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Prof. Walter Manshard
Vice Rector, Natural Resources Programme, The United Nations
University
The publication of these proceedings is an important milestone for the Programme on the Use and Management of Natural Resources as it represents the first substantial output of a project that was begun subsequent to the initial set of Programme activities. It was in April and May 1977 that three expert meetings outlined the first phase of operations in the sub-programme areas of: (1 ) The Ecological Basis for Rural Development in the Humid Tropics; 12) Assessment of the Application of Knowledge to Arid Lands Problems; and (3) Energy for Rural Communities. While the topic of coastal zones had been considered from the beginning, it was only in April 1978 that the first meeting was held. It was at this meeting that the idea of setting up a training course first emerged, and sixteen months later a location had been selected, a cooperating institution established, the first groups of trainee' selected, and an international workshop organized to inaugurate the course. It is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of all those involved that this publication can be ready for press less than two years after the idea was generated.
This workshop therefore represents the first substantial activity of the Project on Coastal Resources Management. The presence of scientists from six countries suggests the international contacts that will lead to the formation of a network, while the strong participation and support of Indonesian scientists indicates, first, the relevance of the planned activities and, second, that the United Nations University is carrying out its function of strengthening the local scientific community. In furthering each of these objectives the proceedings should prove most useful.
Given the current interest in coastal zone resources and the tremendous need for more effective management, the Programme is intending to extend the project within the Southeast Asian region as well as to other ecological regions. Thus we are investigating the possibilities for establishing similar training courses in other parts of the world, and planning to initiate research programmes and train UN University Fellows. We must, however, take care that we do not simply begin a series of isolated projects, but, rather, interrelate them on both a topical and a personal basis. In that way the benefits of the University projects in terms of sharing experience and knowledge will extend well beyond the life of any of the individual projects.
It is also most encouraging that the proceedings will be published simultaneously in Indonesian by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). This again is an indication that the University's activities are appropriate, and that the benefits of the project will spread far beyond the first group of trainees on whose behalf this workshop was organized.
March 1980