Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ICIMOD's Youth Ambassadors Champion the Mountain Agenda*

The year 2012 was an important one for ICIMOD; it marked 20 years since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio recognized the importance of mountains by introducing Chapter 13 as a separate chapter in Agenda 21 – also known as the Mountain Agenda. As part of UNCED’s follow-up (Asia’s regional response to Agenda 21, Chapter 13), ICIMOD organized the first regional conference in Kathmandu, Nepal in December 1994. The participants of this conference adopted a declaration on the Sustainable Development of Mountain Areas of Asia – known as the SUDEMAA Call to Action – which resulted in the creation of the Asia-Pacific Mountain Network (APMN).

APMN is a communication platform that facilitates information and knowledge sharing and advocates for the mountain agenda in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the last two decades APMN has made significant contributions by involving different stakeholders (such as governments, development partners, local communities, civil society, youth and media), facilitating networking and partnerships among them at different scales, and promoting two-way communication and knowledge exchange. 

One of most important steps forward has been realizing the need to engage youth in the sustainable mountain development process and developing suitable platforms for them to advocate for the mountain agenda at the national, regional, and global levels. ICIMOD’s Youth for Sustainable Mountain Development (Y4SMD) initiative is such a platform. Since it began in 2009, the global membership of Y4SMD has grown to almost 4,000 members, the majority of whom are from ICIMOD’s regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Y4SMD has been involved in e-conferences, national campaigns, Climate Cafés, knowledge sharing workshops, the Earth Debate, capacity building events, and networking-advocacy meetings on the sideline of international events such as the Annual Adaptation Forum, Rio+20 Conference, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP) 17 and 18.

Representative articles/pictures etc are available at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.570285699671252.1073741825.100000694825417&type=1


Several other youth-led initiatives in the HKH region have also benefitted from ICIMOD’s sponsorship, knowledge, and network. The Asia-Pacific Mountain Courier, APMN’s biannual periodical, and social networking platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, discussion lists, blogs) have proved to be important platforms for young emerging leaders to share their views and initiatives, network with others, and find out about different opportunities. In the last four years ICIMOD has trained over 500 youth on mountain issues from 20 Asia Pacific countries through capacity building workshops, Climate Cafés, and various forums such as the Asia Pacific and the Hindu Kush Himalayan Regional Forum, Eastern Himalayas Sub-Regional Forum, and national youth forums in ICIMOD’s regional member countries.

In 2012 alone, hundreds of youth were engaged in advocating for the mountain agenda from the national to global level through the Earth Debate (February), Mountain Youth and Green Economy side event at the Planet Under Pressure Conference (March), National Youth Rio+20 preparatory and follow-up campaigns in Nepal and Pakistan (throughout the year), various side events at Rio+20 Conference, and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) Youth Blast (June). Likewise, the Global Youth Forum in Rio de Janeiro (June), Asia Pacific Youth Forum on Green Economy (September), and national youth forums in Pakistan (November), Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (all in December) trained over 280 youth on the green economy in the context of mountain development. All of these events were driven by ICIMOD Youth Ambassadors with minimum guidance or support from ICIMOD. Some ICIMOD Youth Ambassadors attended the UNFCCC COP 18 in Doha, at which they organized the Second Global Youth Forum and a knowledge café on mountain issues. Last, but not the least, the Member’s Mountain Courier you are reading now is also prepared by Youth Ambassadors as part of ICIMOD’s efforts to take youth initiatives to the national level.

- Anja Møller Rasmussen, Senior Manager, ICIMOD; and Tek Jung Mahat, APMN Node Manager, ICIMOD

* This is the key highlights of the activities carried out in the year 2012 itself in preparation of and following –up Rio+20 conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. All these activities were implemented by ICIMOD through the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) Project in partnership with several national, regional and global youth initiatives, youth organizations and youth alliances.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Economic Tools for Conservation - 2013 International Course

Conservation Strategy Fund is offering its 15th annual international training course, Economic Tools for Conservation, on August 12-23, 2013 located at Stanford University. This course is being offered in partnership with the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford.

Over the last decade, this course has become recognized as the premier applied economics training event for conservation professionals from around the world.

During the comprehensive two-week session, participants will learn to use economics to be more strategic and successful in their conservation work, and experience a transformational shift in how they view environmental issues. The course covers economic fundamentals, natural resource and environmental economics, communication and negotiation techniques, and hands-on experience with cost-benefit analysis. These skills are crucial at a time when global-scale environmental changes are being driven by a diversity of economic factors, and when conservation leaders are striving to harness opportunities to reward the preservation of ecosystem services.

"I truly believe that I have received one, if not the best piece of schooling since my University days in the UK. Perhaps my way of appreciating the excellent multi-cultural training we received is to use it, and sure like rain we are using it!" –Peter Mbile, Cameroon

BENEFITS

Participants gain:

  • An essential foundation in basic economic concepts and language.
  • Insight into the drivers of environmental problems.
  • The ability to formulate more effective solutions and policies for conservation.
  • Skills to evaluate the costs and benefits of natural resource management and development decisions, and the ability to identify the best opportunities to apply economics to conservation.
  • Invaluable practice using communication and negotiation techniques to articulate environmental values in a language that communities, businesses, and governments can understand.
  • A close network with fellow conservation professionals through the unique CSF Residence Program on the Stanford campus.

Dates: Monday, 12 August, 2013 - Friday, 23 August, 2013
Duration: 1 week 4 days
Status: Begins in 17 weeks 2 days

More information HERE

External link:
http://conservation-strategy.org/en/course/economic-tools-conservation-2013-international-course

Apply now for the Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy in Mombasa, Kenya (20 – 25 October 2013)

The Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance extends 2013's summer programme and once again offers a Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy with a strong African focus, this time in Mombasa, Kenya (20 - 25 October 2013). This Kenyan course addresses the rising demand for innovative financing for climate friendly solutions on the African continent.

The Centre's Summer Academy programme aims to equip developing and emerging economies with the necessary skills to gain access to clean energy and therefore supplies international decision makers, project developers and investors with technical and financial know-how through practical and theoretical coursework.
The Mombasa Academy offers core courses on policy and sources of financing, technical courses in project finance and project design, as well as real-life, on the ground case studies, delivered by senior trainers that combine both academic-technical RE/EE and banking knowledge. The training sessions, institutional fair and leisure activities as well as several group assignments guarantee superior networking opportunities with other practitioners of sustainable energy finance.

Target Group: The course has a clear finance focus and is suitable for both public and private sector practitioners, including entrepreneurs, project developers, private investors, initiator/fund houses, international development finance consultants and managers, plant operators and manufacturers, engineers and advisory professionals (e.g. law firms, business and tax consultants). Other interested parties, such as academics in relevant fields, are of course welcome to apply to the programme.

The application process is now open. Don't miss your chance to join the Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy in Mombasa.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 01 September 2013

Please note: The selection of applications will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
We will accept scholarship applications for the Mombasa Summer Academy until 15 May 2013.

For further information and to apply online, please visit:
www.frankfurt-school.de/summer_academy or www.fs-unep-centre.org

We look forward to seeing you in Mombasa!
Your Sustainable Energy Finance Summer Academy Team

Frankfurt School of Finance and Management gGmbH International Advisory Services Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance

Sonnemannstraße 9-11
60314 Frankfurt am Main
Deutschland /Germany
E-mail to: summeracademy@fs.de
www.frankfurt-school.de
www.fs-unep-centre.org

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Climate Reality Leadership Corps trainings in Chicago and Istanbul in 2013

The Climate Reality Project has recently opened applications for the 2013 Climate Reality Leadership Trainings with our Chairman, former Vice President Al Gore.  We are thrilled to announce an international training in Istanbul, Turkey on June 14-16 that will focus on training volunteers from throughout Europe and Asia.  We will also host a training in the U.S. in Chicago July 30-August 1 to train new volunteers from the U.S. and Canada. 

This year's trainings will focus on engaging strategic communities as climate leaders, to prepare them to speak effectively about climate change to audiences of all kinds.  We will integrate communications, organizing and social media into our existing climate science training to empower 1,000 new climate leaders across the U.S. and Canada. This is a fantastic opportunity to empower your best volunteers, new members, partners and staff on effective climate communication in this incredibly important year. Training applications can be found here: https://climatereality.myreviewroom.com 

We need your help to spread the word! Please share this information with your colleagues, members, networks and any other individuals you think would benefit from attending one of our trainings.  

For more information about the Istanbul training, please contact Victoria Simarano directly at victoria.simarano@climatereality.com  

For more information about the Chicago training, please contact Lindsay Randall directly at lindsay.randall@climatereality.com

Scholarships for MSc in Carbon Finance at University of Edinburgh Business School

Scholarships available on world's first MSc in Carbon Finance – please forward to interested parties

Applications are invited to join the MSc in Carbon Finance at the University of Edinburgh Business School, for the academic year commencing in September 2013.

Scholarships are available for applicants from the following countries:

 *   Any country in Africa or any Least Developed Country: £16k Deutsche Post DHL Scholarship – deadline 26 April 2013;
 *   UK or any other EU country: £18k SFC Highly Skilled Workforce Scholarship – deadline 1 May 2013;
 *   Any Commonwealth country: £10k Business School Commonwealth Scholarships – deadline 10 May 2013;
 *   Any European Economic Area country: £5k and £7k Business School European Scholarships – deadline 10 May 2013;
 *   India, Norway, Turkey, Russia, Canada and Thailand: £10k Business School INTERACT Scholarships – deadline 10 May 2013.

For more information including on how to apply, see http://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/msc/carbon-finance (select 'Scholarships / funding' and individual scholarships for further details). In all cases the scholarships are only available to applicants who have first applied for admission to the MSc and been offered a place. However, as time is running short you may apply to both the MSc and scholarship concurrently.

About the MSc in Carbon Finance
The MSc in Carbon Finance focuses on the business opportunities and financial flows driven by society's response to climate change. Graduates will be equipped for a career in low carbon investment, carbon markets, consulting, or related policy and regulatory roles. The programme includes specialist courses in energy finance, carbon markets, climate science and policy, carbon accounting and low carbon investment, as well as a carbon consulting project and individual dissertation. Courses are taught by leading researchers and practitioners with extensive experience of energy, carbon and financial markets, and students will benefit from interactions with the University of Edinburgh's other world-leading Masters programmes in Carbon Management, Carbon Capture and Storage, Sustainable Energy Systems and Global Environment and Climate Change Law. The MSc in Carbon Finance particularly encourages applications from students with some relevant work experience, although work experience is not a strict requirement. For more information see http://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/msc/carbon-finance


Francisco Ascui
Director, MSc in Carbon Finance
University of Edinburgh Business School
29 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh EH8 9JS, UK

Email: francisco.ascui@ed.ac.uk

http://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/

Friday, April 12, 2013

RIMES- Training on Enterprise-Based Early Warning System and Climate Change

The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) is organizing a Training Course on Enterprise-Based Early Warning System for Enterprises in Thailand, from 17-21 June 2013 in Bangkok. The training assists participants and their respective organizations in designing and/or implementing their early warning systems, taking into consideration the impacts of climate change and the higher frequency of extreme climate and weather events.

It specifically helps them to: develop an early warning system and risk management plan tailored to the needs of their organization; examine the kinds of tools and products that are available or could be developed to integrate information into forms most useful for them to make decisions at various levels; and set-up appropriate contingency plan or options to guide members of their organization against various hazards of different timescales.
At the end of the training, participants and/or their organizations can opt to collaborate with RIMES in establishing and sustaining their enterprise-based early warning system.

The training includes: i) a 3-day series of presentations and discussions, and ii) a 2-day enterprise-based guided planning workshop aimed at helping participants design an early warning system and risk management plan for their respective organizations.

Fee
The course fee is USD1,000 per participant. This is inclusive of course materials, and refreshments and lunch during the course. Participants will be responsible for their own travel expenses, and arrangements such as airport transfers (and visa application, where necessary), food and accommodation, health/accident insurance, and other personal expenses. RIMES cannot provide financial help to participants.

For more information, you can write an e-mail to rimes@rimes.int or
visit the webpage for this training course:
http://www.rimes.int/em/?p=1166

Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Short Course

Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Short Course

 

This course is a collaboration between the Institute of Development Studies and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh.

What needs to be done differently so as to make sure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is aligned with the needs of adaptation to climate change?

It is not always obvious how these two areas of work need to work together, and how both must also operate in the wider context of development. This course is based on the experience of both IDS Climate Change Team, and ICCCAD in Bangladesh in running courses that integrate the understanding of disasters in the context of climate change.

Who would benefit from this course?

The course lasts for five days, and is aimed at staff from NGOs in the UK and abroad, government staff, people from international organisations and aid agencies, and independent consultants and interested individuals. Participants may be working already in relation to disasters, but need to integrate this work with climate change. Or working on climate change and unsure how to link up with DRR.

What will the course cover?

Key contributions will be made by IDS climate change and disaster specialists, together with specialists from ICCCAD and their UK partner, IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development).

The course will cover topics including:

·         What is climate change and its different types of impacts – and how DRR needs to take account of these differences

·         Understanding the social construction of disasters, and their links with climate change and development

·         Gender issues in the context of climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness

·         Knowledge and power: integrating indigenous and external knowledge for effective DRR

·         Adaptation in the face of the unknown: how do people adapt to uncertainty?

·         Assessing vulnerability and capacity: using participatory tools for risk reduction

·         Integrating early-warning systems in regard to climate-related hazards

·         Community-based disaster risk reduction: constraints and benefits

Course structure and outcomes

The course will promote practical tools and be based on participatory methods. These will include the Climate Smart Disaster Risk Management approach developed recently by IDS with its partners in ten countries of Africa and Asia. Participants will be encouraged to prepare a work plan for completion during the course that shows how they will work differently as a result of the course, and how they might influence their organisation for better integration of DRR with climate change adaptation.

By the end of the programme participants will be able to:

·         Understand the basics of how global warming is affecting extreme events and increasing vulnerability to hazards

·         Have increased awareness of the need to integrate DRR with adaptation to climate change, in the context of development and poverty-reduction activities

·         Understand the significance of gender as a factor in both disaster risk and effects of climate change

·         Awareness of how they need to act differently on a personal and institutional level in order to deal with disasters in the context of climate change

·         Competence in use of tools and methods for participatory risk assessments

·         Understanding of the benefits and constraints of community-based disaster risk reduction and adaptation, especially the problems of the mismatch between people’s livelihood needs and living in dangerous places, and the cultural factors in perception of risk that reduce effective DRR.

Who are the trainers?

All staff involved in facilitating this course will be specialists in relation to disasters and climate change, with considerable practical, research and teaching experience on these topics.

The course will be led by Terry Cannon (IDS). Other expected facilitators include:

·         Dr Saleemul Huq (Director of ICCCAD, Senior Fellow at IIED)

·         Tom Tanner (IDS)

·         Fran Seballos (IDS)

·         David Dodman (ICCCAD and IIED)

How much will this course cost?

The cost of this 5-day course is £1,500. The fee includes all tuition, course materials, lunch and refreshments on each day of the course. We regret that there is no funding available for this course.

Travel and course requirements

Participants will be responsible for arranging their own travel/visa and accommodation and any other costs incurred. Arrival will be on 30 June and departure no earlier than the evening of 5th July. The course will run from 9am to 5pm each day.

The course will be taught in English therefore participants must be proficient in English to benefit from the training.

Apply for this course

Before using the online application form below please read the Terms & Conditions document (pdf) first.

More at:

http://www.ids.ac.uk/drrcca2013

Call for Participation in 2013 ICIMOD Digital Photo Contest on "Water and Life"

Call for Participation in

2013 ICIMOD Digital Photo Contest on “Water and Life”

(10 April – 20 May 2013)

 

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is organizing a Digital Photo Contest on the theme of 'Water and Life' to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. This contest also coincides with the United Nation’s International Year of Water Cooperation 2013.

 

The photo contest aims to draw the attention of the public, policymakers and relevant stakeholders to the importance of water and challenges of water-related issues in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region in relation to human needs, gender, environment, biodiversity, and climate change and adaptation, as well as to good practices in water and related risk management, including water cooperation. It is also a reflection of the importance that ICIMOD places on water cooperation at all levels and symbolizes its commitment to continued efforts in this area.

Awards

The top three photos judged the best, second best and third best by a panel of judges will receive cash Prizes of USD 1,000, 800, and 600 respectively along with certificates of achievement.  The next top 30 photos (10 from each of the three categories) will be eligible for the People's Choice award. This award will be decided based on week-long voting on Facebook. The photo with the highest number of ‘likes’ on the ICIMOD Facebook page in each category will receive a People's Choice award of USD 200 along with a certificate of achievement.  The remaining 27 photos will receive Honourable Mentions, along with certificates.

 

Who can participate?

·         The photo contest is open to anybody from anywhere in the world as long as he/she is above 18 years of age at the time of participation.

·         There is no entry fee required to participate.

·         Each participant can submit up to three photos per category. As there are a total of three categories, each participant can enter up to nine photos.

 

How to participate?

 

To participate in the photo contest, please first visit the following website for information on terms and conditions, thematic and geographical scopes of the photo contest, and criteria for judging entries, including how to submit entries: http://www.icimod.org/photocontest/2013/

 

For any query and clarification, write to:

ICIMOD Photo Contest Organising Team
Email: photocontest@icimod.org

Monday, April 1, 2013

Online MSc Global Challenges: Development, Environment, Health

Our online, part time MSc in Global Challenges now has a new, clearer website:

 

There are three postgraduate certificates. Each one takes a multidisciplinary approach that allows you to study while you work, developing your understanding, knowledge and skills to tackle the inter-related global challenges of development, health and environment.

 

You can study any one of our Postgraduate Certificates over one or two academic years, or study all three for the award of MSc in Global Challenges in three to five years.

 

As well as being of interest to individuals, the programme can also support organisational continuing professional development programmes. Once you've looked at the website, feel free to contact me with any questions, including how this might support organisational CPD.

 

Best regards

 

Osbert

~

Osbert Lancaster

Honorary Fellow | Programme Director: PG Certificate Global Environment Challenges | School of Geosciences | University of Edinburgh | +44 (0) 7981 528 991