International Science Roundtable for the Media During Prepcom4 of the World Summit on Sustainable Development

9 May 2002 - Urbanisation, deforestation, pollution, climate change · sustainable development at local, regional and global scales represents perhaps the most daunting challenge that humanity has ever faced. How can we live sustainably on our planet?

Science holds many of the answers. Recent research is providing crucial tools for understanding the working of the Îearth systemâ, allowing improved impact assessment, risk prediction, and development of sustainable technologies.

The importance of science in a sustainable future will be the theme for discussion at an international Science Roundtable for the Media to be held during the PrepCom4 meetings in Bali, Indonesia, on the 4th of June: all journalists are warmly invited.

A panel of experts from the major international global environmental change programmes* will give brief insights into their areas of expertise (aquaculture, biodiversity, mega-cities, climate, deforestation), and be available for discussion and interviews.

The event will give background and context to the science for sustainability while also providing reportable stories for journalists. All stories will have a Southeast Asian angle, but will have global relevance.

PrepCom4 in Bali is the last stop on the road to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa (26 Aug - 4 Sept 2002), also known as Rio+10. In Bali, participants will have to conclude discussions on far-reaching actions to propel the sustainable development agenda forward.

Coming just one day before the ministerial meetings, the Science Roundtable will be a unique chance to see how the scientific community has vastly increased its potential for contributing to sustainable development in the decade since the adoption of Agenda 21.

For a full programme, click here.

For further information and to register for this event, contact:

Clare Bradshaw, IGBP Science Communicator
clare.bradshaw@igbp.kva.se,
ph: +46 8 673 9593, fax: +46 8 1664 05

Elisabeth Dyck, IHDP Information Officer; elisabeth.dyck@chello.at,
ph & fax +43 1 888 09 60

*Note: ICSU = International Council for Science (Paris, France), IGBP = International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (Stockholm, Sweden); IHDP = International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (Bonn, Germany); WCRP = World Climate Research Programme (Geneva, Switzerland); DIVERSITAS = an international programme of biodiversity science (Paris, France); START = Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training (Washington DC, USA