AIACC Global Kick-off Meeting

Region Breakout Summary: Asia and the Pacific
AIACC Coordination Discussion __ Feb 14, 2002 __ Discussion Chair and Report Author: Dr. Rodel Lasco

1. Possible cross-project collaborations- what types? what steps?

• SE Asia project: hydrological scenario generation (AS07 will sponsor with participants from AS06 and AS21)- May 2002
• Technical assistance by AS25 to AS07 (on Tibet)
• Collaboration between AS06 and AS25 (regional workshop?)
• Integrated assessment models from Pacific islands (PI) of interest to AS 06, AS 12, AS 21 (logistics for training?)
• Workshop/training on integrated modeling should be explored with PI as lead (logistics?; differing needs)
• Comparative studies; cross-site visits
• Joint proposals involving several countries (how to implement?)
• Dissemination of results: synthesis activity (e.g. thru ESCAP)

Issues and recommendations to enhance collaboration

• Institutional description should be provided including relevant experience
• AIACCC should collaborate with other institutions
• Utilize the START network
• APN should be part of AIACC (source of funding)
• Inter-projects workshop
• AIACC network for agriculture and water should be utilized
• Tap other networks in the Asian region for joint workshops

2. Roles of regional mentors

• Technical assistance on: uncertainty, downscaling, data generation, etc.
• Assistance in paper publication
• Support for social dimension and uncertainty (AS12) and risks (AS06) needed

Issues and recommendations

• How they are going to work with individual projects? (e.g. e-mail, site visits, trouble-shooting
• Can projects have access to software for free?
• Where will funds for mentoring come from?
• Request support from AIACC if needed

3. Measures of success

a) Individual project

• Policy recommendations adopted by governments or stakeholders
• Expected outputs for each project met
• Publications (national, regional)
• When team members become recognized as experts in their respective countries
• When the project serve as seedbed for additional projects (measure: additional projects)

b) AIACC as a whole

• Publications (international)
• Citations in FAR, IPCC
• Capacity building (measures- researchers’ capacity developed; etc.)
• Policy implications today: how to manage critical challenges (e.g. hazards)
• Contribution to the UNFCCC process

4. Products/outputs from AIACC

• Good literatures, books, news, popular programs
• Policy support: simulation tools
• See also "Measures" above

5. Regional workshops in 2003 and 2004

a) Objectives

• 2003: meeting and consultation with mentors
  - exchange experience and preliminary findings
  - introduce new methods/techniques/approach/tools developed by the projects
  - explore further collaboration between projects/countries
  - as outreach for national and/or regional audience (e.g. funding agencies)
  - training or workshop on integrated models
  - explore the possibility of holding this at the same time as World Water Forum (March 2003) or the IHDP, Open Science
  - Mongolia offered to host workshop (July-Sept 2003)
  
• 2004: discuss new project concepts/proposals
  - regional synthesis
  - outreach at regional level (e.g. funding agencies)
  - science and policy workshops (invite stakeholders such as policy makers, ministers, etc.)

b) How can they assure success of individual projects and AIACC?

• Mentors can help in editing papers (bring draft papers)

Others

• Mechanism for providing support for project teams who are invited to present papers in international workshops