Experts Workshop II: Methodological Review of Recent Global Assessments

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Link to the first Experts Workshop I (Brussels 2008)

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• Review of Major Global Assessments

• Workshop Purpose and Outcome

• Agenda

• Workshop Results

• Background Documents

• Venue and Accommodation

• Related Events

• Lead Organisers

• Workshop Programme Committee

• Sponsors

• Contact

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» Password Protected Site for Participants (Products and Discussion forum)

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Review of Major Global Assessments

In 2007 and 2008, four major global assessments have been released including UNEP's GEO-4, the OECD's Environmental Outlook to 2030, the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), and the IPCC's Fourth Assessment. In the meantime, discussions are underway for the follow-up to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, published in 2005, and the World Water Development Report is due to be released in March 2009.

Workshop Purpose and Outcome

In April 2009, TIAS will host a workshop in Brussels bringing together 20 invited practitioners/authors who represent the lead agencies involved in these assessments in order to undertake a methodological review of these processes.
Based on recommendations that emerged from the TIAS-GWSP Global Assessments workshop in 2007 and the subsequent experts workshop "Methodological Review of Recent Global Assessments" in November 2008, a second experts workshop will be held April 21-22, 2009. Participants will use the latest experience of practitioners to explore how the business of developing, conducting and delivering integrated assessments has evolved.
The results of this workshop will be developed into a journal article to be submitted to a high-profile journal. In addition, a slide presentation of the outcomes will be prepared and made available to the various organizations and agencies involved in the assessments. The primary audience for these products includes the assessments organizations, those who have sponsored the assessments, policy scientists, convention bodies, and others.

Workshop Results

• Rothman, D.S, C. van Bers, J. Bakkes, C. Pahl-Wostl on behalf of The Integrated Assessment Society. 2009. How to make global assessments more effective: Lessons from the assessment community. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. /2009, 1:214--218.
  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2009.09.002

Background Documents

• Bakkes, J. and Dr. D. Rothman. 2008. A Methodological Review of Recent Global Assessments: Summary Report of Workshop Outcomes. Osnabrück. TIAS.
  Report

• Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Committee on Analysis of Global Change Assessments,National Research Council.
  Online Book
  For a summary of this book: books.google.nl/

• Kok MTJ ; Bakkes JA ; Eickhout B ; Manders AJG ; Oorschot MMP van ; Vuuren DP van ; Wees M van ; Westhoek HJ. Lessons from global environmental assessments. Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. (A short report outlining the process for development of each of the four major assessments released in 2007-08)
  Report

• Global Environmental Assessment Project - GEA publications:
  List of papers

• Bill Clark. 2004. What have we learned from 30 years of Global Environmental Assessments? AMS Summer Policy Colloquium
  Slides

• Van Bers, C., Petry, D. & Pahl-Wostl, C. (eds.), 2007. Global Assessments: Bridging Scales and Linking to Policy. Report on the joint TIAS-GWSP workshop held at the University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, USA, 10-11 May 2007. GWSP Issues in Global Water System Research, No.2. GWSP IPO, Bonn
  Report

• Green Digest. 2008. Scientific Facts on Agriculture & Development: Summary of International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development
  List of topics

• Rik Leemans. Editorial. Personal experiences with the governance of the policy-relevant IPCC and Millennium Ecosystem Assessments. Global Environmental Change 18 (2008) 12-17.
  Paper

• See Table 1 in the following two Matisse Project papers which positions the various assessment processes in terms of ten, or so, criteria:

  • Paul M. Weaver, Andrew Jordan. Further reflections on differences and complementarities between (S)IA and ISA: scaling, power and their treatment within sustainability assessment. Matisse Project. Working Paper 5 (10/2006)
    Paper

  • Paul M. Weaver, Jan Rotmans: Integrated Sustainability Assessment: What? Why? How? Matisse Project. Working Paper 1. (10/2006)
    Paper

• László Pinter: Making Global Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting Matter. IISD, 2002.
  Suggested reading: Conclusions pp. 151 - 157
  Paper

• GEO-4 conceptual framework
  Image

• Variation of the GEO 4 conceptual framework highlighting the dual role of social and economic sectors:
  Slides

• Mitchell, Ronald B., William C. Clark, David W. Cash, and Nancy M. Dickson, eds. 2006. Global Environmental Assessments: Information and Influence. Cambridge: MIT Press.

• Farrell, Alexander E., and Jill Jäger, eds. 2005. Assessments of Regional and Global Environmental Risks: Designing Processes for the Effective Use of Science in Decisionmaking. Washington, D.C.: RFF Press.

• Jasanoff, Sheila, and Marybeth Long Martello, eds. 2004. Earthly Politics: Local and Global in Environmental Governance. Cambridge: MIT Press.

• The Global and Regional Assessments of the Marine Environment Database (GRAMED)
  http://www.unep-wcmc.org/gramed/

• United Nations System-wide Earthwatch Mechanism. A selection of more than 300 environmental assessments as well as indicators and databases.
  http://earthwatch.unep.net/

Agenda

Agenda (updated 19 March)

Venue and Accommodation

The workshop will be held at:

European Commission, DG Research
CDMA Building
Marsveldstraat 21
1050 Brussels

The venue is a 15 minute walk from Brussels Central train station and less than 5 minutes from the metro stop "Porte de Namur/Naamsepoort"' and "Trone/Troon", see Travel Direction Travel Direction [1.1 MB])

A group booking has been made at Hotel Aris in Brussels Centre. The price for a single room is 127 Eur per night.
Aris Grand Place Hotel, the hotel is a 15-20 minute walk from the workshop venue.

From the Bruxelles-Central Train Station, it is possible to walk (5 mins) to the Aris Hotel (20 metres from the 'Grand Place').

The nearest metro stops are 'De Brouckère' and 'Beurs'

Hotel address: Marché aux Herbes 78-80 Grasmarkt

Tel: +32 (0)2 514 43 00

Please contact Caroline van Bers - cvbers[at]usf.uos.de - if you wish to reserve a room.

Directions from the airport to the hotel: Upon arrival at Brussels Airport (Bruxelles-Nat-Aeroport), you may take a train directly to the Brussels Central (Bruxelles-Central) Station. The train station is located below the terminal, basement level -1. During the day, trains leave approximately every 10-15 mins (in the evening less frequently). Travel time is 15 mins. Look up train departure times.

Direction from hotel to the venue (Google Maps)

Also a list of other hotels is also available for participants who wish to make their own reservation: Hotel_list_Brussels.doc

Related Events

The following related events may be of interest to participants of this workshop:

• Final SENSOR Conference - April 22-23, 2009, Brussels
  On Sustainability Impact Assessment Tools and methods for land use policy assessment in Europe
  http://www.zalf.de/home_ip-sensor/newsevents/conference_brussels.htm

• IHDP Open Meeting 2009
  7th Open Meeting of the International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, "Social Challenges of Global Change,"
  26-30 April 2009
  Bonn, Germany
  Early Registration until 31 January 2009
  http://www.openmeeting2009.org/

Lead Organisers

• Jan Bakkes, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

• Maite Martinez Aldaya, Department of Water Management, Univ. Of Twente

• Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrueck, Germany

• Dale Rothman, Independent Consultant, Canada

• Caroline Van Bers, Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrueck and TIAS

Workshop Programme Committee

• Jan Bakkes, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bilthoven

• Volodymyr Demkine, UNEP GEO Programme. Nairobi, Kenya

• Peter de Smedt, DG Research, European Commission

• Paul Jeffrey, Centre for Water Science, Sustainable Systems Department, Cranfield University, UK

• Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Institute of Environmental Systems Research, Univ. of Osnabrueck, and TIAS, Germany

• László Pinter, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Canada

• Dale Rothman, Independent Consultant, Canada

• Robert Watson, Tyndall Centre, University of East Anglia and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK

Sponsors

• European Commission Research Directorate

• Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

Contact

For more information:
Caroline van Bers, TIAS Secretariat, cvbers[at]usf.uos.de
Tel: +31 53 489 4135 or +31 6 1411 8720 (cell/mobile)

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