[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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From: VDOMPKA <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The AAAS International Directorate's
Program on Population and Sustainable Development (PSD)
is pleased to announce a
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
for the
International Research Cooperation Project (IRCP) on
Human Population, Biodiversity and Protected Areas
The AAAS International Directorate's Program on Population and
Sustainable Development (PSD) will be awarding policy and
field-oriented scientific research grants to scientists or teams of
scientists from four world regions on the topic of human population and
biodiversity. The grants will be awarded through the newly established
"International Research Cooperation Project (IRCP)", an activity of the
PSD, and partially funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
The IRCP was established in Spring, 1996 to help implement the
scientific research recommendations made at the PSD meeting of experts
from 14 countries on "Human Population, Biodiversity and Protected
Areas: Science and Policy Issues" held in Washington, DC, April 20-21,
1995.
The objective of the grant making process is to stimulate new research
or enhance existing research on population and biodiversity as one
integrated subject. Research priorities were laid out by the
international expert group of policy makers, field staff, social and
natural scientists who participated in the April 1995 meeting. A
compilation book of papers presented and recommendations made at the
meeting is available through the AAAS PSD.
WHAT: A total of four research grants of US$10,000-$15,000 each year,
for a period of two years, will be awarded beginning in Fall, 1996.
The IRCP's international advisory group will select a total of four
scientists or teams of scientists, one each from Africa, Asia, Latin
America and Europe/North America, to undertake the two years of
research. The research must be policy and/or field-oriented and fall
under one or more of the topics as outlined in the attached set of
guidelines as recommended by the experts at the April 1995 meeting (see
Appendix I).
The research monies may be used for new research or as co-funding for
existing research efforts. For example, through the grant, ongoing
population projects may add a biodiversity component, or biodiversity
conservation projects may integrate a population component.
WHO: Individual scientists or teams of scientists (preferably from the
social and natural sciences) who have experience in scientific research
on human population and the environment are eligible to apply.
Proposals from individual scientists from the country in which the
research is being undertaken, and/or those which include in-country
scientists as "principal investigators" will be viewed most favorably.
Proposals which involve collaboration of scientists and/or institutions
on a cross-regional basis are welcome.
WHEN: Deadline for receipt of proposals is no later than September 16,
1996. Applications should be sent or faxed to Victoria Dompka, PSD
Director, AAAS, Room 710, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20005, USA, Fax USA+ 202-289-4958.
APPLICATION: Applications should be no longer than five pages total,
in English, and include the following information as it appears herein:
1. Name, academic or institutional affiliation, home and work address,
country, phone, fax, email.
2. Proposed research project name, exact project site (village, town,
state, country), summary of the proposed research, background and
justification, objectives and methodology, expected output(s), two
year workplan and detailed timeframe, what the research is expected
to accomplish, specifically how it falls within the research
guidelines as set out in Appendix I (attached), how
the proposed research would be a significant enhancement or
contribution to existing science on the topic. If the proposal is
to co-fund existing research, please detail how this particular
component fits into the broader research project, as well as how it
meets the requirements and guidelines set out by this grant
application.
3. The proposed research project's affiliation with government or non-
government organization(s).
4. Project budget (the grant sum remains the same whether or not it
goes towards project costs).
5. Three references for the scientist's/the scientific team's research
work.
6. Please attach one page bio or brief CV (not to be included in the
five page research proposal) for all participating scientists.
CONTACT: For more information contact Victoria Dompka, PSD Director at
phone USA +202-326-6658, fax USA+ 202-289-4958, email
"[EMAIL PROTECTED]" or Amy Matza, PSD Project Assistant at phone USA
+202-326-6652, email "amatza.aaas.org".
AAAS is grateful to the MacArthur Foundation for their support.
##
AAAS is the world's largest federation of scientists and engineers,
with nearly 300 affiliate organizations and more than 140,000
scientists, engineers, science educators, policy makers, journalists
and interested citizens worldwide. AAAS publishes Science, one of the
most prestigious and frequently cited scientific journals. The
Association also undertakes program activities to expand international
scientific cooperation on global issues, advance science education, and
shape policy issues grounded in science and technology. Through the
PSD AAAS applies scientifically based, multi-disciplinary analysis to
the relationships between population, the environment and consumption
and the vital interrelated role they will play in building and
strengthening sustainable societies worldwide.
Appendix I
Below are the recommendations, basic assumptions and guidelines agreed
by the participants of the meeting on "Human Population, Biodiversity
and Protected Areas: Science and Policy Issues" held April 1995 in
Washington, DC.
Proposed research topics for the IRCP grant must fall within "The
Recommendations" in Section III below. Please note, the research need
not focus only on protected areas but can include other sites where
population and biodiversity study is relevant.
I. BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
The experts' group began with three basic assumptions:
1. Population dynamics such as rapid rates of growth, high density,
migration, tourism, urbanization, and wasteful consumption and production
practices often affect biodiversity in significant ways. They, in fact, are
among the main causes of biodiversity loss.
2. Human population impacts must be harmonized with the Earth's capacity
to support life on a sustainable basis. The needs and rights of human beings
must be recognized and harmonized with biodiversity preservation. Human
beings must be part of and not separate from biodiversity and protected areas
conservation.
3. Public education on the scientific basis for population and
biodiversity links is vital to gaining acceptance of, and maintaining,
biodiversity protection.
II. GUIDELINES
The expert group's recommendations fell under the following three
principle guidelines:
* Scientific research must be undertaken to better understand how human
population dynamics are linked with biodiversity loss and protection.
The experts stated that linkages between population and biodiversity are
little understood beyond an intuitive level and they are not being addressed
adequately by scientists, policy- makers, or field workers. They recommended,
determining how population dynamics, high rates of natural resource
consumption, and local people's concerns are associated with, or impact on,
biodiversity and protected areas.
* A number of specific research approaches should be taken.
The group concluded that the, research must be interdisciplinary, site-
specific with potential application to wider areas, and have geographic
targets that are listed in order of priority, that is
where the combination of population and biodiversity pressures is most
acute.
* Policy-makers and institutions must provide the means to undertake
the research.
The group stated that early implementation of the research agenda was
crucial. They recommended that funding and technical support be
provided, so the research priorities could be conducted.
III. THE RECOMMENDATIONS
Following are the recommended policy and field-driven scientific
research priorities by the meeting participants:
1. Research should be undertaken to better understand how human
population dynamics are linked with biodiversity loss and
protection.
This research should be conducted on existing knowledge, population
dynamics, biodiversity, related resource consumption, local people
and social, cultural and economic issues.
A. Existing Knowledge
Undertake a review and analysis of
- the existing scientific data, information, and knowledge on the
linkages between population, biodiversity, and protected areas
- of relevant government and non-governmental policies
- success stories, so that lessons learned and gaps in
knowledge and understanding can be identified.
B. Population Dynamics
Through research, determine how population dynamics which may
effect the site (such as rapid population growth,
in-and-out-migration, short-term migration or tourism, refugees,
population density, urbanization, and population distribution)
impacts on biodiversity in the protected area
- the root causes of the specific population dynamic(s) which
affect the site
- the effects on biodiversity and protected areas in the
short and long term.
Identify the demographic data that exists and is relevant to
a specific protected area site. Identify the demographic data
which is needed, then collect and analyze new demographic data to
be relevant to ecosystem management at the local level. Most
existing population data is collected within political boundaries,
which is not relevant to the needs of ecosystem managers.
Identify
- what attracts people to protected areas
- why they move away
- what occurs to the biodiversity as a result of the
movement.
Determine
- what population pressures are most relevant to
environmental conservationists and field workers at local
project sites
- how an understanding of these population pressures
can be incorporated into biodiversity project planning and
implementation from international to local levels
- how interdisciplinary scientific research can be
encouraged around protected areas
- how people can be trained to appreciate or deal with
population issues across the relevant disciplines
C. Biodiversity
Identify the parameters beyond which biodiversity is no
longer sustainable. Undertake an assessment of biodiversity at
the genetic, species, ecosystem, and habitat diversity levels
in order to define sustainable human uses of biodiversity.
Estimate maximum "sustainable offtake per capita" in a given
ecosystem required to maintain its biodiversity. This
estimate reflects an understanding of the limits to which a
habitat can be degraded by human disturbance before it is
irretrievable.
Identify
- how to measure the balance between human uses and a
minimum level of sustainable biodiversity
- how a determination is made about how many and which
species to save in the face of inevitable, projected near-
and long-term population and consumption pressures
Determine
- the reasons why individuals and society both protect
and degrade biodiversity, including introduction and
elimination of plant and animal species from protected area
sites and habitat destruction
- how biodiversity can be protected given the
population and consumption pressures at hand
Identify
- how "biodiversity economics," including the
purchasing of plants or intellectual rights to the genetic
material of species and ethical issues are affected by
population increase (for example through migration or
refugees); population decrease (rural-out-migration,
loss of indigenous peoples); or transit (tourism)
- how can biodiversity be protected by creation of new
economic opportunities
- Identify the styles of protected areas management that
integrate or can integrate population pressures into their
management plans.
- Determine how population dynamics affect biodiversity-rich
aquatic resources, including coral reefs, fresh water,
oceans, coastal areas, marine fisheries, and other marine
life.
D. Resource Consumption
Determine
- the resource consumption and pollution aspects linked
with population dynamics and which aspects most affect
biodiversity and protected areas
- how does consumption of natural resources by local
people and temporary residents affect the ecosystem
- how does foreign and market demand for the resources
affect the site
- how does pollution resulting from the near and
"remote" consumption affect biodiversity
- what are the projections for the rates of consumption
and pollution in the near and long term
- how do regional and global changes such as acid rain
and climate change affect the local biodiversity
Identify
- the local and foreign economic market incentives
- how increases in population will affect these markets
- how these increases can be addressed to maintain
local biodiversity sustainability
This process includes determining economic incentives and
disincentives as well as natural resource valuation that takes
into account environmental impacts.
Determine
- the trends and impacts of consumptive versus non-
consumptive use of the biodiversity resources in protected
areas, with developing and developed country implications
- how can non-consumptive uses be encouraged so as to
maintain biodiversity sustainability
E. Local People
Determine
- how local and indigenous peoples are associated with
the biodiversity and protected areas
- their population dynamics and how that affects
biodiversity conservation
- their needs and uses of the biodiversity and
protected areas
- how they can be involved in every aspect of
understanding and maintaining biodiversity sustainability
- what are the economic relationships between local
people and protected areas and how can they be changed so
as to maintain sustainability
- what information about local people is needed by
protected area managers, so that they can conduct their
work in biodiversity conservation in harmony with the
indigenous peoples
- how can the knowledge of protected area managers be
transferred on an ongoing basis to the scientists and field
workers
Develop
- an understanding of who decides to protect natural
areas
- what population considerations are and should be used
in choosing protected areas
- how local people are involved in that decision
- how the decision influences the lives of local people
Determine
- the costs and benefits of protection efforts for the
protected areas and biodiversity to the local people,
plant, and animal species
- how this knowledge of the costs and benefits can
contribute to maintaining biodiversity sustainability
F. Social, Cultural, Economic Issues
Identify how social, cultural, economic, and political issues
such as gender, poverty, education, land tenure, legal rights,
trade, debt, and government settlement schemes affect the local
population-biodiversity relationship.
Determine
- what is known about how gender relates to the
population-biodiversity relationship
- how differences in gender and culture can be
appreciated in relation to population and biodiversity
issues
- what are the specific gender and age impacts on
biological resources
Identify
- women's role in the development, planning,
implementing, and governance of protected area management,
with particular reference to the population impacts on
biodiversity aspects
- how women can be integrated at all levels of the
efforts to link population and biodiversity protection
2. For research to be effective, it should include a number of
specific approaches.
Include population as an issue when addressing all aspects of
the scientific research and management biodiversity and protected
areas.
Integrate demographic projections and relevant scientific
population data into planning for and managing biodiversity
sustainability in protected areas.
The research approach must be interdisciplinary in response
to a multifaceted, cross-sectoral topic. Population dynamics, and
their effect on biodiversity, are influenced by an array of social,
cultural, and economic factors. To be understood and addressed
effectively, social and natural scientists (including demographers,
economists, foresters, and biologists) must work together and with
government and non-government policy- makers and field
practitioners to develop research priorities, policy initiatives,
and field project planning, implementation, and analysis.
The science must be policy-driven and explicitly linked to
policy and field activities, so it will be relevant to policy-makers
and field practitioners.
The research must be site-specific because each locale
possesses discrete characteristics and solutions. Analysis from the
local sites must be transferred to national and international levels
so their policies reflect local realities.
Target geographic world areas as "population and biodiversity
hot spots." Target those areas where both population pressures and
highly vulnerable biodiversity in protected areas exists. Do so as a
means of prioritizing the locations where research should be first
undertaken.
Develop short- and long-term scenarios for population impacts
on biodiversity and protected areas by projecting population and
consumption trends. For example, create various population scenarios
of rapid population growth or rapid migration, and then predict the
best and worst cases in relation to biodiversity impact in targeted
protected areas. This approach is useful to policy-makers and field
workers in determining if adaptive or preventive strategies should
be utilized in their project planning and implementation.
************************************
Stefanie S. Rixecker
Department of Resource Management
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
************************************
