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Spring 2015 Alumni Newsletter
Climate Change - COP 20 in Lima and Beyond
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We welcome you to our first
peer-reviewed Beahrs ELP Alumni Newsletter!
A sincere thank you to the first ever Beahrs ELP Alumni Newsletter
Editorial Committee for their active support and contribution to this newsletter.
The committee comprises of alums from the 2014 cohort.
Gbolagade Akeem Lameed (Nigeria), and Roger Jay L. De Vela
(Philippines) were the three editors of this newsletter. The remaining members will review the articles for the upcoming Summer 2015 newsletter.
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Dear ELP-ers,
I hope 2015 has taken off to a good start for all of you and I wish everyone a wonderful year ahead. This year we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Beahrs ELP. As we continue to have more cohorts, the number of interested applicants is not declining and the alumni network is growing. Hence, we are moving towards sustainability and will stay around for a long time. While our agenda and faculty and staff are evolving, one topic has caught our attention since the very first day - Climate Change. Read full article
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ELP alumni reunite at Lima COP 20!
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(Left to Right)
Monica Ribadeneira Sarmiento, Ecuador (ELP 2014), Monica Nuñez Salas, Peru (ELP 2014),
Serge J. Nsengimana, Rwanda (ELP 2009),
Sara Mateo, Peru (ELP 2006)
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In December 2014, I took part in the UN Conference of the Parties (COP20) in Lima as a journalist, writing for the Russian and international media. This was already the 7th UN climate conference for me since I have been taking part in the negotiations either as a journalist or as an observer since the COP in Poznan, 2008.
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by Denis J. Sonwa (ELP 2010), Cameroon
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One of the main outputs of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) COP 20 in Lima is the significant progress on recognizing the importance of adaptation when responding to climate change. The National Adaptation Plan process had gained more interest and will be given more visibility in the UNFCCC website.
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Almost everybody has heard the phrase "I have a dream"; most of us know what it is about. What's more, some of us consider that the great speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. is, indeed, a masterpiece. This masterpiece was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial as the final step of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
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In 2010, Mexico hosted the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) on climate change, working with its international partners to achieve the Cancun Agreements regarding mitigation pledges, a Green Climate Fund, a technology mechanism and a framework on adaptation, among others. To the world public opinion, those Agreements represented a significant step forward in the global response to the climate concern.
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The Climate-Human-Wildlife Nexus
by Gbolagade A. Lameed (ELP 2014), Nigeria |
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The characteristics and interactions of habitats, wildlife, and human beings in order to achieve human development goals have been a major challenge in resource management. Such social behavior is described as a nexus of people living together in social groups. Birds, fish, and land-based animals are all under the threat of habitat and climate alteration due to human actions and reactions.
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by Sayed Hashmat (ELP 2004), Afghanistan
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Afghanistan is one of the countries that is located in central part of Asia. It is bordered by Iran on the west, Pakistan on the east and south, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan on the north and China in the north east. Its capital is Kabul. Afghanistan is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its total area is about 647,497 sq. km. War in Afghanistan during the late 20th century, caused substantial population displacement with millions of refugees fleeing into Pakistan and Iran.
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Game with Impact
by Alexander Iscenco (ELP 2013), Moldova |
"The CO2 level rises as never before..." "Our ignorance of climate change issues will become our doom..." "We need urgent action NOW, or else there might be no LATER for our children..." These are just some of the many calls for urgent climate actions spreading on-line before and during the global climate negotiations, COP 20, in Lima. As you can see, the general tone of such messages is the one of warning - that unless we do something now, we can expect a rather grim and apocalyptic future.
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Some of the biggest challenges the world is facing hinge on the growing scarcity and allocation of resources vital to sustaining life - water, energy and food. Food, water and energy security are finally being recognized as the most important national and international security issues. To make enough food to support a growing population, we need more water & energy.
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When I started teaching Environmental Law at the University of San Carlos - College of Law in Cebu City, Philippines, I had to ask myself how I should be as a teacher: one who terrorizes, by forcing students to know the laws by heart or one who inspires. However, I chose the latter and I am very happy with the results.
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Many of the environmental challenges we face today - fire response, energy distribution, efficient resource allocation, food scarcity, and climate change - are associated with big spatial data. Tackling these challenges requires the understanding of Spatial Data Science. UC Berkeley is organizing a Spatial Data Science Bootcamp for professionals in May 2015, to enable participants sharpen their GIS skills and learn to integrate open source and web-based solutions into their GIS toolkit.
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