Major Group: Science & Technology
Thank you Madam Chair
The Science and Technology Community would like to draw attention to the
need for integrated land and water management as it was introduced by a
number of other speakers by their references to Sustainable Land and
Water Management. Trends such as climate change, urbanization, and the
expanding use of water rights trading make action on this issue
increasingly urgent. Policy for land must recognize and provide
stewardship for water which is stored on and in the land. For example,
policies dealing with deforestation must consider the impacts of land
conversion on changes in evapotranspiration regimes, erosion rates and
the associated increases in sedimentation and impacts on runoff.
As a community, scientists are developing tools for monitoring and
predicting land cover change in all parts of the world including
developing countries. We have improved our understanding of the
consequences of climate change for land and water and the means to adapt
to these effects. Furthermore, the Science and Technology Community is
assisting in the development of the Global Earth Observing System of
Systems. However, for Sustainable Development to provide the full range
of benefits from these developments it is necessary that:
1) Stronger support be given to scientific research and
observing technologies that are focused on the information needs on
integrated and sustainable land and water management,
2) The Science and Technology community should be invited to
be an active participant in the development of integrated land and water
management policies and strategies,
3) Partnerships including North-South partnerships and intersector
partnerships, such as the Science and Technologies partnership
with Farmers, are formed to ensure our understanding and technologies
are transformed into appropriate technologies that can be applied in the
developing world for improved land and water management,
4) The Sustainable Development Community provide guidance on
the development of the national components of the Global Earth Observing
System of Systems, and
5) Support for the capacity building be strengthened to enable
all peoples of the world to effectively use and contribute to the Earth
Observation systems.
Thank you for letting us submit even though there wasn't time for our
comments in the main session.
The Science and Technology Community would like to draw attention to the
need for integrated land and water management as it was introduced by a
number of other speakers by their references to Sustainable Land and
Water Management. Trends such as climate change, urbanization, and the
expanding use of water rights trading make action on this issue
increasingly urgent. Policy for land must recognize and provide
stewardship for water which is stored on and in the land. For example,
policies dealing with deforestation must consider the impacts of land
conversion on changes in evapotranspiration regimes, erosion rates and
the associated increases in sedimentation and impacts on runoff.
As a community, scientists are developing tools for monitoring and
predicting land cover change in all parts of the world including
developing countries. We have improved our understanding of the
consequences of climate change for land and water and the means to adapt
to these effects. Furthermore, the Science and Technology Community is
assisting in the development of the Global Earth Observing System of
Systems. However, for Sustainable Development to provide the full range
of benefits from these developments it is necessary that:
1) Stronger support be given to scientific research and
observing technologies that are focused on the information needs on
integrated and sustainable land and water management,
2) The Science and Technology community should be invited to
be an active participant in the development of integrated land and water
management policies and strategies,
3) Partnerships including North-South partnerships and intersector
partnerships, such as the Science and Technologies partnership
with Farmers, are formed to ensure our understanding and technologies
are transformed into appropriate technologies that can be applied in the
developing world for improved land and water management,
4) The Sustainable Development Community provide guidance on
the development of the national components of the Global Earth Observing
System of Systems, and
5) Support for the capacity building be strengthened to enable
all peoples of the world to effectively use and contribute to the Earth
Observation systems.
Thank you for letting us submit even though there wasn't time for our
comments in the main session.