1. Future Earth – A potential strategy for
Asia and Pacific
Nordin Hasan
ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Kuala Lumpur
International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014 1

2. Background
• With globally connected problems we need globally
connected science.
• ICSU promotes and facilitates international science
through research, monitoring and assessements
• Spearheaded many landmark research programmes
and frameworks
• Example: World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
with World Metorological Organization (WMO),
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP),
DIVERSITAS, International Human Dimensions
Programme (IHDP)
2International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

3. IHDP
WCRP
SOLAS
CLIVAR
CBC
GEWEX
SPARC
ESSP
GECHH
START
GECAFS
GCP
GNSP
GMBA
bioGENESIS
bioSUSTAINABILITY
freshwaterBIODIVERSITY
bioDISCOVERY
agroBIODIVERSITY
ecoSERVICES
ecoHEALTH
DIVERSITAS IGBP
GLP
ILEAPS
LOICZ
IMBER
IGAC
SOLAS
PAGES
AIMESICSU
GLP LOICZ
UGBC
IT
ESG
GECHSIRG
ICSU GEC research programmes
~~~ 60,000 scientists worldwide
3

4. Future Earth
• A global initiative
• Builds on ICSU’s earlier cluster of GEC research
programmes
4International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

5. Key principles of Future Earth
research
• Seek scientific excellence: An overarching element is
commitment to science of the highest quality.
• Linking earth systems research to global
sustainability: focus on integrated earth systems
research and global sustainability
• International in scope: Focus on areas where
international research co-ordination is needed.
• Promote integration: Draws on expertise in natural and
social science, engineering, the humanities and
professions such as planning and law.
5International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

6. Key principles of Future Earth
research/2
• Encourage co-design and co-production: involve
researchers and stakeholders, in governments, industry
and business, and civil society.
• Be bottom-up driven: Emphasize importance of
‘bottom-up’ ideas from research community and
stakeholders
• Provide solution-oriented knowledge: Foresight of
changes and risks, testing effectiveness of responses,
providing knowledge for new innovations and policies
• Promote inclusiveness: Strong attention will be given
to regional engagement, geographic and gender
balance, capacity building and networking
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7. Future Earth implementation
• Secretariat: Distributed with regional hubs
(planned)
• Hubs can be geographic or thematic
• Global prioritization process on-going – first
meeting Kyoto 19 – 20 May 2014
• Regional Office for Asia and Pacific have been
active introducing the initiative to the region
since 2012
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8. 51 participants; 21 countries
Regional Workshop for Future Earth in Asia and
the Pacific November 2012

9. FUTURE EARTH MEETINGS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
IN 2012- 2013
1. International Symposium on Future Asia , RIHN, Kyoto December 2012
2. APL - SATREPS Symposium Living in the changing planet:
Future Earth Designed by Simulation, JAMSTEC, Tokyo,
Japan
February 2013
3. Brain-storming session on Future Asia; Academia Sinica,
Chinese Taipei.
April 2013
4. 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress, University of the South
Pacific, Laucala Bay Campus, Suva, Fiji
July 2013
5. MAIRS Future Earth in Asia Strategic Plan Drafting
Workshop The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
August 2013
6. ISIS-ICSU Roundtable on Future Earth: Pathways to
sustainability. Kuala Lumpur
August 2013
7. Coordinating Workshop on Future Earth: Developing a
Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Agenda for Sri
Lanka towards Future Earth. Colombo
September 2013
8. International Workshop on Future Earth
Beijing, China
September 2013
9

10. FUTURE EARTH MEETINGS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
IN 2014
1. Indian Geophysical Union, Golden anniversary Convention,
Hyderabad, India
January 2014
2. Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku
University, Sendai, Japan Forum on Environmental
Leadership Programme and Future Earth. Senadi, Japan
January 2014
3. 2
nd
International Workshop on Future Earth in Asia, RIHN
Kyoto, Japan
February 2014
4. SIMSEA Pre-scoping Workshop, JAMSTEC-ROAP, Yokohama,
Japan
February 2014
5. Future Earth Future Philippines at National Research
Council of the Philippines 81
st
General Membership
Assembly, Manila
March 2014
6. MAIRS Open Science Conference, Beijing, China April 2014
7. Presentations at International Conference on Applied
Energy. Taipei
May – June 2014
8. Science Council of Asia International Conference with Future
Earth as theme, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
June 2014
10

11. Asia Strategy
• Three pronged
1. Build on past programmes e.g. MAIRS (Monsoon
Asia Integrated Regional Study)
2. Create new programmes e.g. SIMSEA
(Sustainability Initiative for the Marginal Seas of
East Asia)
3. Address cross-cutting needs
11International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

12. Building on existing programmes e.g. MAIRS
• 3.3.3 Energy security
• 5.7 Sustainable food,
water and energy systems
12

13. Creating new programmes e.g. SIMSEA
 Example of a project under development
 Spearheaded by two members of ICSU
Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific
(RCAP) i.e.
 Prof. Lourdes J Cruz ( Immediate Past President
NRCP)
 Prof Toshio Yamagata (Director APL JAMSTEC)
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14. Marginal Seas in East Asia
(MSEA)
 Very important to international commerce and
global security, location of numerous heavily
populated megacities, active societal,
economical and industrial activities
 Region of very high marine biodiversity and
fishery activity in the world
 Extremely vulnerable to natural hazards such as
typhoons, storm surges, tsunamis etc.
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15. In the spirit of Future Earth
SIMSEA will serve to
 Propose collaborative platform to generate and share
knowledge and expertise (science for society)
 Work for solutions towards improving livelihoods and
enhancing resilience to unwanted environmental change,
hazards and disasters
 Support transformation towards sustainability
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16. Pacific strategy
• Two sub-hubs/clusters
1. Australia-New Zealand
2. South Pacific
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17. South Pacific sub-region – key issues raised
• Global change impacts, associated risks, adaptation and
community resilience
• Urbanization and associated challenges potentially driven
by environmental refugees
• Integrating indigenous and traditional knowledge and
modern science
• Ecosystem management and biodiversity
• Renewable energy systems
• The need for a “Future Ocean”, reflecting strong emphasis
on the ocean
• USP role in organizing Future Earth
18International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

18. 19

19. The University of the South Pacific
Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau,
Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu 20

20. Third prong: Cross cutting needs
21

21. Promote research to develop and understanding of what
sustainability means at the regional, national and sub-national
levels
Promote research on sustainability indicators to guide sustainability
at the national and sub-national levels
Create alliances of integrated research projects and groups to build
long-term strength
Foster and nurture networks of scientists across disciplinary fields
and with different stakeholders.
Need to facilitate research convergence and
collaboration

22. Publish examples of best practices of inter- and
transdisciplinary research on sustainability
Develop guidelines on how best to do co-design and co-
production of research
Increase human capacity development opportunities
through training workshops, research fellowships and
Professorial Chairs
Develop mentoring of young scientists in lesser developed
countries by more experienced researchers in the region
Need to develop capacity
23

23. Research effective points of entry into the policy arena are
Develop approaches and programmes to bring into dialogue groups of
people who do not normally talk to each other
Translate and share models on how to influence policy
Create or identify science-policy-stakeholder platforms that
effectively inform and engage
Engage local communities and local knowledge systems in generating
and nurturing knowledge societies
Need to enhance science-policy-stakeholder
interface
24

24. 25
a “funders' vision for the priority knowledge
and capabilities derived from environmental
research that society needs, and the
underpinning research challenges over the
next decade to deliver them.”

25. 26

26. 27

27. Modified from Cornell et al. Env Sc & Pol vol.28 2013 60-70
Development
communty
Collaborative research
28

28. Concluding remarks
• Future Earth provides framework for research
programmes that addresses society’s needs to
develop sustainably
• Brings science closer to communities and real
world issues and solutions
• Value adds current sustainability research
initiatives
• Promotes more holistic collaborative research
programmes regionally and globally.
29International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014

29. Thank you for your attention!
30
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
http://www.icsu.org/asia-pacific
International Conference on Applied Energy, Taipei, Taiwan 1 June 2014