Working Together to Further Strengthen IPSI

Message from Mr. Kazu Takemoto, Director of the IPSI Secretariat

There were many exciting milestones for IPSI in 2012. The second and third IPSI Global Conferences were successfully held in Nairobi, Kenya and Hyderabad, India with strong member participation. Global interest in IPSI continued to grow as more than 20 new members joined the Partnership in 2012. Encouragingly, on the occasion of CBD COP11 – marking two years since IPSI’s launch in Nagoya in 2010 – IPSI members also unanimously endorsed the IPSI Strategy. I would like to congratulate all of the members on the successes of the past year.

Looking forward, 2013 is also a year full of opportunities as IPSI enters into a second phase of building on these past achievements. One emphasis will be on further developing IPSI’s activities through a wide range of initiatives focusing on research, joint projects, and outreach programs based on our Strategy.  Another challenging goal for this year will be to work towards developing a Plan of Action for IPSI.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to seek your continued support and cooperation, just as you have extended over the last two years.

As we move towards IPSI-4, to be held in Fukui, Japan this fall, I would like to acknowledge the strong contribution of our members to the successes of 2012 and encourage further cooperation as we work together to continue to strengthen our partnership.

Satoyama Initiative introduced in course at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany

Message from Dr. Tobias Plieninger, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW)

As part of an elective course on "Biodiversity and Conservation Management" at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, I recently lectured on Satoyama within the context of designing networks of protected areas. During the December 2012 lecture, after introducing Satoyama landscapes, two videos were screened about the work and conceptual background of the Satoyama Initiative.

More information is available here about the research I am undertaking with the Ecosystem Services Research Group, and please check last month’s IPSI newsletter for more information about my latest edited volume on "Resilience and the Cultural Landscape".

Dr. Anil Kumar lectures on agrobiodiversity at UNU-IAS

Dr. Anil Kumar, Director of the Community Agro-biodiversity Centre of the M S Swami-nathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), a member of the IPSI Steering Committee, gave a lecture on “Community Management of Agro-biodiversity for Food and Agriculture in India” at UNU-IAS in Yokohama on 18 December 2012.

In his presentation, Dr. Kumar highlighted the importance of community management approach for improving food security and agro-biodiversity, and introduced participatory and trans-disciplinary approach of MSSRF through two case studies with reference to the Satoyama Initiative and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion including some of the IPSI members. For more details, please click here.

International Forum at Tohoku University: “Interface between Science and Policy”

Report from Dr. Tsubasa Iwabuchi, Tohoku University (Japan)

The Tohoku University Ecosystem Adaptability Global Center of Excellence (GCOE) held an international forum on the “Interface between Science and Policy” from 12-13 December 2012. The forum put an emphasis on how science and policy-making can cooperatively tackle the numerous challenges we face in developing a sustainable society. The forum consisted of three sessions: biodiversity, agriculture, and fisheries.

Two keynote speakers, Dr. Jo Mulongoy (UNU-IAS) and Dr. Jeff McNeely (IUCN) mentioned the Satoyama Initiative as a useful platform that is well-positioned to achieve a smoother interface for cooperation. Dr. Mulongoy further pointed out the importance of defining the uncertainty of scientific findings. For more details, click here.

Following the forum, there was an excursion to tsunami-affected coastal areas in Tohoku. Participants were impressed to see the progress towards rebuilding and restoration following the unprecedented disaster.