38th STIP Forum Lecture "Growth of Solar Physics in India from Ground and Space-based Platforms" | 29 October at 4:00 PM IST

38th Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) Forum Lecture Series

Growth of Solar Physics in India from Ground and Space-based Platforms

by

Prof. Dipankar Banerjee

[Director, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Department of Science and Technology]

Chair: Prof. Arnab Rai Choudhuri [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru]

Date: 29 October 2021 (Friday) at 4:00 PM

Register: http://indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/webinar

Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86310148685?pwd=TldSckh3VEJPNEY5OTkvTmEyM29sQT09

Prof. Dipankar Banerjee is currently the director of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital. He is an astrophysicist with a PhD from Indian Institute of Astrophysics and completed two postdoctoral tenures in reputed institutions in Europe. Dr Banerjee's area of interest is the Sun and the solar atmosphere. His work involves theoretical and numerical modeling using data from ground and space-based instruments. His work has enriched our understanding of the Sun and its impact on Space Weather. He is the co-chair of the Science working group of the "Aditya" mission, the first dedicated Indian mission to study the Sun. He is also the project coordinator for the National Large-Solar Telescope Project (NLST), a proposed 2-meter ground-based telescope planned to be installed at a Himalayan site. He is also involved with NASA's PUNCH mission.

PROGRAMME 

16:00-16:05 Welcome Remarks by: Dr Kinkini Dasgupta Misra, Senior Scientist, Vigyan Prasar
16:05-16:10 Welcome Address: Dr Nakul Parashar, Director, Vigyan Prasar
16:10-16:20 Chair: Prof. Arnab Rai Choudhuri, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
16:20-16:50 Lecture on "Growth of Solar Physics in India from Ground and Space-based Platforms" by Prof. Dipankar Baneerjee, Director, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, DST
16:50 Open Discussion
17:00 Vote of thanks by: Dr Kinkini Dasgupta Misra, Senior Scientist, Vigyan Prasar
ABOUT STIP FORUM: The Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) Forum has been set up with the objective of promoting debate on various aspects of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. The Forum would go beyond the disciplinary boundaries by taking into account the intersectionality of S&T and I. It aims to bridge the gap between the science and society for dissemination of scientific achievements as well as for generalizing debate of societal aspirations and promoting responsible research and innovations. The monthly lecture series of public lectures has been launched to sensitize the public discourse on science, technology and innovation policy. Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA), Vigyan Prasar and India Habitat Centre (IHC) are collaborative institutes. 

IIFT Webinar on "Technology, Innovation, and the Future of Employment" | 29 Oct at 7.00PM IST

IIFT Webinar on "Technology, Innovation, and the Future of Employment"

29 Oct 2021, at 7.00-9.00PM IST

Economic activities throughout the world are increasingly becoming more highly technology dependent. The segments of the production chain which were usually more labor intensive (or of lower technology intensive) are getting automated creating effects on employment and wages. The impact of process and product innovation on employment is always an important topic to the researchers working on 'Technological unemployment'. Digitalization of economic activities and more importantly the rise of Artificial Intelligence with its labour saving tendencies are creating biases in the labour market and shaping various aspects of employment in the present context and for future. The issue becomes more interesting when we consider developed and developing countries as well as formal and informal mechanisms of production activities. This session will address the relation between technology, innovation and its impact on employment which is becoming a much discussed topic in academia.
Speakers  

• Prof. James Bessen (Boston University, United States)
• Prof. Mario Pianta (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy)
• Prof. Anton Korinek (Brookings Institution, United States)
• Dr. Sukti Dasgupta (International Labor Organization, Switzerland)
• Register: http://maeco.iift.ac.in/webinar/second/index.asp

IIFT Economics Society: The IIFT Economics Society (I.E.S.) has organized this platform to bring together leading academicians and researchers from across the globe to have a meaningful discussion on the recent macroeconomics and international trade circumstances. The economic activity came to a grinding halt in the wake of the pandemic and therefore it becomes all the more important for students to understand the response of front line professionals who are trying to devise new measures to deal with this recession. We would like to welcome all the participants for an engaging and thought provoking experience.

New study: How UNESCO's World Heritage forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change

UNESCO Press release No.2021-110

 

New study: How UNESCO's World Heritage forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change 

 

Paris, 28 October – The first ever scientific assessment of the amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from and absorbed by forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites has found that forests in World Heritage sites play a vital role in mitigating climate change by absorbing 190 million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year. However, ten forestsreleased more carbon than they sequestered due to pressure from human activity and climate change, which is alarming.

 

World Heritage forests absorb 190m tons of CO2 each year

 

By combining satellite-derived data with monitoring information at the site level, researchers at UNESCO, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) were able to estimate the gross and net carbon absorbed and emitted by UNESCO World Heritage forests between 2001 and 2020 and determine the causes of some emissions. 

 

The research found that, as a whole, UNESCO World Heritage forests in 257 separate sites, absorbed the equivalent of approximately 190 million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year, comparable to roughly half the United Kingdom's annual CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels. "We now have the most detailed picture to date of the vital role that forests in World Heritage sites play in mitigating climate change," said Tales Carvalho Resende, from UNESCO who co-authored the report.  

 

World Heritage forests, whose combined area of 69 million hectares is roughly twice the size of Germany, are biodiversity-rich ecosystems. In addition to absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere they also store substantial amounts of carbon. Carbon sequestration by these forests over long periods has led to total carbon storage of approximately 13 billion tons of carbon, which is more than the carbon in Kuwait's proven oil reserves. If all this stored carbon were to be released into the atmosphere as CO₂, it would be akin to emitting 1.3 times the world's total annual CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels.

 

Findings from 10 World Heritage forests are cause for concern 

 

However, given that World Heritage sites are highly prized and protected, the fact that 10 of 257 forests emitted more carbon than they captured between 2001 and 2020 due to different anthropogenic disturbances and pressures is alarming.

 

At some sites the clearance of land for agriculture caused emissions to be greater than sequestration. The increasing scale and severity of wildfires, often linked to severe periods of drought, is also a predominant factor in several cases. Other extreme weather phenomena, such as hurricanes, contributed at certain sites. 

 

"All forests should be assets in the fight against climate change. Our report's finding that even some of the most iconic and best protected forests such as those found in World Heritage sites can actually contribute to climate change is alarming and brings to light evidence of the severity of this climate emergency", said Tales Carvalho Resende. 

 

In the coming years, ongoing sequestration and carbon sinks are likely to be affected at a growing number of sites worldwide as a result of increasingly fragmented and degraded landscapes, and more frequent and intense climate-related events.  

 

Better management of sites can yield results 

 

The report urges strong and sustained protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites and their surrounding landscapes to ensure their forests can continue to act as strong carbon sinks and stores for future generations. To achieve this, the report recommends rapidly responding to climate-related events, as well as maintaining and strengthening ecological connectivity through improved landscape management.  

 

For example, in Indonesia, government agencies have been using near real-time fire alert systems to significantly reduce their average fire response time. Rapid response is integral to preventing fires from developing into destructive conflagrations that produce extensive CO₂ emissions.

 

At the Sangha Trinational World Heritage site, located within Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, the creation of a buffer zone around the site has kept some human activity farther from this important carbon sink.

 

The report also recommends integrating the continued protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites into international, national and local climate, biodiversity and sustainable development strategies in line with the Paris climate agreement, the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

 

"This analysis of iconic World Heritage sites shows that combining satellite data with on-the-ground information can improve local decision-making and strengthen accountability, thereby helping forests, climate, and people," said David Gibbs, WRI Research Associate and co-author of the report. 

 

"Protecting World Heritage sites from increasing fragmentation and escalating threats will be central to our collective ability to address climate change and biodiversity loss," added Tim Badman, Director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme.   

 

*** 

 

Access the report and the list of 10 forests which were found to be net carbon emitters: link here

 

UNESCO World Heritage Centre news item: link here

 

Media contact: Tom Burridge, te.burridge@unesco.org

 

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Webinar in honour of Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam during International Open Access Week | 29 October at 19:30 IST

In honour of Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam - International Open Access Week 2021, IISc, India

DST-Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Centre for Society and Policy, Indian Institute of Science 

and 

J.R.D. Tata Memorial Library, Indian Institute of Science

invite you to the (online) event to observe and celebrate the International Open Access Week 2021; the session will feature three lectures; see below for details. This year's OA Week event at IISc is the fifth in a series. It is also special, since it is being held in honour of Prof. Arunachalam, a champion of the open access movement in India, who turned 80 in September 2021. 

Date: 29 October 2021
Time: 19:30 (IST) | 2:00 PM (GMT) | 10 AM (EDT)
Venue: Online MS Team (Click here to join) 

Padmanabhan Balaram

Former Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Subbiah Arunachalam, Scientometrics, Open Access Movement 

Heather Joseph

Executive Director, Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) 

Open by Default and Equitable by Design: The Future of the Open Access Movement

Leslie Chan

Professor,  University of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada

Opening Sciences from Below

Abstracts

Open by Default and Equitable by Design -- The Future of the Open Access Movement: The Open Access movement is about to mark its 20th anniversary.  At a meeting convened in Budapest by the Open Society Institute in December of 2001, a small but diverse group met to explore ways to accelerate progress in the international effort to make research articles freely available on the internet.  They explored the most effective and affordable strategies for serving the interests of the researchers and the institutions that support research, examined ways to make the transition to open access and economically self-sustaining, and discussed how separate initiatives could best work together to achieve broader success. The result was the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), which offered the first definition of open access. The BOAI is a statement of principle, a statement of strategy, and a statement of commitment. Two decades later, while much progress has been made, significant work remains to be done. This talk will explore the key challenges facing the Open Access movement and propose areas of concentration to ensure that the global research enterprise is one that is truly open by default, and equitable by design.

Opening Sciences from Below: Mainstream discourses have tended to frame Open Science as a set of neutral standards, tools, and practices to be followed, often with the objective of pursuing utilitarian or market-driven outcomes. In this talk, I reflect on some of these framings and propose other ways of conceiving open science, considering both the benefits and the potential harms to communities affected by research. Drawing from lessons learned from OCSDNet and the Open Science and Decolonization of Knowledge project, we suggest that an inclusive open science involves a highly dynamic process of negotiating and challenging power relations within highly situated socio-political contexts, and involving actors, institutions, and communities with varying claims for knowledge legitimacy. Science policy making needs to take these power imbalances into account so as not to perpetuate and exacerbate existing inequities.

Joining link

Call for Abstracts: RISFreM-2022: International Conference on Role of Indian Science in Freedom Movement, February 28-March 1, 2022

RISFreM-2022: International Conference on Role of Indian Science in Freedom Movement

February 28-March 1, 2022

Conference website: https://jnu.ac.in/conference/RISFreM-2022

Abstracts Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=risfrem2022

Abstract  Submission Deadline: November 26, 2021

Topics: Science and freedom movement, Establishing colonial hegemony through science, Swadeshi industries in colonial time, Science diplomacy and freedom movement

About: RISFrem-2022 is an International Conference on "Role of Indian Science in Freedom Movement" to commemorate Swatantrata Ka Amrut Mahotsav. This conference is being organised by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in collaboration with Vijnanabharati, NIScPR and Vigyan Prasar on 28 February and 1st March 2022. India's freedom struggle was waged on several fronts: political, economic, social, cultural and scientific. Although Indian scientists played a significant role in the Indian freedom movement through their meticulous work in science and technology, the British left no stone unturned in undermining their work. It is important to understand that the British invasion was entirely different from the earlier invasions in India as the British used science and technology to undermine the Indian culture and knowledge system. They deployed science not only to consolidate and expand their empire but also to exploit the economic resources of the country. They used science as a magical tool to impress Indians to prove their civilizational superiority.
Indian Scientific Community, although was in a nascent stage, countered the colonial narratives and strongly criticized their discriminatory and exploitative policies. In response to British rulers' undermining the significance of India's past achievements, many Indians took up the task to study India's past and showed the glorious achievements of India in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, and medicine and surgery. They mobilized native resources and established scientific institutions and societies to promote development of science and technology in India. Despite several hurdles Indian scientists used various diplomatic tactics to ensure their subtle work against the British and parallelly develop ties with scientists in other countries to promote science and technology in India. While echoing the needs for political representations they also demanded recognition of Indian scientists and promotion of science and technology in India.
This conference is aimed to create awareness and generate scholarly evidence for the role of Indians in cultivation of modern science, development of scientific societies, institutions, industries and fighting against the British colonial rule in India. Papers are invited in Hindi or English on the following listed topics.
Submission Guidelines: All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome: The abstract of the paper should be written in 250 words containing title, brief introduction, objectives, relevance, methodology and major findings of the paper. Please use Times New Roman 12 pt fonts for English and for Hindi use Kurti Dev 10 pt fonts.
Poster/Short Article (800-1000 Words) are also invited from students who wish to participate in the conference in any areas related to the themes of the conference.
Workshop for authors: An Online workshop on 'Research Paper Writing' will be organized on 13 th December 2021 for the authors whose abstracts are accepted. Renowned scholars will be invited to guide authors to write full papers.
Submission of Full Papers: The authors of all accepted abstracts are required to submit their full papers in 3000-5000 words (Hindi/ English) in required format by 5th January 2022 for publication in the Proceedings of the Conference. Registration for the conference will start from 15th December 2021. Fee for Registration is Rs. 500 for students and Rs 1000 for teachers, scientists and academicians.

List of Topics

• Science and Freedom Movement
• Establishing Colonial Hegemony through Science
• Role of Indian Scientists and Resurgence of Indian ethos and culture
• Intellectual colonialism and Freedom movement
• Swadeshi industries in colonial time
• Achievements of Indian Scientists and its Implication for Political Freedom
• Emergence of scientific racism in India and Indian response
• Impact of colonialism on Environment/ Sustainable consumption
• Public engagement for development of Scientific Institutions and Societies
• Science Diplomacy and Freedom Movement

Venue: The conference will be held Online/Offline depending on the pandemic situation in India and government's guidelines.

Contact: All questions about submissions should be emailed to risfrem2022@gmail.com

Download the Brochure

Webinar on "Role of Digital Libraries and Knowledge Collaboration to Advance Sustainable Mobility Research" | 28 October at 3:00pm IST

Webinar on "Role of Digital Libraries and Knowledge Collaboration to Advance Sustainable Mobility Research" 

28 October 2021 at 3:00pm – 4:30pm (IST)

TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and GIZ India cordially invite you to the webinar on "Role of Digital Libraries and Knowledge Collaboration to Advance Sustainable Mobility Research" on 28 October 2021 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm (IST). 

 

As part of the Nationally Determined Contributions- Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project implementing in India by GIZ and other partner organizations in collaboration with NITI Aayog Government of India, TERI and GIZ is organizing a webinar to discuss impact of sectoral digital libraries on stakeholders and share valuable experiences for leveraging benefits of digital libraries and knowledge collaboration to advance sustainable mobility.  

The Webinar aims to bring together knowledge experts to discuss the role of digital libraries and knowledge management in promoting sustainable transportation. 

 

The Webinar will address the following issues: 

· Leveraging the benefits of digital libraries and knowledge collaboration 

· How knowledge platforms and centres will help users to take confident decisions

 

For free registration, please click here

  

For webinar agenda and further details, kindly visit event page at: teriin.org/event/role-digital-libraries-and-knowledge-collaboration-advance-sustainable-mobility-research

 

 e-certificate will be provided to successful attendees. 

Join Virtual SciDataCon2021 Session on "Research Data and FAIR Data Framework in the Context of India's STIP2021: The Way Forward" | 26 Oct. at 16:30 IST

Session Title: Research Data and FAIR Data Framework in the Context of India's STIP2021: The Way Forward

Register for the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkc-CgrjstE90E83SCMCYOhfidYykoweM7

Date: 26 Oct. 2021 at 16:30 IST

Session Description: In India, a draft version of the 5th national Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) was released in January 2021 for public consultation. This policy instrument includes the provision of open research data from the public-funded research and education. Additionally, UNESCO released the draft version of the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, to be adopted by the Member States in November 2021. As a member country, India is also a party to the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and will have to implement the set of recommendations therein. In this context, the current session will explore the challenges and opportunities in implementing the Research Data and FAIR Data Framework in the country. The panelists will look into the open research data aspects at the institutional, funders', and national level in order to meet the national and international norms and obligations in collaborative research. The panelists will further suggest the necessary steps required to build up essential info-structure at the national, institutional, and funders' level, manpower requirements, advocacy for FAIR data principles, and aligning academic research in this direction. Data stewardship at the institutional level is also an important aspect in gaining momentum towards the FAIR data implementation. This aspect needs more introspection. FAIR data advocacy and data stewardship can also be strengthened, if we engage with the national science academies, research councils, researchers' professional associations, and other institutions. The panelists of this session will enlighten us on the way forward with their personal experiences, case studies, and success stories.

This Panel Discussion is organized by the Working Group for CODATA Indian National Committee.

Agenda: 

• Dr. Usha M. Munshi [CODATA India] Chair's Remarks

• Dr. Anup Kumar Das [CODATA India; JNU] (3 Minutes) - About the Session

• Panelists

• Prof. Vivek Singh [Department of Computer Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi] (12 minutes) 

• Dr. Moumita Koley [DST- Centre for Policy Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru] (12 minutes)

• Prof. Sujit Bhattacharya [CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication & Policy Research, New Delhi] (12 minutes)

• Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey [SNCW, University of Calcutta] (12 minutes)

• Dr. Sridhar Gutam [ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru] (12 minutes)

• Dr. Shaily Gandhi [CODATA Connect Working Group; CODATA India] (5 Minutes)

• Q&A and Discussion (15 Minutes)

Useful links: 

• Draft STIP 2020: https://dst.gov.in/sites/default/files/STIP_Doc_1.4_Dec2020.pdf

• Understanding the Science Policy Ecosystem in India https://thesciencepolicyforum.org/articles/perspectives/understanding-the-science-policy-ecosystem-in-india/ 

• https://thesciencepolicyforum.org/initiatives/science-technology-and-innovation-policy-stip-2020/ 

• More Details: https://www.scidatacon.org/virtual-2021/sessions/307/

New AJSTID Article "Recycling of municipal solid waste in India: Empirical findings from some select colonies in Delhi" by M Govind & M Mahongnao

Recycling of municipal solid waste in India: Empirical findings from some select colonies in Delhi
by Madhav Govind & Mirinchonme Mahongnao, 2021, African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
Abstract: The growing volume of municipal waste has become a serious challenge for urban local bodies in Indian cities. The non-segregation of waste at the source is one of the main reasons for the low percentage of municipal waste being recycled. Drawing the data from a semi-structured questionnaire-based survey of 100 households and informal interviews with different stakeholders, this study explores the waste segregation and waste minimization behaviour of residents of Delhi and the role of rag pickers in the recycling of waste. The study reveals that the main reasons for the non-segregation of waste are lack of awareness and facilities and a high level of skepticism whether source segregation would solve the problem if waste is not collected and transported separately. The study also shows that although 83% of respondents were aware of different colours of dustbins, only a small percentage of respondents know about or practise their correct usage. We argue that while creating awareness and providing infrastructure facilities are important, it is more effective to recalibrate our policy in such a way that it integrates the informal waste pickers in the recycling process, and incentivizes those who reduce and segregate their waste and discourages the defaulters.
Keywords: household waste, recycling, segregation, municipal solid waste management, ragpickers, Delhi

Download

New STS article " India @ 75: Science, Technology and Innovation Policies for Development" by V. V. Krishna

India @ 75: Science, Technology and Innovation Policies for Development
V. V. Krishna, Science, Technology and Society, 2021. 
Abstract: India was perhaps the only country among the developing world with a colonial past to have organised and established a national science community much before it attained its independence. Nehruvian science and technology (S&T) policy in India's formative years left a distinct imprint in the post-colonial and post-independent India. With a huge population of nearly 1.35 billion people, India has not been dependent on food from outside countries since the 1960s. Green and White Revolutions have made immense contributions to develop scientific and technical capacities in agriculture. India's innovation system, including higher education, has given her some comparative advantage through 'human capital' in information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, space research and so on. In export promotion and economic competitiveness in technology-based industries, we lag compared with East Asian 'Dragons'. India's informal sector poses a formidable challenge with more than 95% of the total labour force, about 550 million, 90% of which is 8th class dropouts. When we begin to assess our national innovation system, one feature that stands out to research observers is few islands of excellence and vast 'hinterlands' of underdeveloped research potential. There is clearly a gap between theory and practice of science policy in India. Our gross expenditure on research and development as a proportion of gross domestic product remained relatively stagnant and, in fact, receded from 0.8% in the 1990s to 0.7% in 2020. In this period, our neighbour, China, left us far behind in S&T for development.

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UNESCO launches global eDNA project to study vulnerability of species to climate change at marine World Heritage sites

UNESCO Press Release No.2021-106

 

UNESCO launches global eDNA project to study vulnerability of species to climate change at marine World Heritage sites

  

Paris, 18 October — An ambitious project using cutting edge environmental DNA, known as eDNA, to understand the richness of biodiversity of UNESCO's marine World Heritage sites launches today. It will involve the collection by scientists and local residents of genetic material from waste, mucus or the cells of fish from across select marine World Heritage sites, with the aim of monitoring fish, including species red-listed by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN). eDNA involves collecting and analyzing samples collected from the environment (soil, water, air) rather than an individual organism. 

 

The two-year eDNA project will help measure the vulnerability of marine biodiversity to climate change and the impacts of that change on the distribution and migration patterns of marine life across marine World Heritage sites. Launched at the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), it will help understand global trends and inform ongoing efforts to protect marine ecosystems and ensure future generations continue to enjoy the services they provide. 

 

"Marine World Heritage sites play a critical role in protecting marine ecosystems of exceptional universal value, and provide opportunities for the public to appreciate and preserve marine environments. Climate change is affecting the behaviour and distribution of underwater life and we must understand what is happening so we can adapt our conservation efforts to evolving conditions," said Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. 

 

"eDNA sampling can provide an innovative, affordable, and long-awaited capacity to better understand the ocean ecosystems, their composition and behaviour, and to start managing ocean resources more sustainably," said Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General and Executive Secretary of the IOC of UNESCO. It is a step toward the Ocean Decade's vision of unlocking the knowledge we need to create the ocean we want by 2030."  

 

UNESCO's marine World Heritage sites are recognized for their unique biodiversity, outstanding ecosystems, or for representing major stages in Earth's history. Since the inscription of the first marine site, the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1981, the List has grown to host a global network of 50 marine sites, beacons of hope for healing the ocean.  

 

The use of eDNA in ocean monitoring and data collection is still in its infancy and standard protocols for sampling and data management will be streamlined in UNESCO's ground breaking eDNA project. It will apply a consistent methodology across multiple marine protected areas simultaneously for the first time, marking the birth of global standards in sampling and data monitoring and management practices while making that data available to the public. 

 

The project will engage local citizens, guided by expert support, in, for example, taking water samples, filtering them and fixing their eDNA, which will then be sequenced in specialized laboratories.  

 

All data will be processed and published by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), the world's largest open-access data system on the distribution and diversity of marine species, maintained and collectively supported by a world-wide network of thousands of scientists, data managers and users. It works to advance our understanding of life in the ocean, and helps establish indicators that inform conservation and management policies.  

 

The project is implemented by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and World Heritage Centre, with the support of the Government of Flanders. 

 

****

 

Media Contact : Clare O'Hagan

c.o-hagan@unesco.org

+33 (0) 1 45 68 17 29

If you would rather not receive future communications from UNESCO, let us know by clicking here.
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