Annual Report 2008

The year saw the publication of the first science plans to be produced by ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in its priority area of hazards and disasters. At the sametime the Science Planning Group on Sustainable Energy in Asia and the Pacific, completed its series of meetings to prepare the science plan on sustainable energy, the second area of priority of ROAP. The plan will be published in mid-2009. Planning for work in its third priority area, ecosystems, will dovetail the action plans of the newly launched international research programme on humans, ecosystem and wellbeing. These plans form the basis upon which ROAP will conduct its activities in the nextthree to six years.

Several high level meetings were held to embrace ROAP's work in planning and coordinating research at the regional and global levels. Much effort was put into the initiative to revive interest in the sub-global follow-up programme of the Millennium Assessment (MA), and in linking science to policy using the MA framework. ROAP has also been active in establishing stronger links with regional programmes such as those run by the Asia Pacific Network (APN).Links with ICSU National Members and Scientific Unions are being strengthened to better achieve the goals of establishing the Regional Office. Lao PDR became the latest member of ICSU from Asia.