UNU-EHS Newsletter No. 1/2008

News

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29 JANUARY 2008 - UNU-EHS FUNDING SECURED FOR NEXT 3 YEARS BMBF
and MIWFT Grant Financial Support
On January 30, 2008 the funding agreement for UNU-EHS has been
renewed at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The BMBF grants annually the sum of 500,000 EUR.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:442
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UNU RECTOR PROF. OSTERWALDER MEETS IN JANUARY STAFF OF UNU IN BONN
During the first official visit to Bonn in January 2008 the new
UNU Rector Prof. Konrad Osterwalder outlined his new concept for
the UN- University to the UNU team in Bonn. The Rector introduced
the idea of new PhD programmes, which will admit students on a
regular basis to UNU and offer UNU degrees. The UNU degrees are
planed to be awarded in close cooperation with regional
universities. Osterwalder's vision is that UNU, as part of the
United Nations, can offer a lot of opportunities for students
serving as door opener or provide on the spot research
possibilities. Furthermore, he plans every UNU Institute in
industrialized nations to develop a "twin institute" in a
developing country. The goal of these institutes is to emphasize
the universities global role, and to reduce the knowledge gap and
support the capacity development commitment of UNU.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:443


Events

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3RD URBAN TRAINING PROGRAMME TAKES PLACE IN LATIN AMERICA
19 mid and high-ranking municipal officers from seven capital
cities such as La Paz; Quito; Bogota,Tegucigalpa; San Salvador,
Managua, and San José came to San Jose, Costa Rica, from 3 -- 12
of December 2007 to attend the Urban Training Programme organised
by UNU-EHS with the support of the Federation of Municipalities of
the Central American Isthmus, FEMICA, and UNDP-BCPR.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:441
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WISDOM 1ST PHD SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR TAKES PLACE IN DECEMBER 2007 AT
UNU-EHS
On 19-21 December 2007 UNU-EHS organized and hosted the first
Scientific Seminar of the German-Vietnamese WISDOM project in Bonn.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:437


Publications

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NEW SOURCE OUT NOW: "RAPID VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT"
Rapid Vulnerability Assessment in Sri Lanka by Jörn Birkmann,
Nishara Fernando, Siri Hettige et.al. is the result of a study
conducted shortly after the devastating tsunami of December 2004.
Not only does it provide new insights into the vulnerability of
coastal communities and cities in Sri Lanka, it also gives an
overview of different methodologies.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:438
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NEW ISSUE OF INTERSECTIONS OUT NOW!
The new issue of InterSecTions Series entitled "Living with
Vulnerability" is a title that challenges the reader to look at
vulnerable groups in a new lens---a lens that requires a pragmatic
approach to vulnerability which is dynamic and may resist
technological change. The title chosen by the author Prof. Bohle
also invites the reader to view the vulnerable as agents reacting
to and shaping their own resilience.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:435
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EACH-FOR Newsletter OUT NOW!
EACH-FOR project publishes twice a year a newsletter with reports
of the project's activities. The issues of the EACH-FOR update can
be downloaded by clicking on read more. If you are interested in
subscribing to the newsletter, please write an email with the
subject "EACH-FOR UPDATE" to

Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:383


New Projects

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UNU-EHS CHALLENGES AND GOALS WITHIN MICROCON
UNU-EHS' reserach project has pilot character, as it deliberately
focus on the micro level and analyses different types of localised
water-related violent conflicts, e.g. conflicts between different
groups of water users and between water users on the one hand and
state authorities and/or private corporations on the other. The
regional focus of the project is on the arid and semi-arid regions
of Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, it focuses on the subjective
dimension of local conflicts, the perceptions, world views, norms
and motivations of the people on the ground who are directly
involved in the (violent) conduct of conflict.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:402
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EACH-FOR
The overall objective of the two-year Environmental Change and
Forced Migration Scenarios ( EACH-FOR) project is to provide
European policy makers, researchers, educators and the civil
sector with a greater understanding of the role of environmental
degradation and change in causing forced migration (both internal
and international) and its related societal consequences.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/category:49
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UNU-EHS and EACH-FOR co-organise the International Conference on
Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability (EFMSV)
In cooperation with UNU-EHS the project on Environmental Change
and Forced Migration Scenarios (EACH-FOR ) will be hosting the
International Conference on Environment, Forced Migration and
Social Vulnerability (EFMSV) from 9-11 October 2008 in Bonn, Germany.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/article:454
Read more about the conference: http://www.efmsv2008.org
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Quo Vadis Aquifers Programme
The Quo Vadis Aquifers (QVA) Programme is a joint activity of the
United Nations University and the International Hydrological
Programme of UNESCO. It proposes to address, through research and
capacity development projects and activities, the links between
groundwater resources degradation and human security.
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/category:52


UNU in the Press

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DER SPIEGEL ; 7 Januar 2008
Read more: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/category:22