

Important Deadlines :
• Abstract 15 August 2010
• Acceptance Notification 15 September 2010
• Early Bird Registration 30 September 2010
• Full Paper 31 October 2010

Please click on the link to obtain the ARCSB 2010 brochure and conference travel grants information as well as application form.

For more information kindly visit the website at http://www.inbiosis.ukm.my

International Unions of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) is pleased to welcome participants to 15th World Congress of Food Science and Technology, being held for the first time in Africa, in Cape Town, South Africa, from 22 to 26 August, 2010. The South African Association for Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST) is the local organizing committee of the congress. The theme for the 15th IUFoST World Congress of Food Science and Technology, “Food Science Solutions in an Evolving World” was chosen to highlight the important role food scientists will play globally in terms of research and education in topics such as food security, food safety, food preservation, food processing, consumer education and environmental sustainability.

IUFoST represents the global food science and technology fraternity, by nature a diverse discipline. The World Congress is the biennial gathering of the world’s food scientists and major food industry players. The meeting will highlight the latest knowledge and developments in various food science sectors and encourage debate and formulation of scientific solutions to global food issues. It is only through sharing that science-based solutions can be jointly facilitated.

The Congress will include plenary sessions with top international speakers, opportunities to present original research, posters, technical tours and a substantial exhibition of products and services for the food industry as well as a comprehensive social program.

To register for the 15th IUFoST World Congress of Food Science & Technology in Cape Town, please visit the congress website: www.iufost2010.org.za/registration.asp or complete the enclosed registration form and return to the Congress Secretariat. For further information, please visit http://www.iufost2010.org.za/announcements/2ndAnnouncement.asp

The CSO Parallel Consultation in conjunction with the 30th FAO-Asia Pacific Regional Conference was held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea from 27 September – 1 October 2010 that brought together around 70 representatives of farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, rural women, rural youth, cooperatives, NGOs and other civil society organizations, to discuss the priority issues that affect food security in the region today. Several Asian countries were represented, namely, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, The Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.

The CSO Consultation aims to provide critical inputs to the official FAO Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) process from the various CSO perspectives and positions on the priority issues they have identified in the February 2010, Manila FAO-CSO Consultation, anchored on the experiences of the poor rural sectors.

It also aims to further strengthen the solidarity among broad-based civil society mechanisms to sustain the engagement and cooperation among themselves and with FAO and its Member States for commonly pursuing agriculture and trade policies that are responsive and appropriate.

The event targets to raise public opinion on the issues affecting food security and sovereignty and the need for urgent and immediate actions from FAO and the Member States, especially in the context of the new framework for global governance in food and agriculture aimed at addressing the weaknesses in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition, which is the goal of the reform of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

At the end of the consultation, a CSO statement was drafted and presented to the High Level Meeting of the FAO-APRC on 1 October 2010 in Gyeongju, Korea.

For further information about the meeting, please visit CSO Meeting in Conjunction with the 30th FAO-APRC or download the Summary Report of the meeting.