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Issue 3: September 2000 |
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UNU launches project on sustainable forest development 2. Jordan's Queen Rania to chair UNU/INWEH Advisory Committee 3. Threats to mountains target of new UNU partnership 4. Dr. Lynn Mytelka named Director of UNU/INTECH 5. UNU ads begin broadcast on CNN International 6. New book studies development, pollution link in Central Europe UNU Launches Project on
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The United Nations University has launched a project on the role of forests in sustainable development.
The World Forests, Society and Environment (WFSE) Programme brings together three partners: the UNU, the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) and the European Forest Institute (EFI) in Finland. The aim of the new project, to be led by Prof. Matti Palo of METLA, is to research sustainable forest management, and foster partnership networking and capacity building. The project will focus on improving linkages between forest science and forest policy at all levels of government.
A collaborative relationship has been established with the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Kenya, the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE), Costa Rica, and the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon.
For more information:
UNU Public Affairs, tel. (03)
5467-1243, -1246; fax (03) 3406-7346
Jordan's Queen Rania to
Chair
INWEH Advisory Committee
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| Queen Rania of Jordan |
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan will chair the International Advisory Committee of UNU’s Canadian-based International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU/INWEH).
"I look forward to the opportunity of contributing to INWEH’s countless efforts to enhance the quality of life in developing countries, particularly for women and children," Queen Rania wrote to Hans van Ginkel, UN Under Secretary-General and Rector of UNU. "Indeed, INWEH’s work in the field of the environment, and its relentless efforts to tackle the global water crisis and its health consequences are to be commended."
INWEH, created in 1996 with Canadian government funds and headquartered at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, works to strengthen water management ability in developing countries.
Dr. Ralph Daley, Director of INWEH, said Queen Rania’s leadership of the International Advisory Committee will improve the organization’s visibility and credibility throughout the developing world.
"Queen Rania has earned the respect of citizens throughout the Middle East and beyond with her work to promote the well-being of underprivileged groups. We are honoured by her offer to participate in our work to improve access to safe water in developing countries," said Daley.
Over the next five years, INWEH’s goals include expanding and consolidating its work to create effective capacity-building programmes in
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Latin America, with focus on urban water management;
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the Middle East, focusing on water conservation, groundwater management and marine ecosystems; and
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Eastern/Southern Africa, focusing on the sustainable lake and river basin management.
Queen Rania (formerly Rania Al-Yasin) pursued a successful career in private sector banking before marrying then Prince Abdullah in 1993. After her marriage, Queen Rania channeled her energies into projects that aim to improve the living conditions of several underprivileged groups in Jordanian society. These include protecting the children of Jordan from abuse and encouraging their early development, while raising awareness on various health issues.
Threats to mountains
target
of new UNU partnership
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Increasing threats to mountain communities and environments is the focus of a new UNU project on the sustainable development of mountain systems.
The project, in partnership with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Berne, Switzerland, and with the general support of the Japanese Government, aims to improve understanding of ongoing human and environmental pressures on the world's mountain systems with a view to mitigating their impact. It will also enhance the competence and capacities of local research institutions through partnering with other institutions.
Mountains are among the world's most vulnerable areas, with fragile ecosystems susceptible to land degradation and critical biodiversity loss. They are also losing indigenous cultures and traditions. Underscoring increasing international concern about these issues, the UN General Assembly has designated 2002 the International Year of Mountains.
UNU Co-sponsors Major Mountain Conferences
UNU is co-sponsor of two major upcoming international meetings on mountain issues:
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The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment, the first international mountain biodiversity research conference, will be held in Rigi in the Swiss Alps, Sept. 7 to 10. The conference will initiate the global mountain biodiversity network activity of DIVERSITAS, a Paris-based biodiversity science programme. Aim of the meeting: synthesize existing knowledge on mountain biodiversity.
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The International Symposium on the Himalayan Environments: Mountain Sciences and Ecotourism/Biodiversity will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 24 to 26. Delegates will discuss current knowledge on Himalayan environmental sciences and the activities of non-research organizations in protected areas, including Kanchanjunga Conservation Area. The symposium will identify problems between academic and non-academic organizations operating in the Himalayas, develop a plan to coordinate efforts and discuss the role of environmental sciences in promoting ecotourism and conserving mountain biodiversity.
Dr. Lynn Mytelka named
new
Director of UNU/INTECH
Canadian Dr. Lynn K. Mytelka is the new Director of the UNU Institute of New Technologies (UNU/INTECH). Dr. Mytelka came from UNCTAD headquarters in Geneva where she had been director of the Division on Investment, Technology and Enterprise Development since 1966.
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Dr. Lynn Mytelka |
Before joining UNCTAD, Dr. Mytelka was a Professor with the Department of Political Science and Institute of Political Economy at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. She has also served with the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches sur les Enterprises Multinationales (Forum-CEREM), Université de Paris-X, Nanterre.
Dr. Mytelka has undertaken extensive consultancies with the Commission of the Europe Communities, the OECD Development Centre in Paris, UNDP, UNCTAD, IDRC and the World Bank, among others.
CNN International airs UNU ads
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A series of television public service announcements providing a general introduction to UNU and its international network of research and training centres and programmes is being broadcast to television viewers worldwide, thanks to CNN.
The 60, 30 and 15-second spots began airing six to nine times daily on CNN International, starting August 1 for up to six months.
The main objective of the campaign is to attract viewers to the UNU website to learn more about the organization and its affiliated institutes and programmes.
Download UNU's new television Public Service Announcement by clicking on the links below:
New book studies
development,
pollution link in Central Europe
A new book from UNU Press looks at ongoing change in Central Europe and discusses the problems of combining economic restructuring with environmental cleanup.
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Old Sins: Industrial Metabolism, Heavy Metal Pollution, and Environmental Transition in Central Europe is based on the work of two projects focused on development in two Central European regions: the Rhine Basin and the Black Triangle-Upper Silesia region.
The research provides analyses of pollution flows from historical and geographical perspectives. It combines that knowledge with analyses of the social and institutional development. The industrial metabolism approach is introduced and discussed through different studies. This book is of interest to researchers and students of regional development, environmental studies, transdisciplinary research or Central Europe.
The authors: Stefan Anderberg, Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen; Sylvia Prieler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria; Krzysztof Olendrzynski, Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo; and Sander de Bruyn, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics, Free University, Amsterdam.
ISBN 92-808-1049-9; 2000, 208 pages; Paper; US$19.95
Copyright ©
2000 United Nations University. All rights
reserved.
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