Transcript Criteria for Future Earth Research

Future Earth workshop – Mexico City
Introduction Breakout session 2:
Building a regional vision for Future Earth
Group 2
1. What are current successes and challenges in delivering
transdisciplinary research with stakeholders and collaboration
across organizations and countries? How can Future Earth build
on these?
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• Overall, need more representation from the Caribbean
• Connect to Caribbean networks eg Uni of West Indies.
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2. What infrastructure already exists and what is
needed to coordinate Future Earth research?
•. Very uneven capacity – systems nationally centred, not
regional
• Large amount of programmes, but little connection
• Natural science infrastructure is relatively strong
– eg. good MSc & PhD programmes in disasters
– Sustainable energy – work done already in e.g. Brazil (biofuels), Mexico
(solar), Costa Rica (hydro) etc.
– Trans Andean mountain network
– PRICA – adaptation and agriculture
– INAP in Columbia on mountain adaptation
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2. What infrastructure already exists and what is
needed to coordinate Future Earth research?
•. Weaker infrastructure for social science on GEC at regional level
(except FLACSO&CLACSO).
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ECLAC strong economics analysis – close collaboration with governments
CSS – Disaster mgmt and social science
CGIAR – CIAT(?) – agriculture (increasingly social science)
Bolivia has many networks – including on Traditional Ecological Knowledge
UN ISDR in Panama – being connected with IRDR – vulnerability and social
issues, early warning
– Many Mexican networks – eg on meteorological disasters, PINCC at UNAM
interdisciplinary climate change
• Potential for Future Earth – need for comparative social science projects
across regions
• Future Earth could do workshops for assessing capabilities and sharing
experiences between countries on natural and social science.
• Need for thorough inventory of what is in place
3. How to build on existing activities in LAC in areas such as data,
education and capacity building, communication, interface with
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stakeholders, etc.?
• There have been some good examples in the past, but
many have ended. Need to remember and learn from
these experiences. Future Earth could help with this.
• Data
– OTCA – commitment of governments in sharing data for all countries
sharing Amazon (though now emasculated).
– There was a nascent network for Traditional knowledge in the Amazon
– perhaps this could be resurrected.
– CEILO – papers published in LAC made available
3. How to build on existing activities in LAC in areas such as data,
education and capacity building, communication, interface with
.
stakeholders, etc.?
• Stakeholders
– Need to identify stakeholders and their respective needs.
– Columbia example of knowledge dialogues, must integrate local and
indigenous knowledge. Protocols in place – eg must ask permission
from indigenous communities before working with them.
• Education and capacity building
– Possibility of researchers being recognised as part of Future Earth;
gives credibility
– Need for masters on disasters in social science – unis in region meeting
to discuss in Panama
– UNICAMP course on food technology – brought together different
nationalities – could be good example
– Need for capacity building on engagement and communication, not just
on research
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4. What could be the form and functions of a Future Earth
regional node/interface?
Regional
structure proposals:
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Central node in one country and then country nodes in each country (all in
research institutions or universities, not in ministries or agencies)
But note heterogeneity in region – need nodes for Central, Southern and
Caribbean regions
Needs to be very proactive and flexible