Surviving the Third Millennium:
An International Science Roundtable for the Media
21 May 2002 - SE Asia is becoming increasingly vulnerable to global change
(e.g. global warming, land-use change, urbanisation and dwindling
resources). Will advances in modern technology and governance
come to the rescue?
This is one of the themes to be discussed by seven experts from
a partnership of major global environmental change programmes*
at a roundtable discussion for the media during PrepCom4 in Bali.
The event will be chaired by Bambang Harimurthi, Director of Indonesiaâs
ÎTempoâ magazine. Journalists are invited to attend or report
from a distance at http://www.igbp.net/prepcom4/ Lunch and
refreshments will be provided.
The panel will present their latest research, giving regional
and global examples of why science is crucial for a sustainable
future. Topics will include:
- Youâve heard of El Ni–o and La Ni–a, but what are MJOs?! The relatively
unknown Madden-Julian Oscillations (MJOs) are a major cause of
floods and cyclones in SE Asia and North Australia. A new technique
underway promises to give advance warning of events such as the
Jakarta floods in February this year.
- Over millennia, Asian mangroves have been absorbing 1.5 tonnes/ha/year
of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. However, removal of mangroves,
primarily for shrimp farming, exposes the soil and releases 50
times this amount back into the atmosphere each year. If current
deforestation proceeds at this rate, mangroves may be completely
wiped out in some areas within 20 years, severely altering the
regionâs capacity to absorb greenhouse gases.
- Overfishing in Asia has reduced the largest and most commercially-preferred
marine species to 5% of their 1930s abundance. A better understanding
of the genetic diversity of fish populations may hold the key
to managing marine fish stocks and conserving biodiversity.
- Poor infrastructure, inefficient technology and inappropriate
building practices are major challenges for the 15 megacities
projected for Asia by 2015. Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo
are the focus of a new international project that investigates
energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. The study projects
the future situation under different scenarios and proposes countermeasures.
- Tropical forests may be wiped out in Indonesia if todayâs deforestation
rate of 4 million ha/year continues, leading to loss of biodiversity,
endangering rare species, and severely impacting on economic development.
A common theme, and one of the calls of the WSSD process, is that
international cooperation is needed for sustainable management
of SE Asian resources. This will require tailored conservation
and development strategies. This roundtable will help to bridge
the information gap between science and policymakers.
For a full programme, speaker biographies and other details 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
The speakers are:
- Dr. Gisbert Glaser, Senior Advisor on Science for Sustainable
Development, ICSU, Paris
- Prof. Jin Eong Ong, Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies, Universiti
Sains, Malaysia
- Ms Carmen Ablan, ICLARM ö The World Fish Center, Malaysia
- Dr. Matthew Wheeler, Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre, Australia
- Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(IGES), Japan
- Prof. Daniel Murdiyarso, Department of Geophysics and Meteorology,
Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
- Dr. Louis Lebel, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
With Dr Robert Wasson (IGBP and a UN WSSD Science Expert), Prof
Oran Young (IHDP and Dartmouth College, USA), and Dr Mahendra
Shah (IIASA) also present as discussion panellists and available
for interview.
Journalists are advised to book flights and hotels as soon as
possible, as both are filling up fast. We regret that we cannot
help you with this, but you can find a lot of helpful information
at: http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/media_info/media_info.html
All media will also require a visa.
Note:
ICSU = International Council for Science (http://www.icsu.org)
IGBP = International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (http://www.igbp.kva.se)
IHDP = International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental
Change (http://www.ihdp.org)
WCRP = World Climate Research Programme (http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcrp/wcrp-home.html)
DIVERSITAS = an international programme of biodiversity science
(http://www.icsu.org/DIVERSITAS/)
START= Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training
(http://www.start.org)
