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| Opening Ceremony by Ms Pilar Alvarez-Laso, Asst DG for Social and Human Sciences UNESCO |
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| The VIPs representing the Organizers of the Workshop - UNESCO, LESTARI UKM and ISTIC |
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| A Cross-section of the Participants |
Keynote Address by Y. Bhg Dato' Dr Zakri bin Abd Hamid, the PM's Science Advisor
Video Conferencing on Asia-Africa Cooperation in Sustainability Science
Plenary session 11 on How to Uplift the Role of Science?
A preview of some of the topics covered
A preview of some of the topics covered
A preview of some of the topics covered
Panelists of the Plenary Session 11 chaired by Y. Bhg Dato' Lee Yee Cheong of ISTIC
Presentation of Mementoes
1. Introduction.
The International Workshop with a theme 'A Science based Approach to Realize the Future We Want for All' was organised jointly by UNESCO and the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in collaboration with the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre (ISTIC) with the funding from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust and held at Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 4-5 April, 2013 with objectives of:
a. Develop a common understanding of the role of science, technology and
innovation, and the status of sustainability science (SS) in providing solutions
for key global challenges
b. Propose recommendations on the integration of Sustainability Science in
UNESCO in the national and international science policy
c. Engage policy makers of the Asia-Pacific region to uplift the role of SS at the
highest institutional and political levels to strengthen link between science and
society
d. Discover new ways to develop SS as a tool in the more effective implementation
to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
These objectives are targeted at a wider aim of generating strategies to fundamentally
transform the present capitalistic, individualistic and greed-based global economy to an economy that is more humane, caring, balanced, people-centred green and sustainable economy by developing and utilizing sustainability science, technology and innovation. Sustainability Science, as outlined by the SS program at Harvard University School of Government, is termed as "an emerging field of problem-driven, interdisciplinary scholarship that seeks to facilitate interventions that foster shared prosperity and reduced poverty while protecting the environment. The field is defined by the problems it addresses rather than the disciplines it employs. It draws from multiple disciplines of the natural, social, medical, and engineering sciences, from the professions and from practical field experiences in business, government and civil society".
The 100 participants that attended the Workshop represent 16 countries from the Asia- Pacific region, made up of government officials, academicians from universities, representatives of the private sector and NGOs.
2. Global Challenges and Future Development Agenda
Four papers were discussed in this plenary session 1 covering these two broad issues i.e global challenges and the development agenda of the future. It was pointed out S&T has contributed to human development in recent times through science-based revolutions - from the Industrial Revolution, Medical Revolution, Green Revolution, Transportation Revolution and currently the Information and Communication Technology Revolution. The emerging scientific revolution is the Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. These scientific revolutions have contributed to unprecedented economic progress and improved well-being to many but they had dire consequences that emerge as critical challenges to human existence on this living planet. Among them is population growth. With the increase in inhabitants there is expansion in consumption that leads to depletion of resources - land, biodiversity,water, energy and increase of waste products that contribute to pollution of the environment and changes to the fragile ecological systems. The decomposition of wastes, deforestation and burning of fossil fuels contribute to the high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, bringing imbalance to the atmospheric system causing CLIMATE CHANGE, which is threatening our existence. Urbanisation and food security bring new perspective to the global challenge.
Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr Zakri bin Abdul Hamid, the Prime Minister's Science Adviser and Chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in his keynote address at the Workshop elaborated on the many critical services provided by biodiversity such as freshwater and food; regulatory services such as flood and climate; cultural services covering spiritual, education, social and aesthetic. However, the massive erosion and destruction of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity have led to the degradation of the ecosystem services. He emphatically said that 'Biodiversity is our life'. Our biggest challenge, to him, is to take an idea that may sound abstract like SDS and to turn it to reality for the people of the globe.
With these challenges nations in this world require a new development agenda - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT agenda that promotes a more holistic approach of sharing and caring social system, that foster the sharing of prosperity and eradication of poverty and at the same time take care of the environment. It is time that the focus now is devoted to initiate a new scientific revolution on SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SCIENCE (SDS) or Sustainable Science (SS) with the recipe in attaining the Millennium Development Goals of food security; conservation and availability of resources such as water, energy, living space to all mankind; eradication of poverty; education to all; peace; human rights and free of diseases. In other words the upliftment of the general well-being of mankind.
3. Concept and Scope
SDS, for its success and effectiveness, has to be holistic encompassing the natural, engineering, medical and social sciences. Nancy Dickson, Co-Director, Centre Sustainability Science Program at the Kennedy School of Government Harvard University, in her paper stressed that Human Well-Being is a function of Capital Assets that include human, natural and manufacturing; Institutions that are multilevel and differentiated that legislate rules and laws and enforce them; and Knowledge both scientific and practical (inclusive of indigenous knowledge) and linking the knowledge with the implementation on the ground with the support of political decisions as to policies and financial allocations to the projects Thus it is complex, dynamic and interdependent. Each society, each nation and region cannot work in isolation. There has to be a global network or as the speaker at the Workshop, Dr Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Senior Vice-Rector of the UN University, Tokyo referred to Global Meta-Network linking universities and research institutions across nation states, societies across continents and societies with industries. It calls for a revolution in the way we do things - cooperation and collaboration all rounds- in other words a new era of MULTILATERALISM will have to emerge.
The video conferencing with leaders representing African countries beamed from Addis Ababa Ethiopia provided insights on the cooperation and collaboration on projects coordinated by UNESCO that cover human development, provision of infrastructure and industrial based, programs to enhance technical competence and encouraging investments in African countries.
4. Case Studies on SDS in the Asia-Pacific Region
A few case studies on SDS undertaken in the countries in the Asia-Pacific region that were discussed at the Workshop include:
a. Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation
in Populous Deltas in Bangladesh
b. Towards Greater Human Security in Mindanao by Establishing Strategic
Research Partnerships to Strengthen Local Governance in Land and
Water Management
c. Sustainability in the Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy in Korea
d. Case Study on Energy
5. Community-Based Research - the Malaysian Experience
Sharifah Hapsah, Vice Chancellor of National University of Malaysia (UKM) gave an illuminating and informative briefing on the university and its role in the upliftment of the communities. Since its many activities are community-centred and the management structure of the university is oriented towards this objective. With its implementation arm, LESTARI, it has undertaken 11 projects to bridge the gap of SDS with society, among them are:
a. Langkawi Geopark which has become part of the global geopark
network
b. Lake Chini Conservation Effort - Lake Chini located in the state of
Pahang is the second largest lake in Malaysia. The many economic
activities on the land around it such as plantations and mining have
led to the degredation of the lake ecosystem.
c. Solar Energy
d. Marine Ecosystem
6 Conclusion
Sustainable development has always fascinated me since my young days having been raised up in a rural community on the island of Langkawi, my participation in the scout movement which advocates to love animals in one of its laws and my long involvement with the Malaysian Nature Society whose objective is the conservation and protection of Malaysia's natural heritage. I have always advocated that the country should adopt a more caring and humane balanced development taking consideration of the social and environment aspects in addition to wealth creation rather than the greedy, uncaring, consumerism, high income capitalistic model that are contributing to the pollution, high waste management cost, depletion of resources and climate change. The two-day Workshop also provided new insights on the development of SDS, community based projects undertaken in the country and expanding my network of friends.
Posted on June 23, 2013
The International Workshop with a theme 'A Science based Approach to Realize the Future We Want for All' was organised jointly by UNESCO and the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in collaboration with the International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre (ISTIC) with the funding from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust and held at Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on 4-5 April, 2013 with objectives of:
a. Develop a common understanding of the role of science, technology and
innovation, and the status of sustainability science (SS) in providing solutions
for key global challenges
b. Propose recommendations on the integration of Sustainability Science in
UNESCO in the national and international science policy
c. Engage policy makers of the Asia-Pacific region to uplift the role of SS at the
highest institutional and political levels to strengthen link between science and
society
d. Discover new ways to develop SS as a tool in the more effective implementation
to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
These objectives are targeted at a wider aim of generating strategies to fundamentally
transform the present capitalistic, individualistic and greed-based global economy to an economy that is more humane, caring, balanced, people-centred green and sustainable economy by developing and utilizing sustainability science, technology and innovation. Sustainability Science, as outlined by the SS program at Harvard University School of Government, is termed as "an emerging field of problem-driven, interdisciplinary scholarship that seeks to facilitate interventions that foster shared prosperity and reduced poverty while protecting the environment. The field is defined by the problems it addresses rather than the disciplines it employs. It draws from multiple disciplines of the natural, social, medical, and engineering sciences, from the professions and from practical field experiences in business, government and civil society".
The 100 participants that attended the Workshop represent 16 countries from the Asia- Pacific region, made up of government officials, academicians from universities, representatives of the private sector and NGOs.
2. Global Challenges and Future Development Agenda
Four papers were discussed in this plenary session 1 covering these two broad issues i.e global challenges and the development agenda of the future. It was pointed out S&T has contributed to human development in recent times through science-based revolutions - from the Industrial Revolution, Medical Revolution, Green Revolution, Transportation Revolution and currently the Information and Communication Technology Revolution. The emerging scientific revolution is the Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. These scientific revolutions have contributed to unprecedented economic progress and improved well-being to many but they had dire consequences that emerge as critical challenges to human existence on this living planet. Among them is population growth. With the increase in inhabitants there is expansion in consumption that leads to depletion of resources - land, biodiversity,water, energy and increase of waste products that contribute to pollution of the environment and changes to the fragile ecological systems. The decomposition of wastes, deforestation and burning of fossil fuels contribute to the high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, bringing imbalance to the atmospheric system causing CLIMATE CHANGE, which is threatening our existence. Urbanisation and food security bring new perspective to the global challenge.
Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr Zakri bin Abdul Hamid, the Prime Minister's Science Adviser and Chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in his keynote address at the Workshop elaborated on the many critical services provided by biodiversity such as freshwater and food; regulatory services such as flood and climate; cultural services covering spiritual, education, social and aesthetic. However, the massive erosion and destruction of the terrestrial and marine biodiversity have led to the degradation of the ecosystem services. He emphatically said that 'Biodiversity is our life'. Our biggest challenge, to him, is to take an idea that may sound abstract like SDS and to turn it to reality for the people of the globe.
With these challenges nations in this world require a new development agenda - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT agenda that promotes a more holistic approach of sharing and caring social system, that foster the sharing of prosperity and eradication of poverty and at the same time take care of the environment. It is time that the focus now is devoted to initiate a new scientific revolution on SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SCIENCE (SDS) or Sustainable Science (SS) with the recipe in attaining the Millennium Development Goals of food security; conservation and availability of resources such as water, energy, living space to all mankind; eradication of poverty; education to all; peace; human rights and free of diseases. In other words the upliftment of the general well-being of mankind.
3. Concept and Scope
SDS, for its success and effectiveness, has to be holistic encompassing the natural, engineering, medical and social sciences. Nancy Dickson, Co-Director, Centre Sustainability Science Program at the Kennedy School of Government Harvard University, in her paper stressed that Human Well-Being is a function of Capital Assets that include human, natural and manufacturing; Institutions that are multilevel and differentiated that legislate rules and laws and enforce them; and Knowledge both scientific and practical (inclusive of indigenous knowledge) and linking the knowledge with the implementation on the ground with the support of political decisions as to policies and financial allocations to the projects Thus it is complex, dynamic and interdependent. Each society, each nation and region cannot work in isolation. There has to be a global network or as the speaker at the Workshop, Dr Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Senior Vice-Rector of the UN University, Tokyo referred to Global Meta-Network linking universities and research institutions across nation states, societies across continents and societies with industries. It calls for a revolution in the way we do things - cooperation and collaboration all rounds- in other words a new era of MULTILATERALISM will have to emerge.
The video conferencing with leaders representing African countries beamed from Addis Ababa Ethiopia provided insights on the cooperation and collaboration on projects coordinated by UNESCO that cover human development, provision of infrastructure and industrial based, programs to enhance technical competence and encouraging investments in African countries.
4. Case Studies on SDS in the Asia-Pacific Region
A few case studies on SDS undertaken in the countries in the Asia-Pacific region that were discussed at the Workshop include:
a. Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation
in Populous Deltas in Bangladesh
b. Towards Greater Human Security in Mindanao by Establishing Strategic
Research Partnerships to Strengthen Local Governance in Land and
Water Management
c. Sustainability in the Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy in Korea
d. Case Study on Energy
5. Community-Based Research - the Malaysian Experience
Sharifah Hapsah, Vice Chancellor of National University of Malaysia (UKM) gave an illuminating and informative briefing on the university and its role in the upliftment of the communities. Since its many activities are community-centred and the management structure of the university is oriented towards this objective. With its implementation arm, LESTARI, it has undertaken 11 projects to bridge the gap of SDS with society, among them are:
a. Langkawi Geopark which has become part of the global geopark
network
b. Lake Chini Conservation Effort - Lake Chini located in the state of
Pahang is the second largest lake in Malaysia. The many economic
activities on the land around it such as plantations and mining have
led to the degredation of the lake ecosystem.
c. Solar Energy
d. Marine Ecosystem
6 Conclusion
Sustainable development has always fascinated me since my young days having been raised up in a rural community on the island of Langkawi, my participation in the scout movement which advocates to love animals in one of its laws and my long involvement with the Malaysian Nature Society whose objective is the conservation and protection of Malaysia's natural heritage. I have always advocated that the country should adopt a more caring and humane balanced development taking consideration of the social and environment aspects in addition to wealth creation rather than the greedy, uncaring, consumerism, high income capitalistic model that are contributing to the pollution, high waste management cost, depletion of resources and climate change. The two-day Workshop also provided new insights on the development of SDS, community based projects undertaken in the country and expanding my network of friends.
Posted on June 23, 2013
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