Science, Assessment & Monitoring

Global Climate Observing System Steering Committee Convenes [viewed]

17 October 2008: The sixteenth session of the Global Climate

Observing System (GCOS) Steering Committee took place from 14-17 October 2008,

in Geneva, Switzerland. The GCOS Steering Committee is a group of experts

selected for their personal expertise and appointed jointly by the GCOS

sponsoring organizations – the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the

International Council for Science (ICSU) – to formulate the overall concept and

scope of GCOS and to provide scientific and technical guidance to the

sponsoring and participating agencies for the planning, implementation and

further development of GCOS. Committee members were presented with an overview

of key activities over the past year and with feedback from sponsors regarding

future development of GCOS.

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Global Climate Observing System Steering Committee Convenes [viewed]

17 October 2008: The sixteenth session of the Global Climate

Observing System (GCOS) Steering Committee took place from 14-17 October 2008,

in Geneva, Switzerland. The GCOS Steering Committee is a group of experts

selected for their personal expertise and appointed jointly by the GCOS

sponsoring organizations – the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the

International Council for Science (ICSU) – to formulate the overall concept and

scope of GCOS and to provide scientific and technical guidance to the

sponsoring and participating agencies for the planning, implementation and

further development of GCOS. Committee members were presented with an overview

of key activities over the past year and with feedback from sponsors regarding

future development of GCOS.

read more »

Global Climate Observing System Steering Committee Convenes [viewed]

17 October 2008: The sixteenth session of the Global Climate

Observing System (GCOS) Steering Committee took place from 14-17 October 2008,

in Geneva, Switzerland. The GCOS Steering Committee is a group of experts

selected for their personal expertise and appointed jointly by the GCOS

sponsoring organizations – the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the

International Council for Science (ICSU) – to formulate the overall concept and

scope of GCOS and to provide scientific and technical guidance to the

sponsoring and participating agencies for the planning, implementation and

further development of GCOS.

read more »

European Forest Week Discusses Role of Wood Products in Climate Change Mitigation [viewed]

European Forest Week 2008 21 October 2008: A policy dialogue took place on 21 October

2008, at UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome,

Italy, on the role of wood products and forests in climate change mitigation

and greenhouse gas balances. The event was one of several taking place as part

of European Forest Week 2008, which is being held from 20-24 October 2008.

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WMO Fourth International Workshop on Monsoons Opens in Beijing [viewed]

World Weather Research Programme (WWRP)

20 October 2008: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Fourth International Workshop on Monsoons is taking place from 20–25 October

2008, in Beijing, China. The workshop is part of the WMO major quadrennial

symposia and workshops series under the World Weather Research Programme

(WWRP).

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FAO/IAEA Highlight Role of Nuclear Technology in Developing Climate-Resilient Crops [viewed]

New Plant Varieties Developed to Thrive Despite Climate Change 19 October 2008: On World Food Day, celebrated on 18

October, the Joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Division of Nuclear techniques in Food and

Agriculture (NAFA) highlighted the role of nuclear technology in developing new

crop varieties that can withstand climate-induced external stress, such as

drought, and thereby contributing to achieving sustainable food security.

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UN Fourth Committee Underscores the Value of Shared Space Technologies as a Disaster Management Tool [viewed]

15 October 2008: The UN Fourth Committee (Special Political

and Decolonization) concluded its general debate on international cooperation

in the peaceful uses of outer space with a broad agreement on the value of

shared space technologies as a tool for sustainable development and disaster

management.

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UNESCO and IAEA Convene Symposium on Ocean Acidification [viewed]

16 October 2008: The second symposium on “The Ocean in a

High CO2 World” convened from 6-9 October 2008, at the Oceanography Museum of

Monaco, sponsored by, inter alia, the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research,

the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific

and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), and the International Atomic Energy

Agency's (IAEA) Marine Environmental Laboratory.

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UN Fourth Committee: Space Technologies Indispensable to Tackle Challenges of Climate Change [viewed]

14 October 2008: During the debate on international

cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space by the Fourth Committee (Special

Political and Decolonization) of the 63rd General Assembly, Ciro Arévalo Yepes,

Chairman of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, underscored the

role space technology could play in addressing climate change, food security

and health.

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UNESCO and WMO Organize International Conference on Water Resources and Climate Change in the MENA Region [viewed]

Water Resources and Climate Change in the MENA Region October 2008: The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and

Water Resources, Sultanate of Oman, and the Regional Centre on Urban Water

Management, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, in cooperation with the World

Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) and other partners, are organizing the International

Conference on Water Resources and Climate Change in the Middle East – North

Africa (MENA) Region, which will take place from 2-4 November 2008, Muscat,

Oman.

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