Asia Monitor

UNU e-Newsletter

Issue 19. January 2007

In this issue

International News: New POPs have been proposed at Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee’s Second meeting held at Geneva, 6–10 November 2006.
The following five chemicals have been newly proposed for inclusion in Annexes A, B or C of the Convention: (a) Octabromodiphenyl ether; (b) Pentachlorobenzene; (c) Short-chained chlorinated paraffins; (d) Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane; (e) Beta hexachlorocyclohexane.

To learn more, please visit the related Stockholm Convention’s website.

Environmental Monitoring and Sustainable Development:

The role of environmental monitoring in achieving sustainable development

Fukuya Iino

Just this past winter, an example of successful scientific prediction made possible by the use of environmental monitoring was seen in El Niño (see http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/el-nino-story.html ) Using remote sensing data & climate models, meteorologists were able to more accurately predict the impact of certain weather patterns and, consequently, limit the predicted damage. 

Please click here to read more.

UNU Intern Report
Anna Ntenta
During the spring of 2006, I was encouraged by a former teacher at the Stockholm University Department of Law to apply for one of the university’s internships with the Environment and Sustainable Development programme.  I have not looked back since. Being a highly coveted international placement, I would not have imagined being offered what would turn out to be an opportunity of a lifetime. 
Please click here to read more.

UNU Coming  Events
UNU-International Course 2007 (21 May - 29 June 2007, Tokyo, Japan)

The next year’s UNU-IC information has been updated. Four courses will be offered (1. Armed Conflict and Peacebuilding, 2. Environmental Change: Managing Risks, 3. Globalization and the Multilateral System, 4. International Trade and Development). The application deadline is 31 January, 2007. Please visit the UNU-IC website for more details.

UNU Event Report

UNU Symposium and lectures in the Philippines on 7-8 November 2006

UNU Symposium on POPs in Asia: Its Status and Future (7 Nov) and UNU lectures (8 Nov) were successfully held at University of the Philippines in Manila on 7 November, 2006, receiving more than 250 and 150 participants, respectively. POPs researchers and representatives from the Philippine Government shared the recent research findings and national implementation plan to reduce POPs emissions to the environment. The audience joined very vigorous discussions and exchanged information and concerns with the speakers and organizers. “This was one of the best symposiums I have ever been and of course hosted.” said Dr. Fukuya Iino (UNU), the co-host of the symposium.

Please click here to access to presentation slides.

External resources for those looking for scholarship to study in Japan

http://www.jasso.go.jp/study_j/index_e.html

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For previsous issues, please see Newsletter Index
Edited by Michelle Bene and Fukuya Iino

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This newsletter is a quarterly bulletin made possible with the support of Shimadzu, Japan