Monday, April 7, 2008

Several Articles and Event Announcements from the Wilson Center

*********************************************************
ECSP News April 2008
*********************************************************
TOP STORY
----------------------------------------------------------------


INTEGRATED PHE PROJECTS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND COST-EFFECTIVE, REVEAL EVALUATIONS
In the poorest areas on the planet, people "are living off primary extraction of resources, so their interaction with the environment is very intimate. They don't have a lot of leisure time to do conservation as a hobby. If they're going to do it, they're going to do it very integrally with their livelihoods," said David Carr of the University of California, Santa Barbara, discussing the importance of including sustainable livelihood projects in development programs that integrate population, health, and environment (PHE) issues. At "Population-Health-Environment Programs: Assessing the Past, Planning the Future" on March 13, Carr, Lori Hunter of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and independent consultant John Pielemeier presented the results of their recent assessments of PHE programs in the Philippines, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Uganda, as well as other countries. "If men link the size of their family to the amount of time they have to spend fishing, they might be interested in thinking about how big their family is," said Hunter, explaining the benefits of PHE's cross-sectoral approach. For more on PHE, listen to this original podcast featuring Hunter on ECSP's New Security Beat blog. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0C0E96-CDBA-6B98-9347A387ECC5AF5B


ALSO IN THE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND HUMAN IMPACT ARE CHANGING THE GLOBAL MAP, SAY "FUTURE SHOCK" SPEAKERS
The complex linkages between environmental degradation, health, and migration are "entangled vulnerabilities," said Pell Center Director Peter Liotta at a March 4 event sponsored by the Pell Center in collaboration with ECSP and the Embassy of Liechtenstein. ECSP Director Geoff Dabelko, David Smith of the UN Environment Programme, and Kent Butts of the U.S. Army War College examined the security threats posed by global phenomena including migration, demographic change, water scarcity, and environmental degradation. Capitalizing on the positive links between environment and security offers a "new option for U.S. preventative diplomacy and engagement strategies," argued Butts. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A0FADF4-EE18-4641-2C1AC04ADEEE581C


IMPROVING LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COULD ENHANCE GOVERNANCE,PREVENT CONFLICT IN BOTSWANA AND NEPAL
Community-based natural resource management "offers a framework for dealing with conflict in a participatory and equitable manner, particularly when you are dealing with conflict with regards to resource use and access," said IUCN's Masego Madzwamuse. "Natural resource-based institutions...are critical for conflict mitigation, especially in areas where there is a high dependence by the local or the rural dwellers on natural resources." Madzwamuse was joined by David Bray of Florida International University, Kent Glenzer of CARE, and Maksha Maharjan of SAGUN (via telephone from Kathmandu) at a February 28 event sponsored by ECSP that examined how local natural resource management can strengthen local governance and help prevent violent conflict from erupting. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A11D48D-EA17-08A1-2DD4CFBFFD20FC61


REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Each year, more than 500,000 women in the developing world die during pregnancy or childbirth. The Initiative for Maternal Mortality Programme Assessment (Immpact) will soon complete a six-year program of global research that identifies and evaluates the effectiveness of strategies to reduce maternal mortality. On March 12, four members of the Immpact research team--Wendy Graham, Julia Hussein, Cynthia Stanton, and Sophie Witter--shared some of their key results and strategies with a North American audience for the first time. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1363A9-904C-77F6-AE501CA482B309A9


URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH BRIEF RELEASED BY CHINA ENVIRONMENT FORUM
"As mainland China struggles with poorly managed landfills; illegal dumping; lack of citywide recycling programs; and a likely need for 1,400 additional landfills over the next 25 years, lessons from municipal waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong may prove instructive," observes a new China Environment Forum research brief on solid waste management in Taiwan and Hong Kong. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A13CACF-DF59-05A0-C40BBAD3588E50BD


BRAZIL AND BIOFUELS UPDATE
As part of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, the Wilson Center's Brazil Institute explored U.S.-Brazilian cooperation over biofuels during the past year. Brazil Institute Director Paulo Sotero recently testified on energy cooperation between Latin America and the United States before the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Brazil Institute maintains a free, regularly updated collection of resources on biofuels in Brazil. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A14B9E3-D624-78EE-5B35BBD0EAB1ECC9


CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE EXAMINED BY U.S., CANADIAN REPRESENTATIVES
More than 65 senior-level Canadian and U.S. government officials, industry representatives, and energy policy experts met on March 6 to discuss bilateral opportunities to develop and implement carbon capture and storage. The event opened with a keynote breakfast featuring Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and concluded with remarks from Wyoming Governor David Freudenthal. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A16D262-B66D-523F-3F3E8F0758F33C67


SAVE THE DATE
----------------------------------------------------------------

SEEKING SOLUTIONS FOR WATER SCARCITY IN CHINA
April 8, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Wang Rong, China University of Political Science and Law and China Center for Law and Sustainable Development Research http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1A8B73-A68A-7C18-94AE23392B4D589B


MORE OR LESS?: TWO ACCOUNTS OF POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING
April 22, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Matthew Connelly, Associate Professor of History, Columbia University; Robert Engelman, Vice President for Programs, Worldwatch Institute http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1C5BCE-EB3F-5F17-6212E3D576A54F97


ENERGY REFORM IN MEXICO: CAN A SOLUTION BE FOUND FOR TRANSBOUNDARY OIL PRODUCTION IN THE GULF OF MEXICO?
April 23, 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Lourdes Melgar, Independent Energy Consultant; Miriam Grunstein, Attorney, Thompson & Knight; David Enriquez, Partner, Grupo Derecho Maritimo y Energia Costa Afuera; Joe Dukert, Independent Energy Consultant http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A1DF24C-A074-33D4-C2A4D82D5D2EE17F


POST-CONFLICT PROPERTY AND LAND POLICY
April 23, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Gregory Myers, Natural Resource Management Specialist, U.S. Agency for International Development; Peter Hetz, Senior Technical Advisor, ARD, Inc.; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A212E6C-D17D-2E19-B66478A9013800F3


JAPAN'S DECLINING POPULATION: CLEARLY A PROBLEM, BUT WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
April 24, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Robin LeBlanc, Washington and Lee University; Leonard Schoppa, University of Virginia; Keiko Yamanaka, University of California, Berkeley; Jennifer Robertson, University of Michigan http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A223D2D-97CF-BF80-3D38BB1171C546AC


BOOK LAUNCH: THE CHINA PRICE: THE TRUE COST OF CHINESE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
April 25, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Alexandra Harney, Author, The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage, and former reporter and editor, Financial Times http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A237678-E023-DCF1-16EF286BEECA11C5


DECENTRALIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
April 28, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. Jesse Ribot, Senior Associate, Institutions and Governance Program, World Resources Institute; Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; additional speaker TBA http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A24FE02-08C8-E3BF-ABCFC306DC86FAAF


SUGARCANE ETHANOL AND LAND USE IN BRAZIL
April 28, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Andre Nassar, President, Icone; Barbara Bramble, Senior Program Advisor for International Affairs, National Wildlife Federation; Charlotte Hebebrand, Chief Executive, International Policy Council http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A25D603-EDB1-4E8B-96202CD327CEE0EB


ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG
April 29, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Yok-Shiu F. Lee, University of Hong Kong; Carlos Wing-Hung Lo, Hong Kong Polytechnic University http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A273044-0594-B30C-F5DB5D5A4BA8FD5D


TRANSBOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
May 8, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., and May 9, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Donald K. Alper, Western Washington University; Stephen Brooks, University of Windsor; Marc Gaden, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Charles Krueger, Great Lakes Fishery Commission; Tim Heinmiller, Brock University; Carolyn Johns, Ryerson University; Philippe LePrestre, Universite Laval; Bill Lowry, Washington University; Barry Rabe, University of Michigan; Ian Rowlands, University of Waterloo; Mark Sproule-Jones, McMaster University; Deborah L. VanNijnatten, Wilfrid Laurier University; Michael Kraft, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article.cfm?this=2A284E37-E90E-3975-6BDDF88C8FC6934C

VISIT OUR BLOG
----------------------------------------------------------------
PODCAST FEATURES MASEGO MADZWAMUSE, DAVID BRAY ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CONFLICT MITIGATION IN BOTSWANA AND MEXICO

In this original ECSP podcast, Masego Madzwamuse describes how IUCN's Community-Based Natural Resource Management Support Programme in Botswana helps communities manage their own rangeland, forests, and water, while David Bray recounts his work in two adjacent watersheds in Guerrero, Mexico--one where strong community-led natural resource management helped prevent conflict, and another where weak community institutions contributed to violence.

No comments: