"Adaptation to climate change has emerged as one of the most important concerns in the global development agenda. How we adapt, and the solutions we create to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change must be developed locally, while being supported by regional and global knowledge and experiences. For adaptation strategies to evolve locally, local human resources and technical capacities should be developed, particularly in the vulnerable regions of the world. This can be achieved through postgraduate education, where the necessary research can be conducted in partnership with implementing agencies and local communities.
Currently, the knowledge gap on adaptation is vast. Knowledge and expertise remains primarily at the international level and is failing to reach those in the developing world who need it most. Higher education institutions in developing countries do have a critical role to play. To enable this, closer cooperation is needed between higher education institutions, through partnerships, interdisciplinary research, student and faculty exchanges, and collaborative degree programs. These would connect stakeholders and support the sharing of experience and data necessary for effective adaptation in the Region."
Bearing strong belief expressed above, United Nations University has organised a three day conference about "Role of Higher Education in adapting for Climate Change" during 10-12 June in UNU, Tokyo. Organisation of this conference marks significant development because of new and very recent realisation to define the ‘Sustainability Science’ as an emerging discipline that seeks to understand the interactions within and between global, social, and human systems, the complex mechanisms that lead to the degradation of these systems, and the concomitant risks to human well-being and security.
It also seeks to provide the vision and methodology that will lead to the restoration global, social, and human systems. A particular challenge is how to transform the educational system and process to make this possible. The goal of sustainability education (Education for Sustainable Development, ESD) is to equip the younger generation with leadership skills, management capabilities, and the broad knowledge needed to create the new systems that can lead to global sustainability.
To remain open for redefining our traditional concept of sustanibility is very crucial. This urgency has been amified by Uncertainty in Climate Change. Garry D. Brewer in his analysis has dealt with probable Uncertainties involved of every conceivable sort.(Inventing the future: scenarios, imagination, mastery and control published in Sustainibility Science of Springer in 2007) He says, "As the time frame into the future extends, uncertainties essentially dominate conventional theories, tools, experiences, habits, processes, and so forth. The scientific consensus linking human activity to climate change is now all but settled according to The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The consensus says little, however, about who should be doing what and for what reasons under this singular, even unique circumstance. There are no data about the future on which to rely. We are challenged to imagine many different and possible “futures” as humankind seeks to exert its mastery and control."
Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Vice Rector of UNU and Director of Institute for Sustanibility and Peace is one of the founding architect of this new thinking. He explains how the new approach of 'Sustanibility Science' which is also a Journal edited by him, can change our traditional perspective of problem solving.In current mode of addressing specific problems we are adopting piecemeal approaches. However considering the massive complex problems of Climate Change we should adopt holistic approached discussed above.
The Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science of the University of Tokyo (IR3S-http://en.ir3s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ir3s)is established with active partnership with UNU after emerging consensus that existing academic inquiries based on the traditional reductionism are not adequate for resolving our complex and intertwining contemporary problems, and therefore we need some form of "structuring of knowledge" in order to overcome these problems. Sustainability is typical of issues that require the application of "structured knowledge. Hiroshi Komiyama, Executive Director, IR3S maintains that the IR3S will promote education and research in Asia, which in every sense holds the key to understanding and solving these pressing problems.
The Conference stressed on developing coping strategies through different novel initiatives in Higher Education. The different speakers emphasised need to adopt Adaptation strategies which are Anticipatory, Public and Planned. In this regard new role of Social Scientists was debated. The ability of intellectual and leadership community to cope stress and change will be decisive factor in responding to the UNCERTAINTIES of Climate Change. There was vigorous discussion about how to develop capability by fostering new alliances of more and more platforms of interdisciplinary research. There is urgent need to start new wave of research partnership with development agencies. This will really help affected communities to recieve information, guidance and vision from Development agencies to deal with the crisis in real time situation. In this respect role of higher education becomes extremely critical as it is the primary source to provide the wise leadership and knowledgeble courage to develop the gravity of perspective.
Going ahead in coming days Concept of Sustainable Innovation is bound to be discussed again and again. Sustainable Innovation is being looked from the prism of Environmentally and socially creative ways of expanding productivity and creating economic opportunities. Sustainable innovation means balancing our developmental needs with our planet’s ecosystems and environmental limits over the long term (without compromising the needs of future G).This type of innovation inclueds Functionality, Efficiency, Aesthetics, Minimal Cost and so on...
The principal elements of this new orientation to Innovation will be 1)Guiding technologies to create opportunities for jobs and income for all in a sustainable manner, 2)Belieivng that innovations can create opportunities to fight poverty and improve quality of life, 3)Exploring the possibilities of innovations to lower ecological footprint, especially carbon footprint on our planet,4)Developing a concerted global compact to develop and use clean and zero emission technologies and 5)To visualise new probablities of Transfer and diffusion of such technologies in LDCs by using appropriate local knowledge.
So, there is New Innovation Dynamics emerging in times ahead !!!
Prof. Govindan Pariyal whoi is Director of Institute of Advance Studies believes that this new dynamics hopefully will bridge the gap between science and research with societal needs (social & technical innovation). New approach has tremendous potential to sustainably bridg downstream applications to ustream research discoveries. It is increasingly believed that moving beyond price signals for market clearance, let innovation to its evolutionary selection mode. It is clear that private sector will not allocate resources under the existing incentives structures without the visible hand of the government & civil society. Therefore there is need of bold taxation and regulatory measures. So, 'Open innovation' and 'user-producer interactions in manufacturing processes' are the biggest buzzwords of new century.
In coming postings we hope to discuss these issues in detail. Till then; have a pleasant feel of Monsoon in India !!!
