The 41st Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Executive Council took place in Paris from 24 June-1 July 2008,  at a significant point in its history: in 2010 IOC will be 50 years old. Delegates at the meeting explored various ways in which the milestone could be marked, including moving its annual meeting that year to the UN in New York and holding a series of regional and international conferences. We will be considering what to do within the UK.

A book will also be produced recounting the important achievements of IOC over its first half-century of work. Not only will this enable the community to look back and see how IOC contributed to the development and coordination of international marine science, but it is hoped that by looking ahead it will enthuse the next generation of oceanographers as they face the new challenges posed by the subject. David Pugh, member of the UK delegation and past chairman of the IOC, is a co-editor of the book.
 
At the IOC Executive Council, Member States also considered a working group report on IOC's role within the intergovernmental system. They endorsed the view that, for the foreseeable future, IOC should remain within UNESCO and opportunities should be taken to reinforce UNESCO's position as the UN specialized body dealing with ocean science and ocean services and, as recognised in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), its role as the "competent international organization" in these fields.

IOC also faces a significant change in personnel with the retirement of its Executive Secretary, Patricio Bernal, on 31 December 2009. Delegates were informed of the appointment procedures and were asked to encourage applications from good candidates.

Copies of the UK delegation's report of the meeting are available from Anne Brazier (abb@noc.soton.ac.uk).

As part of a ten-year periodic review, Defra commissioned a report on the social, economic and environmental benefits of biosphere reserves in the UK. The consultant's report - published in 2008 - concluded that biosphere reserves have a lot of unrealised potential to be demonstrations of sustainable development on a regional scale. Defra has also commissioned a second report as part of the ten-year periodic review to consider the individual positions of 'dormant' biosphere reserves in the UK (which do not currently comply with 1995 Seville criteria). Stakeholder consultations are being undertaken in each and initial meetings suggest that there is enthusiasm among local stakeholders in almost all of the dormant reserves for pursuing the 'new-style Biosphere Reserve' accreditation already achieved by Braunton Burrows in North Devon and hopefully soon in Dyfi Valley, Wales.

For a copy of the Defra-commissioned report visit Defra's website at the following link.

A new documentary filmed in North Devon and Malindi in Kenya shows the impact climate change is bringing to these two Biosphere Reserve coasts and communities.  The documentary has been produced by TV Trust for the Environment (TVE) and commissioned by UNESCO for broadcast on BBC World News.
The North Devon Biosphere Reserve coverage features recent research on coastal evolution on the Taw Torridge estuary and the dunes systems at either side of the river mouth.  A wide range of local people were interviewed, giving a diverse spectrum of views about the problems and solutions for changing coasts.  The Kenyan Biosphere Reserve angle looks at some of the changes the community are witnessing that can be attributed to climate change, and exploring the development of their solutions and how UK science can help.
 
The documentary's expected release date is March. Further details will be posted on the UK National Commission for UNESCO website in due course.

For more information about the North Devon-Malindi Biosphere Reserve twinning project, contact Andy Bell (andrew.bell@devon.gov.uk).

Professor Alan Jenkins (Chair of the UK UNESCO IHP National Committee and Water Science Director at CEH Wallingford) has been invited to join a UNESCO IHP Expert Panel on water quality. The Panel will serve as a scientific advisory group and provide support for the implementation and the coordination of IHP-7 (IHP's strategy for 2008-13) activities on water quality, including the identification of key issues and priorities.

Two senior staff of the UNESCO Division of Water Sciences visited Wallingford in July 2008 to discuss UK input to the 7th phase of the International Hydrology Programme (IHP). Professor Shahbaz Khan, Chief of the Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management Section, and Professor Siegfried Demuth, Chief of the Hydrological Processes and Climate Section, presented a seminar to staff of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and British Geological Survey as well as members of the UK Committee for National and International Hydrology. Further discussions with Professor Alan Jenkins focused on the UK contribution to IHP-7 Implementation Plan and particularly science to support the HELP, FRIEND, International Flood Initiative and International Sediment Initiative Programmes.

2008 saw the introduction of a new mode of operation for the International Geosciences Programme (IGCP). UNESCO and the Programme's co-sponsor IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) have identified five broad themes of particular concern for civil society and for the less developed countries,  which will direct programme content: Geoscience and the Water Cycle; Geohazards and mitigation of risk; Earth resources and sustainability; Global change and the evolution of life; and Deep Earth: how it controls our environment.
 
These themes take up about 70% of the annual project budget, leaving 30% for other proposals described as "annual topics of interest", thus retaining a degree of IGCP's traditional 'response mode of operation'. While it remains to be seen how geoscientists familiar with the earlier structure will respond to these changes in the short term, it is thought that the ultimate result will be enhanced concentration on science issues of considerable societal concern and more focused capacity building by way of more training workshops and other formal inputs as part of conferences with venues in the less developed countries. A recent increase in IUGS' annual contribution to the Programme should sustain the move towards fewer but better-financed projects on major Earth science themes.
 
In 2008, UK earth scientists provided the leadership/co-leadership of 12 projects, which is about one third of the current total.

(image: IGCP Project 521, October 9, 2008, led by
V. Yanko-Hombach (Canada), Y. Yilmaz (Turkey)
and P. Dolukhanov (UK). Coastal dunes of
the Caraorman littoral formation (2 km from Caraorman
village, west coast of the Black Sea, Romania)

 


In line with the Geological Society's decadal strategy (2007), which aims to maintain and strengthen links with a number of international institutions including IGCP, the ERC in its role as IGCP National Committee will observe with interest the operation of the re-structured programme, publicise widely the annual call for project proposals and continue to administer and publicise the UK-IGCP conference grant programme.