German-Indian Conference “Science for Sustainability
Some sixty German and Indian policy-makers and scientists came together and discussed energy and land use research and development at the second German-Indian Conference on Research for Sustainability. The event, entitled “Science for Sustainability – Driver for a Common Future”, was co-organized and hosted by the Vice Rectorate. It took place at the UN Campus, Bonn on 27 to 28 April 2009.
Based on both countries’ commitments to cross-border cooperation in science and technology, the conference identified priorities and research funding schemes as well as specific areas for Indo-German cooperation in Land Use and Energy Research and Development. The topics discussed at the conference included energy generation, supply, efficiency and consumption; land use governance; land use changes: biodiversity, sustainable forest management, sustainable agriculture; efficiency of water use in agriculture; securing food supply and income in rural areas.
Since internationally coordinated research agendas are essential to finding effective, sustainable solutions to the global challenges of the 21st century, the conference raised a central question: How should we organize future joint research?
“Issues are the same across the countries,” said Dr. Leena Srivastava, Executive Director of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India, referring to the fast growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). “We need to look at successful demonstration projects and structure cooperation on a different level, for example, first, information and experience sharing, and then improving and scaling up interventions.”
Interdisciplinary Approach
Concurring on the importance of systems thinking, the scientists stressed the need for the inclusion of the human dimension and an interdisciplinary approach in sustainability research.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India emphasized the prominent role of science and technology in sustainable development. They also reiterated their support for the establishment of an internationally coordinated research agenda as part of the Heiligendamm dialogue process as initiated by the G8+5 in 2007.
In September 2008 the Indian Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal, and the German Minister of Education and Research, Dr. Annette Schavan, signed a “Joint Declaration of Intent of Research Cooperation on Science for Sustainability”.
The dialogue “Sustainable Solutions – Science for Sustainability” is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the framework of this initiative, BMBF has started the dialogue processes with five emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. UNU-ViE facilitates the dialogues with the five countries in cooperation with the International Bureau of BMBF.
The proceedings of the conference soon will appear in the series “Science for Sustainability” published by BMBF and on the project website: http://www.dialogue4s.de.