Spring 2014 Alumni Newsletter
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The Many Dimensions of Sustainable Development 


Dear Alumni,

 

As you know, every year we have a bioeconomy conference, where we invite leading thinkers in this field to UC Berkeley for two days. The basic idea behind the bioeconomy is that the transition to a sustainable system requires moving away from nonrenewable resources, like coal and oil, to sustainable forms of energy, like solar and biofuels. Additionally we have to move from chemistry based on petrochemicals to one based on biological innovations. In order to be able to produce biofuels and other biochemicals, we need to enhance our productivity so that we don't compromise the welfare of the poor by only allocating resources to produce biochemicals and fuels for the rich. The bioeconomy is about combining better use of biological resources.

 

 

 

In this issue:

NoureFood Losses and Waste: Challenges for the Mediterranean Food System Sustainability
by Dr. Noureddin Driouech (ELP 2012)

Food demand is likely to increase due to global demographic growth and changes in consumption patterns that are linked to increasing affluence of population, especially in emerging countries. In this regard, it is crucial to increase global food production in agriculture, animal husbandry, as well as forestry and fishery systems by almost 60% by 2050. This represents a great challenge for the current global food system as this should be done within the planetary boundaries and with minimum negative externalities not only on natural ecosystems but on social systems.

Read Full Article
AlexanderGamification in Sustainable Development
by Alexander Ischenco (ELP 2013)

Gamification is a concept of applying game design and mechanics to a non-game context. This is a psychology- and motivation-based approach used in many areas (education, entrepreneurship, innovation, research, etc.) to increase the motivation, engagement and contribution of the target audience, as well as achieve the necessary results through their active involvement. For instance, in this article you can read about how gamification is applied to research in various domains of science.
Read Full Article
SimonSustainable Land Management in the Lake Victoria Basin
by Simon Akwetaireho (ELP 2012)

As my 3 year tenure of working with the Jane Goodall Institute as a REDD+ Director was coming to an end, I got a new professional engagement in October 2013 as Community Development Specialist with the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP) being implemented in Uganda by Ministry of Water and Environment. LVEMP-II is an East African Community (EAC) regional initiative funded by the World Bank andcoordinated by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Secretariat headquartered in Kisumu, Kenya.
rhondaStephen Njodzeka Ndzerem: A Purposeful Visionary
by Rhonda Hardy (ELP 2010)

On first observation, Stephen Njodzeka Ndzerem appeared to be a quiet man who was totally engaged in learning. Stephen and I, along with 40 leaders from all over the world, were participating in the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program at the University of California, Berkeley - the class of 2010.

Read Full Article 
SonwaSustainable Development in the Congo Basin: Moving Beyond the Biodiversity Agenda
by Denis Sonwa (ELP 2010)

Forest biodiversity conservation has been the main environmental priority in central Africa. The bounds between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) seem to be strong with the REDD+. Some of the Aichi targets (5, 7, 11 & 15) of the CBD and the environmental safeguards of the REDD+ (UNFCCC) are good links between the 2 conventions. REDD+ has thus emerged as one way for biodiversity conservation in the Congo Basin.

Read Full Article

KieserThe Waste Management Project at
Waterfall Estate
by Kim Kieser (ELP 2009)

Living on a country estate with a river running through it has to be one of life's great pleasures - unless the river is choked with rubbish or is full of stagnant water that is infested with a million mosquitoes.

Careless humans or communities living without proper waste management and sanitation services can quickly turn a beautiful stretch of water into a smelly, dangerous mess. To prevent this from happening at Waterfall, the Estate managers are working with environmental health experts WET Africa to ensure that the Jukskei is returned to - and then remains - a thing of beauty.
Read Full Article
RahmanSocial and Environmental Change in Bangladesh: Integrated Social, Environmental and Engineering (ISEE) Model  
by Mohammed Mofizur Rahman (ELP 2013)
     and Sadia Afrin Nitu

Bangladesh's coastal environment is highly complex due to the ever changing nature of both its physical and social features. Recent changes include, for example, decreasing fresh-water sources and rapid growth of the coastal population. Bangladesh, which is a tectonically active delta, is one of the most densely populated coastal countries in the world; almost 40 million people currently live along the coast.As a result, Bangladesh is considered the world's third most vulnerable country to sea-level rise. The increased frequency of cyclones, extensive poldering and water logging add additional stresses to this poverty-prone landscape, leading to livelihood changes and/or population displacement.
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rosemaryThe Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) Dimension to Sustainability
by Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie (ELP 2013)

It is no secret that humanity faces an unprecedented crisis of global magnitude that threatens our viability and future sustainability on Planet Earth. In many parts of the Global North, we are suffering from the consequences of using up natural resources at a far higher rate than can be replenished. The production of many essential biological/physical resources has already peaked. Forest, fisheries and coral reefs are damaged and disappearing; soils are impoverished by over-cropping and the use of chemicals; diversity has been reduced by genetic manipulation; reserves of fresh water are diminishing and today over half of the world's population is facing critical water shortage.
Read Full Article
ELP ALUM UPDATES


Amleset Haile Abreha (Ethiopia, ELP 2012) has been selected by the African Women in Agricultural Research and development program (AWARD) Steering Committee as a 2014 AWARD Fellowship laureate. She is among the 70 impressive, talented, motivated women agricultural researchers chosen from among 790 applications for this two-year career-development program, which starts in early 2014. 
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