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Sustainability Science

Dr Craig Hutton - UNESCO Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science Event

Sustainability Science
Date:
4 - 5 April 2013
Venue:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Event details

Dr Craig Hutton, member of SSS and Senior Researcher at the GeoData Institute, Geography & Environment Academic Unit, University of Southampton, will be presenting work carried out by the ESPA Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation in Populous (Deltas) project and contributing to developing Sustainability Science as a strategic agenda for policy at the UNESCO Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science.

 

Dr Craig Hutton, member of SSS and Senior Researcher at the GeoData Institute, Geography & Environment Academic Unit, University of Southampton, will be presenting work carried out by the ESPA Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation in Populous (Deltas) project and contributing to developing Sustainability Science as a strategic agenda for policy at the UNESCO Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science:

‘A Science based Approach to realise the Future We Want for All' UNESCO in collaboration with ISTIC and MEXT‐Japan Local Host: Lestari, UKM. 4‐5 April 2013, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

UNESCO Office Jakarta has initiated, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, a new initiative entitled "Sustainability Science". This project aims to raise awareness about sustainability science among policymakers in the Asia and Pacific region, with a view to position this as part of the national and regional science and technology policy.

Sustainability science promotes as such cross‐disciplinary coordination, and requires global cooperative effort to advance understanding of the dynamics of human‐environment systems. By integrating the concept of Sustainability Science in its programmes UNESCO aims to promote collaboration between

Natural Science (SC) and Social and Human Sciences (SHS), while benefitting also from the education, culture, and communication/information mandates where this may generate value added. As part of ongoing consultations about the UNESCO Sciences Programme, UNESCO Jakarta with the support of Japanese Fund‐in‐Trust, and in collaboration with the University Science of Malaysia and other institutions is organizing a Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science in Asia and the Pacific.

This workshop brings together a group of regional experts and stakeholders in the Asia‐Pacific region to discuss and develop a common understanding of sustainability science and its role in addressing and solving key global challenges. As such this will help to position the role of science, technology and innovation in the post‐2015 agenda.

 "Sustainability science is a vital part of the solutions to the sustainability challenges we face. The scientific community now needs to strengthen further international collaboration, and take a leading role in providing the knowledge needed for societal transformations to a sustainable world"- UNESCO, 2013.

The workshop will be live‐streamed and will allow universities and other stakeholders to participate and send questions and comments.

 Full details re. the workshop agenda, objectives and outcomes can be found below.

 

Web Links

 

ESPA Deltas Project: http://www.espadelta.net/

Twitter: @EspaDeltas

Sustainability Science at Southampton Research Themes: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/sustainability_science/researchgroups/index.page?

Twitter: @SustainScience

Workshop Draft Agenda:

Draft Agenda

 

Thursday 04 April 2013

 

08:00 - 09:00      Registration

 

Opening

09:00 - 09:20      Opening Session

UNESCO

Mr Kato, Secretary General of the Japanese National Commission for

UNESCO, MEXT

ISTIC

 

Plenary Session 1  

 

Setting the Scene

Post2015 Challenges and Development Agenda

Chair:

 

09.20 ‐ 09.35        Keynote Speech: Post‐2015 Development Paradigms and Frameworks

Dr Jeffrey Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University

 

09.35 ‐ 09.50        Keynote Speech: Climate Science, Policy and Sustainable Development  Interface

Dr Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, The Energy and the Resources Institute TERI

 

09.50 ‐ 10.05        Keynote Speech: Climate Science, Policy and Sustainable Development Interface

Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace, and Tokyo University

 

10.05 ‐ 10.20        Contribution of Sustainability Science to the Post‐2015 Development Agenda.

Dr. Hubert Gijzen - Director Regional Science Bureau

10.20 ‐ 10:30        Questions and Answers

10.30 - 11.00       Refreshments

 

Plenary Session 2

Role of sustainability science to deliver SGDs through creativity, innovation

and entrepreneurship?

Chair and discussion lead: Prof. Prof. Dr. Mazlin bin Mokhtar UKM, Lestari

11.00 - 11.15       The Evolution of Sustainability Science: Global Perspectives on Ideas and Practice

Ms Nancy Dickson, CoDirector, , Public Policy and Human Development Harvard University

11.15 - 11.35

Presentation of the Review Paper by Dr Zainal Abidin Sanusi

 Concept of Sustainability Science

 Emerging sustainability issues

Recommendations for integration of SuS in existing UNESCO programmes

 

11.35 - 12.45       Thematic Case Studies on Sustainability Science in the AsiaPacific Region

 

1. Dr. Craig Hutton - Assistant Prof. Dep. of Geography, University of Southampton:

"ESPA DELTA: Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services And Poverty

Alleviation in Populous Deltas in Bangladesh."

2. Prof. Dr. Soontak Lee - Yeungnam University. UNESCO IHP Bureau/IGC ex‐officio Chair of the Korea (Republic of) IHP National Committee, Governor, World Water Council (WWC)

Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy (HELP)

3. Pr. Sivanappan Kumar, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok: Case Study on Energy

4. Dr. Sylvia Miclat - Executive Director ESSC: Towards greater human security in Mindanao by establishing strategic research partnerships to strengthen local governance in land and water management.

5. Dr. Christine Padoch - Programme Director Forests and Livelihoods Programme, CIFOR: Case Study in the AsiaPacific

6. Prof. Dr. Mazlin bin Mokhtar UKM, Lestari: Discussion of the overall concept

 

12:45‐13:30 Lunch break

 

Plenary Session 4

Through Video

Conference           UNESCO High Level Panel (UNESCO ADGs and ICSU President Datuk Nobel

Laureate Dr. Lee Yuan Tshe)

 

13:30‐14:30         Sustainability Science for the Post 2015 Agenda

ADG's BSP, SC, SHS and IOC and Dr. Lee Yuan Tshe)

14:30‐15;00         Tea Break

15:00‐16:00         Breakout out session on sustainability science and related case studies in two groups

 

 

Plenary Session 5

Through Video

Conference

Video Conference Link with Addis Ababa/Nairobi

AsiaAfrica Cooperation lead by Prof. Crispus Kiamba

 

16:00 ‐ 17:30       South‐south Cooperation for Post 2015 Agenda

 

 

Friday 6 April 2013

 

09:00 ‐ 10:30       Discussions in Breakout Groups

Chair: Dato Dr Lee Yee Cheong ISTIC

 

3 to 4 Groups to Focus on Key Questions

10:30 - 11:00      Refreshments

 

Plenary Session 6

Scoping the Sustainability Science Future

 

11:00 - 12:00      Breakout Group Reports and Summary in Plenary

12:00 - 12:30      General Discussions and Conclusions

12:30 - 14:00      Lunch and Friday Prayer Break

 

Plenary Session 7

Through Video

Conference

How to uplift the role of science?

 

14:00‐14:45         Dr Lidia Brito Director Science Policy and Capacity Building UNESCO

How to develop a new contract between science and society, including policy‐makers and other stakeholder groups?

Discussion and Q&A

 

Plenary Session 8

14:45‐16:30         Discussions on future directions and initiatives

Chair: UNESCO

16:30‐17:00         Tea break

 

17:00‐17:15         Concluding Speech

Dato Dr. Zakri Bin Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister's Science Advisor

Objectives:

The key objectives of the workshop are to:

  • 1. Develop a common understanding of the role of science, technology and innovation, and the position of sustainability science in delivering solutions for key global challenges in the context of Rio+20 and the Post‐2015 development agenda.
  • 2. Propose recommendations on the integration of Sustainability Science in UNESCO, wider UN system and into to national and international science policy to deliver sustainable solutions to effectively deliver SGDs through creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • 3. Engage policy makers of the Asia‐Pacific region to uplift the role of sustainability sciences at the highest institutional and political levels and to develop a ‘new contract' between science and society, including policy‐makers and other stakeholder groups.
  • 4. Discuss about the way forward to develop sustainability science as a valuable strategic support in the implementation of the SDGs (e.g. development of a SuS‐Network, development of pilot projects, flagship programmes).

 

Key outputs from the workshop:

  • A shared understanding of the role of sustainability sciences in developing a better understanding of the origin/causes and scope, and the delivering of solutions for the key global challenges in the context of Rio+20 post 2015 development agenda.
  • Recommendations on the role and positioning of SuS as a valuable strategic support in the implementation of the SDGs, and the role of UNESCO and other international and national players/stakeholders to effectively deliver SDGs through creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Policy documents and communication materials to engage policy makers to uplift the role of sustainability sciences at the highest political levels and to develop a ‘new contract' between science and society, including policy‐makers and other stakeholder groups.
  • Documented case studies and proposed pilot projects on Sustainability Science to be implemented by UNESCO Published proceedings, presentations and recommendations of the workshop in the form of an edited book in order to disseminate knowledge on Sustainability Science among policy makers, and international organization programmes.

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