News & Events

Fri Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Map of coastal proximity zones in South America. PLACE III provides land area and urban and rural population estimates for people living within 200km, 100km, 10km, or 5km of their country’s coastline.

Version 3 of the Population, Landscape, and Climate Estimates data set (PLACE III) has been released as part the National Aggregates of Geospatial Data Collection, produced by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN. PLACE III provides national-level estimates of resident population and land area in relation to the environmental characteristics of their location (for example, by biome, climate zone, coastal proximity, and elevation) in a tabular format. Population estimates are available for 1990, 2000, and 2010 for 232 statistical areas (countries and other territories recognized by the United Nations). New features in version 3 are separate estimates for urban and rural populations and a pivot table to facilitate data selection and analysis.

The PLACE III data set is especially useful for those who are not familiar with specialized geospatial software and methods. The data set is organized so that users can quickly find the specific countries and variables of interest. It may be downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet or as a comma-separated file (CSV) that can be opened by any text editor. Spreadsheet users may filter data by country, urban or rural classification, and other categories such as geoRegion (a geographic entity defined by the UN, similar to continent), geoSubregion (regions smaller than continents but larger than countries), and income group or lending category (World Bank global classifications of poverty and lending attractiveness).

Population and land area estimates have been generated for a variety of themes, including biomes of the world, climate classifications and predictions, elevation levels, distance from the coast, and population density zones. PLACE III facilitates comparative research at the national level by providing access to a range of useful summary variables on such questions as approximately how many people live within 10 kilometers of the coastline in South American countries; roughly how many rural Africans live in deserts and xeric shrublands; or how populations are distributed by elevation in southern Asia. Data from previous versions of PLACE have been used and cited in a number of scientific articles in both the natural and social sciences.

See: Population, Landscape, and Climate Estimates (PLACE III)

Thu Oct 11 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Robert Downs, CIESIN senior digital archivist, participated in the 2012 Microsoft eScience Workshop, eScience in Action, which was held October 9–10 in conjunction with the IEEE International Conference on eScience, in Chicago. The workshop is an annual forum for scientists to share their experiences and expertise with the academic, research, and technology communities, identify key challenges, and develop collaborations. Downs gave a presentation on “Teaching Scientific Data Management in Data Science Education and Workforce Development Programs for Science Communities.” The workshop included the announcement of the winner of the 2012 Jim Gray eScience Award, Antony John Williams of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

See: Microsoft eScience Workshop 2012

Mon Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Students from the greater metropolitan area take in a live demonstration of the National Priority List (NPL) Superfund Footprint Mapper, given by CIESIN senior research associate Meredith Golden at the 2012 Lamont-Doherty Open House held in Palisades, New York, October 6. Golden led the project to develop the mapping tool, with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

CIESIN has participated for more than a decade in the annual Lamont-Doherty Open House, a free event held at the Lamont campus of Columbia University in Palisades, New York. This year's Open House, held Saturday, October 6, attracted more than 3,800 visitors from the greater New York metropolitan area and beyond. CIESIN exhibits included posters on environmental performance trends; the new release of the Population, Landscape, and Climate Estimates dataset; rainfall variability in relationship to climate change; and the National Priority List (NPL) Superfund Footprint Mapper, which was also available online for visitors to try. Mark Becker, CIESIN associate director for geospatial applications, gave two sessions on the Change Viewer, an online tool for mapping climate change, population, and health data, geared to K–12 teachers and students as well as to the general public.

See: Lamont-Doherty Annual Open House

Fri Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN, together with collaborators at the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (YCELP) and the Asian Institute for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (AIEES) of Seoul National University, held a workshop, "Towards the Next Generation of Air Quality Monitoring," from October 4–5 in Seoul, South Korea. The workshop convened leading experts in monitoring and measurement of key pollutants—particulate matter, ozone, persistent organic pollutants, and mercury—to discuss strategies for building more effective monitoring systems. The ultimate goal is to link these measurement methods with integrated indicators that can help policy makers to understand the scope of the problem and put in place policies that will reduce air pollution. Representing CIESIN, senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin gave a presentation on air quality measurements used in the Environmental Sustainability Index and Environmental Performance Index.

Thu Oct 04 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Two new scientific data initiatives at national and international levels were the focus of meetings held October 1–3 in Arlington, Virginia and October 4-5 in Boulder, Colorado. CIESIN director Robert Chen participated in the first event, a planning meeting of the Research Data Alliance, a proposed new international initiative aimed at accelerating international data-driven innovation and discovery. The Alliance, which is expected to be formally launched in March 2013, is working to identify international partnerships and activities that would facilitate research data sharing and exchange, data discovery, use, and re-use, and coordination and harmonization of standards.

CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs attended the second event, a National Science Foundation (NSF) principal investigator meeting for EarthCube, a NSF initiative to develop community-guided cyberinfrastructure to integrate data and information for knowledge management across the Geosciences. Held at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) of the University of Colorado, the meeting brought together representatives from the geoscience research and education communities to discuss the development of EarthCube. Downs served as the co-facilitator and co-presenter, with Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for a session on Education, Outreach, and Social Systems. He is also the lead of EarthCube’s Education and Workforce Development special interest group.

See: Research Data Alliance meeting information
       EarthCube Web site
       EarthCube PI Meeting Agenda

Wed Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy was among the respondents in a panel discussion on the environment, natural resources, and peacebuilding, held by the Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR) October 2 at Columbia University's Morningside Campus. Scholars from CICR, which is part of the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, School of International Public Affairs (SIPA), presented papers on land conflict in Morocco; conflicts between mining companies and local communities in Peru; and potential conflict from water-related risks in China.

Tue Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo participated in the African Regional Implementation Workshop on Hazards and Disasters, held September 26–27 in Dakar, Senegal. This workshop was the latest in a series of intensive workshops on hazards and disaster risk management organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Program. Adamo was invited to help present recommendations from the Latin America regional workshop held September 3-5 in Buenos Aires. Previous workshops in the series included the Global-Regional Integration on Natural Hazards and Disasters workshop held September 13-14 in Kuala Lumpur, and a national workshop for Argentina held July 31 in Buenos Aires.

Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) has recently updated three major data sets and released two new data sets on key interdisciplinary topics. The updated data sets are the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), the 2011 Natural Resource Management Index (NRMI), and the third version of the Population, Landscape and Climate Estimates (PLACE III). To complement the 2012 EPI, the new Pilot Trend Performance Index was developed to track national-level changes in environmental performance from 2000 to 2010. Another new historical time series data set is Anthropogenic Sulfur Dioxide Emissions, 1850-2005, developed by Steven Smith and colleagues from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These data sets are now available through SEDAC’s improved Web site, which incorporates additional data search and access functions and map and visualization tools.

The 2012 EPI ranks 132 countries, using 22 indicators in ten major policy categories including air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity, and forest management. The 2011 NRMI focuses more narrowly on natural resource management issues, and is used as one of a basket of indicators by the Millennium Challenge Corporation in assessing country eligibility for development assistance. PLACE III is a tabular data set providing national-level aggregates of territorial extent and population size by biome, climate zone, coastal proximity and elevation. It now includes separate estimates for urban and rural populations and a pivot table to facilitate selection and analysis.

SEDAC makes a range of interdisciplinary data sets available for free to support interdisciplinary research, applications, and education. As part of NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), SEDAC works to enhance the value of NASA’s remote sensing data and information by disseminating complementary socioeconomic and environmental data and creating value-added integrated data products and services.

See: SEDAC Web site

Fri Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN will again participate in the annual Lamont-Doherty Open House Saturday, October 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Lamont Campus of Columbia University in Palisades, New York. The Open House was begun several decades ago to educate and inform the general public, teachers, and students of all ages. Research facilities will be open and tents set up over several acres of the campus, offering diverse scientific exhibits, hands-on demonstrations, lectures, and other activities organized by hundreds of scientists, staff, and students from Columbia’s Earth Institute. CIESIN’s exhibits this year will include a live demonstration of the CHANGE viewer, a tool for mapping climate change prediction data and population information; posters and demonstrations about other CIESIN projects, tools, and data; and a hands-on mapping game for children. The Open House is suitable for individuals of all ages. “Kid friendly” exhibits will be specially identified. For more information or directions, see the Lamont-Doherty Web site.

See: Lamont-Doherty Annual Open House

Fri Sep 21 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Coordinated management of scientific data used in assessing climate change impacts, adaptation, vulnerability, and mitigation is the primary focus of an international team established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA). At the TGICA's 18th meeting, hosted September 18–20 by the Voeilov Main Geophysical Observatory in St. Petersburg in the Russian Federation, the TGICA reviewed current efforts to archive and disseminate the latest outputs from dozens of climate models, to develop consistent socioeconomic and emission scenarios for use in the IPCC's Fifth Assessment, and to update and expand the IPCC Data Distribution Centre (DDC). CIESIN director Robert Chen, in his capacity as an ex officio member of the TGICA and co-manager of the DDC, led discussions at the meeting on data needs of the international research community, approaches to data attribution, and development of regional entry points to the DDC. Senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing also participated in the meeting to help plan changes to the DDC, which is co-managed by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN.

See: IPCC Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis
       IPCC Data Distribution Centre

Wed Sep 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Every year NASA conducts a survey of users of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) to assess their satisfaction with the data, tools, and support provided by EOSDIS data centers and services. SEDAC, the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center operated by CIESIN, is one of the NASA EOSDIS centers evaluated by the survey. A limited number of SEDAC data users received an email invitation in early September from the CFI Group on behalf of NASA, asking them to participate in an anonymous, Web-based survey about the quality and utility of SEDAC products and services, and the ease of access to SEDAC resources. The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and optional comment fields are provided to address user concerns. SEDAC users who have not yet received an invitation directly are welcome to contact the CFI Group at nasasurvey@cfigroup.com, providing an email address and self-identifying as a SEDAC data user. Invitations should not be forwarded to others, but others may be referred to the above email address.

Fri Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies often cross national boundaries and require coordinated international responses. However, scientific data and information, tools, and research on hazards, vulnerability, and management of risks are often developed by different scientific disciplines at national or local levels. Part of a series of workshops organized by the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) program of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina September 3-5 with the objective to increase regional cooperation between governments and research institutions and promote integrated research and applications on disaster risk. CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo participated in the workshop, giving a presentation on social vulnerability and co-leading a working group on the topic. Conclusions from the regional workshop will be presented at an upcoming global-regional integration workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in mid-September.

See: Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Management in Latin America and the Caribbean

Thu Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Bonn, Germany was the venue for the Second GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholders Workshop August 28-31, which addressed the theme of "Supporting Science for the Millennium Development Goals and Beyond." The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS), intended to improve access to and the use of Earth observations for a broad range of stakeholders. Alex de Sherbinin, senior research associate with CIESIN and deputy manager of the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), gave a presentation on spatial poverty assessments, drawing in part on poverty mapping and related data available from SEDAC. The workshop focused on contributions by the GEO community to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), featuring presentations and discussions on food and water security, natural disasters, and biodiversity and ecosystem services. A draft report is under development.

See: Second GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholders Workshop

Wed Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Scientific innovation and discovery increasingly depends on the development of robust computer infrastructure and networks for storing, accessing, analyzing, and visualizing rapidly growing amounts of scientific data. As different governments and organizations invest in such data infrastructures, there is wide recognition of the potential benefits of international coordination to promote data interoperability and common data management approaches, especially across scientific disciplines, national borders, and public and private sector boundaries. At a Symposium organized by the Board on Research Data and Information (BRDI) of the U.S. National Research Council in Washington DC August 29, Alan Blatecky of the National Science Foundation summarized plans for a new Data Web Forum (DWF) aimed at facilitating international development and coordination of scientific data infrastructures. Two panels then discussed these plans, one focused on the near-term scientific impacts of the DWF and the other on stakeholder communities in the DWF. CIESIN director Robert Chen was the first speaker in the second panel, which was moderated by BRDI co-chair Clifford Lynch of the Coalition for Networked Information. Further development of the concept is planned at two upcoming meetings in Arlington VA October 1-3, 2012.

See: BRDI Symposium on Global Scientific Data Infrastructures
       Scientific Data Exchange and Interoperability Meetings, October 1-3, 2012
      

Tue Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2012

A new interactive, online mapping application has been released that can display population and environmental characteristics near more than 1,700 Superfund sites across the United States—toxic waste areas identified by the federal government as requiring cleanup and monitoring under the Superfund program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund Footprint: Site, Population, and Environmental Characteristics Mapper permits a wide range of academic researchers, government regulators, and community stakeholders to visualize critical data about the area and inhabitants near sites and to better assess the vulnerability of affected populations for a variety of applications, such as health care assessments, land use planning, and environmental justice issues. The Mapper is unique compared to other environmental mapping services in that it focuses specifically on NPL Superfund sites and provides key demographic information on communities living within one and four miles of the actual site footprint. It is easy to use and does not require familiarity with geographic information systems. Novices may easily view the maps, generate data and new maps, and save or print their results.

The Mapper incorporates demographic, environmental, and infrastructure data from several sources, including the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), EPA, and the U.S. Department of Education, which provided college/university, public, and private school data for the entire country. Additional data from the Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and CIESIN are integrated into the application.

Designed by CIESIN as part of the Columbia University Superfund Research Program’s Research Translation Core, the Mapper was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) as a supplemental grant to the Columbia University Superfund Research Program on the Health Effects and Geochemistry of Arsenic and Manganese. CIESIN senior research associate Meredith Golden, who is co-PI of the Research Translation Core for the Columbia University Superfund Research Program, led development of the Mapper, with geographic information specialists Tricia Chai-Onn and Kytt MacManus, media designer Annie Gerard, and programmer Jim Carcone.

See: The NPL Superfund Footprint: Site, Population, and Environmental Characteristics Mapper

Tue Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Environmental change and scarcity was one of the non-traditional security threats discussed at the 8th annual Professional Training Course of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA), held 21-22 August at the International Peace Institute in New York City. CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy gave a guest lecture on the links between environmental change, scarcity, and conflict as part of the training course, which was aimed at senior UNDPA officials. The course focused on critical analysis of and effective responses to new threats and challenges, and the evolving institutional context for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

See: 8th Annual Professional Training Course: Responding to Non-Traditional Security Threats

Fri Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Geospatial data and services have become invaluable resources for many international organizations like the United Nations and its agencies. At the Second Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNCE-GGIM) held at UN Headquarters in New York City August 13-15, more than 180 representatives of member countries, UN bodies, and interested nongovernmental organizations met to coordinate and promote common practices, policies, mechanisms and standards for the interoperability of geospatial data and services. Associate director Mark Becker participated in the meeting as an observer representing CIESIN, which is a nongovernmental organization recognized by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Issues discussed at the meeting included preparation of a Global Map for Sustainability, adoption of a common global geodetic referencing system, development of regional spatial data infrastructures, and ethical issues related to the acquisition, distribution, and use of geospatial data.

Fri Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CyberGIS'12, the First International Conference on Space, Time, and CyberGIS, brought together a range of researchers, educators, and practitioners to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign August 6-9 to examine the state-of-the-art in developing cyberinfrastructure to advance geospatial sciences and technologies. CIESIN associate director Mark Becker was invited to participate in the Community Building session on the afternoon of August 6. Keynote speakers at the conference included Prof. Michael Goodchild, former chair of the User Working Group of the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN, and Daniel Atkins, who was the first director of the Office of Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation. The conference was hosted by the The CyberInfrastructure and Geospatial Information Laboratory (CIGI) at the University of Illinois and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

See: CyberGIS'12

Thu Aug 09 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo was one of more than 50 participants in a "National Workshop on Disasters, Risk Management and Vulnerability: Strengthening the Integration of Natural and Social Sciences with Managers" held in Buenos Aires July 31. The workshop addressed the need for a common and up-to date information system, available to all risk managers at the national, provincial and municipality levels, and for a national coordination strategy among different scientific and technical institutions and organizations for decision making in the event of natural disasters. Adamo addressed the issue of identifying and characterizing key indicators of social vulnerability to disasters in her presentation and led a working group on this topic. The workshop was organized by the National Directorate of Civil Protection and the National Research Council of Argentina, and sponsored by the Ministry of Interior and Transportation and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

See: Presentation on Social Vulnerability (in Spanish)

Tue Jul 31 00:00:00 EDT 2012

“Where the Rain Falls,” a project led by the development non-governmental organization CARE, working with the United Nations University (UNU) and CIESIN, has released a new set of case studies and associated maps examining the interplay between rainfall patterns, food security, and human mobility. Field research was conducted in eight countries—Bangladesh, India, Guatemala, Peru, Ghana, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam—using participatory research, household surveys, and expert interviews. The research aims to answer the question, Under what circumstances do households use migration as a risk management strategy in response to increasing rainfall variability and food insecurity?

This is the second time that CIESIN has partnered with CARE and UNU to produce maps that complement findings from ground-based research on climate change and migration. In 2009 they produced the maps and data visualizations for In Search of Shelter. The integration of data from multiple sources in visually attractive maps helps tell the story about migration in a way that written narratives alone cannot accomplish.

See: Where the Rain Falls Web site
       Map Viewer
       Map Collection

Mon Jul 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN staff members Robert Downs, Hans Bosch, Tricia Chai-Onn, and Sneha Rao participated in several different conferences around the country July 23–27. At the National Digital Stewardship Alliance meeting in Washington, D.C., Downs, senior digital archivist at CIESIN, presented a poster, “Testing the International Standard for Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories,” co-authored with CIESIN director Robert Chen. Bosch, senior operations manager in the Information Technology division, attended the Black Hat USA 2012 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, to keep abreast of the latest developments regarding Internet security and effective approaches to ensuring the reliability and integrity of online data and services. Chai-Onn and Rao, who are both geographic information specialists, joined nearly 15,000 participants at the 2012 ESRI International User Conference in San Diego, California. Chai-Onn presented a poster in the Esri Map Gallery, “In Your Own Backyard: Mapping Communities Near Superfund Sites.” Chai-Onn and Rao attended a meeting of the World-Wide Human Geography Data Working Group on July 27 at San Diego State University, focused on the topic of climate and natural disasters.

See: “Testing the International Standard for Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories” (460 KB PDF)
       “In Your Own Backyard: Mapping Communities Near Superfund Sites" (1.55 MB PDF)

Fri Jul 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012

An international group of multidisciplinary researchers and computer scientists met in Annapolis July 23–24 to discuss the visualization of socio-environmental systems, with examples drawn from urban design for sustainability and climate change to biodiversity conservation. The workshop was hosted by the recently established National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), a multi-year NSF synthesis center. CIESIN senior research associate and SEDAC deputy director Alex de Sherbinin presented a poster on CIESIN and SEDAC data visualization, using examples from the SEDAC map gallery, research on climate change and migration, the Environmental Performance Index, and the SEDAC map client. He also gave a short presentation on various SEDAC data products. Keynote presentations were given by Ben Schneiderman of University of Maryland and Stephen Sheppard of the University of British Columbia.

See: National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
       "Visualization of Geospatial and Indicator Data Produced by CIESIN and the NASA SEDAC" (3.36 MB PDF)

Fri Jul 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012

A training workshop on scientific data management and sustainable development was held in Beijing July 16–27 with fourteen participants from nine different countries in Asia and Africa. CIESIN director Robert Chen, associate director Mark Becker, senior digital archivist Robert Downs, and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing gave lectures during the workshop on a range of topics including data integration methods, data management and stewardship, and use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods. The workshop was organized by the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and hosted by the CAS Computer Network Information Center. CODATA president Huadong Guo of the CAS Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE) welcomed the group, and Robert Chen, in his capacity as CODATA secretary general, gave an introductory talk on CODATA's strategic role in international science.

Mon Jul 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Located in the southeast coastal city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang University is one of China's leading research universities, with internationally recognized programs in agricultural science, engineering, materials science, and chemistry. CIESIN director Robert Chen and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing visited the University July 20–21, hosted by the College of Environment and Resource Sciences and the College of Public Administration. Chen gave a seminar on the Earth Institute and CIESIN research to more than 50 faculty and students, mainly from institutes concerned with soil, water, agriculture, land use, and remote sensing. Their visit was organized by prof. Weiwen Zhang, deputy director of the Institute of Land Science and Real Estate Management in the College of Public Administration, who is currently a visiting scholar with the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development at Columbia.

Wed Jul 18 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) have launched a collaboration with the Institute of Earthquake Science (IES) of the China Earthquake Administration on earthquake monitoring and prediction, disaster prevention, and emergency response. A letter of agreement was signed in Beijing on July 13 by Ren Jinwei, director of IES, and by LDEO deputy director Art Lerner-Lam on behalf of LDEO director Sean Solomon and by CIESIN director Robert Chen. This was followed by an intensive three-day training seminar on data processing techniques for earthquake risk modeling and loss assessment. Lerner-Lam and Chen were joined by CIESIN associate director Mark Becker and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing as seminar instructors, providing lectures and hands-on training on geospatial processing techniques to 80 trainees, mostly from provincial earthquake response agencies from throughout China. Plans for future training sessions and collaborative activities are under discussion.

Tue Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Xiaoshi Xing of CIESIN lectures at the Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS at Peking University in Beijing, China on July 12, 2012.

On July 12, senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing gave a lecture at the Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS at Peking University in Beijing, China on the socioeconomic applications of night-time lights data. Xing illustrated selected uses of the unique remote sensing data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) available from the U.S. National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder CO. The lecture and discussion included applications related to land use and land cover change, urban development, population distribution, economic activity, carbon dioxide emissions, natural gas flaring, and disaster management.

Fri Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Associate research scientist Susana Adamo was a keynote speaker at the Social Work and Social Development: Action and Impact conference held in Stockholm July 8–12. The conference was jointly organized by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Adamo’s presentation, “Migration, Displacement, and Climate Change,” was related to “Migration in a Transforming World,” a sub-topic of the third day’s theme, “Global Social Transformation and Social Action.”

See: Social Work and Social Development: Action and Impact conference
       “Migration, Displacement, and Climate Change” keynote presentation

Tue Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Juliana Sampaio Farinaci and Moazzem Hossain gave “Brown Bag” presentations at CIESIN recently. On July 9, Moazzem Hossain, senior lecturer at the Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Australia, examined the impact of climate hazards on microfinance efforts in Bangladesh, where microfinancing to reduce poverty was pioneered. Hossain is the author of a chapter in the forthcoming book, Climate Change Effects and Energy Development in Bangladesh. On June 25, Farinaci, who is a collaborative researcher and post-doctoral Fellow at the Environmental Studies and Research Center (NEPAM), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil, discussed her ongoing research project on how a community can be resilient and re-organize itself in response to extreme floods. In 2008, Farinaci was a participant in a spatial data integration workshop at UNICAMP given by CIESIN senior research associate Alexander de Sherbinin and associate research scientist Susana Adamo.

CIESIN Brown Bags are informal lunchtime seminars given by invited experts and CIESIN’s own researchers, addressing a variety of interdisciplinary topics on sustainable development and related CIESIN work.

See: "Microfinance Helps Reduce Poverty in Bangladesh: Is Climatic Hazard Spoiling the Party?" (Abstract)
       “Response to Natural Disasters and Reorganization in Social-Ecological Systems from a Resilience Perspective…” (Abstract)

Thu Jun 21 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released its Fifth Global Environmental Outlook, a significant review and analysis of the states, trends, and outlook of the global environment, developed as a contribution to this week's 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy and Earth Institute Fellow Alexandra Morel were coordinating lead authors of chapter 1 of the report, which assessed the drivers of environmental change. Associate research scientist Susana Adamo was also a lead author of this chapter.

See: Fifth Global Environmental Outlook Report

Mon Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2012

One week before the opening of the "Rio+20" United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an international forum was held to call attention to the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in sustainable development. Held June 11–15 at the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio, the conference was organized by the International Council for Science (ICSU), in partnership with UNESCO, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. CIESIN associate research scientist Susana Adamo co-chaired a plenary session on Human Well-being and Population Change, in which she gave a presentation on “Migration, Environment and Development.” She also presented “Developing Global Socioeconomic Data Sets for Integration with Environmental Data" at a side event, “Sharing and Stewardship of Scientific Data for Improved Decision Making and Sustainable Development,” organized by the ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA). Among the featured events at the Forum was the launch of a new 10-year global initiative, “Future Earth.”

See: Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development

Sun Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012

EarthCube is an innovative effort by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to create a data and knowledge management system for the 21st Century. On June 12-15, a wide range of geoscientists, data scientists, and computer scientists gathered in Rosslyn, Virginia to participate in the second EarthCube Charrette, aimed at developing community-derived roadmaps for cyberinfrastructure to integrate data and information for knowledge management across the geosciences. CIESIN Senior Digital Archivist Robert Downs, together with Dr. Yan Xu of Microsoft Research, organized a Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) meeting of the EarthCube Special Interest Group (SIG) on Education and Workforce Development. Downs also reported on the educational challenges for EarthCube during the plenary session on 14 June.

See: EarthCube Initiative
       EarthCube SIG on Education and Workforce Development

Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012

A diverse group of social and natural scientists and practitioners gathered at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado June 12-14 for a Workshop on Defining, Measuring, and Communicating the Socioeconomic Benefits of Geospatial Information. Organized under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), this workshop followed up on two previous GEO workshops held in 2010 and 2011 with a focus on quantitative socioeconomic methodologies and metrics for assessing and communicating the value of geospatial information. CIESIN director Robert Chen gave a presentation on science perspectives on valuation of geospatial data in the concluding session on next steps. He was also a co-author of a poster presentation with CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs on "Assessing the Value of Data to Science and Applications." A key output of the workshop was a set of suggestions on how to develop a multidisciplinary "community of practice" that could contribute to a coordinated research program on valuation of geospatial data and information.

See: Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) 2012 Workshop

Tue Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Left to right: Elizabeth Moss, Robert Downs, and Hailey Mooney, with the poster on data citation they co-authored with others for IASSIST 2012.

Robert Downs, senior digital archivist at CIESIN, participated in IASSIST 2012, the 38th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Social Science Information Services and Technology. The meeting, which focused on the theme, "Data Science for a Connected World: Unlocking and Harnessing the Power of Information," was hosted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and held June 4–8 at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. On June 6, Downs gave a presentation, “Improving the Trustworthiness of an Interdisciplinary Scientific Data Archive," co-authored with CIESIN director Robert Chen. Downs also co-presented the poster, "Data Citation: IASSIST Takes Action!,” which was co-authored with Michelle Edwards of the University of Guelph, Michele Hayslett of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Barbara Mento of Boston College, Hailey Mooney of the Michigan State University Libraries, Elizabeth Moss and Mary Vardigan of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan, and Michael Witt of the Purdue University Libraries. Downs also served on the Program Committee for IASSIST 2012.

See: IASSIST 2012

Sat Jun 09 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The User Working Group (UWG) of SEDAC, the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center operated by CIESIN, met in Washington, D.C. June 6-8. Chaired by Dr. Molly Macauley of Resources for the Future, the UWG provides SEDAC with strategic guidance regarding the data and information needs of the users served by SEDAC and also reviews specific SEDAC data development and dissemination plans. At the June meeting, the UWG reviewed SEDAC's progress in improving its web site, implementing new outreach strategies, and assessing scientific citations of SEDAC data. The UWG also provided feedback on SEDAC's plans related to disaster loss data and the development of an integrated data collection on wetlands of international importance. Dr. Lee Schwartz, the State Department Geographer, was invited to meet with the UWG to discuss user needs for human geography data in support of humanitarian and national security priorities. SEDAC's NASA program scientist, Craig Dobson, along with several staff members from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, also participated in the meeting.

See: SEDAC User Working Group

Tue Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin presents a paper on lessons learned from climate hotspots mapping. Adaptation Futures: 012 International Conference on Climate Adaptation, Tucson, Arizona, May 30.

CIESIN senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin and deputy director Marc Levy participated in Adaptation Futures: 2012 International Conference on Climate Adaptation, held May 29–31 in Tucson, Arizona. de Sherbinin chaired a session on vulnerability assessments methodologies, and also presented two papers: “Climate Hotspots Mapping: What have We Learned?” and “Government-led Displacement and Resettlement Due to Climate Change.” Levy gave a presentation as part of a panel on "Data Priorities for Global Adaptation Research." On June 1, de Sherbinin led a user workshop on Data Gaps for Research and Action on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation, organized by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) jointly with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA) and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (UNU-IHDP). Approximately 50 participants spanning a range of disciplines, user communities, and world regions attended.

See: Adaptation Futures: 2012 International Conference on Climate Adaptation

Thu May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Understanding population exposure to earthquake hazards was one of the topics of a two-day visit to CIESIN and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) by prof. Sun Xiong, deputy director of the Institute of Earthquake Science (IES) of the China Earthquake Administration, and his colleague prof. Wang Xiaoqing, director of the Earthquake Disaster Research Center of IES. The visit was hosted by CIESIN director Robert Chen, associate director Mark Becker, and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing, and included a meeting with LDEO interim director Art Lerner-Lam. The IES, CIESIN, and LDEO are jointly organizing a training seminar in Beijing in July 2012 on data processing techniques for post-earthquake loss assessment, earthquake risk management, and application of geospatial data and methods. The three centers are also in the process of developing a longer term framework for cooperation.

Mon May 21 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Several CIESIN staff participated in the recent conference, Initiative on Climate Adaptation Research and Understanding through the Social Sciences (ICARUS III), held at Columbia University May 18–20. The theme of the meeting was scales, frameworks, and metrics. Senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin gave a presentation, “Climate Hotspots Mapping: What Have We Learned?” Associate research scientist Susana Adamo, senior staff associate Sandra Baptista, and associate research scientist Sylwia Trzaska also attended. The ICARUS initiative, begun in 2009, focuses on social-scientific and humanistic approaches to understanding climate-related vulnerabilities, risks, and human and ecosystem responses over time and across scales.

See: “Climate Hotspots Mapping..." (5.39 MB pdf)
       Conference Program

Fri May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Members of the Jordanian battalion of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) rescue children after a hurricane destroyed their orphanage. September 7, 2008, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. UN Photo/Marco Dormino. www.un.org/av/photo/

A one-day conference, “Identifying Lessons for Natural Resources Management in Post-Conflict Peacebuilding,” was hosted at Columbia University April 25 by CIESIN, Advanced Consortium for Conflict, Cooperation and Complexity (AC4) and the Earth Institute, in partnership with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). More than 130 participants explored lessons in strengthening post-conflict peacebuilding through the lens of natural resource management. Many were authors of case studies in a seven-volume book series launched the same week and featured prominently during the conference. Panel discussions and breakout sessions reflected on lessons emerging from from the cases and implications for practice and scholarship.

A two-day workshop followed the event, focusing on strategies to develop educational and training tools utilizing the new case studies and other relevant material. Among the innovative teaching methods and products highlighted was the Ground|Work simulation tool, wherein students devise a strategy for managing environment and resource challenges in the context of a fictional post-conflict country. The online teaching tool, developed by School of International Affairs adjunct professor and CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy and program manager Alex Fischer in partnership with The Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL), is currently used in Levy’s course on environment, conflict, and resolution strategies.

For more information about the conference and the book series, please go to www.environmentalpeacebuilding.com.

Fri May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Mark Becker, associate director of the Geospatial Applications Division at CIESIN, and Robert Downs, CIESIN senior digital archivist, participated in the Global Geospatial Conference 2012, held in Quebec City, Canada, May 14–17. The theme of the conference was “Spatially Enabling Government, Industry, and Citizens,” and included the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) 13 World Conference, the GEOmatics for Informed DEcisions (GEOIDE) Scientific Conference, and the Canadian Geomatics Conference 2012. On Wednesday, May 16, Becker presented ,“SEDAC Collaboration with Land Atmospheric Near Real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE),” which was authored with geographic information specialist Sneha Rao. Becker also acted as the moderator for the session, “Spatially Enabling Industry II.” That same day, Downs presented a paper authored with Robert Chen, director of CIESIN, titled, “Towards Sustainable Stewardship of Digital Collections of Scientific Data.” Becker is serving a three-year term on the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association Board.

See: Global Geospatial Conference 2012 Conference Website
       Abstracts

Thu May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Source: UTM Web site Ceremony recognizing the new memorandum of understanding between the University of Technology, Malaysia (UTM), and the Earth Institute of Columbia University on behalf of CIESIN, May 16, New York City. Pictured left to right: UTM vice chancellor prof. Dato' Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang; prime minister of Malaysia prof. honourable Dato. Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak; Ellis Rubinstein, president of the New York Academy of Sciences; Robert Chen, director of CIESIN.

The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) at 7 World Trade Center was the venue May 16 for the establishment of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University of Technology, Malaysia (UTM) and the Earth Institute of Columbia University on behalf of CIESIN. Building on discussions over the past three years, CIESIN and UTM have agreed to collaborate on joint research on environmental performance monitoring, including development of an Environmental Performance Index for Malaysia and a regional performance index. The agreement, which was signed by Columbia University provost John Coatsworth and UTM vice chancellor prof. Dato' Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang, also provides a framework for the exchange of visiting scientists, staff, and students.

Another MoU was also established between the Earth Institute and the Center for Global Sustainability Studies at University Science Malaysia (USM). The exchange of MoUs was witnessed by the prime minister of Malaysia, the honourable Dato. Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak, who chaired the second meeting of the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) at the NYAS. Earth Institute director Jeffrey Sachs, an international member of GSIAC, attended the GSIAC meeting along with CIESIN director Robert Chen, Joanna Rubenstein, director of the Center for Global Health and Economic Development, and Lucia Rodriguez, director of the Global Master's in Development Practice (MDP) Secretariat.

The University of Technology, Malaysia (Universiti Tekhnologi Malaysia) is a large public university in Malaysia with multiple campuses and more than 12,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 graduate students.

See: University of Technology, Malaysia
      

Tue May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The new online mapping service, the National Priority List (NPL) Superfund Footprint Mapper, was featured as part of a Webinar sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Partnerships for Public Environmental Health (PEPH) on May 7. Participants numbered 158 attendees, more than 30 from federal agencies. Senior research associate Meredith Golden showcased the Mapper with assistance from geographic information specialist Tricia Chai-Onn, who also helped develop the service. Golden highlighted data from several projects of the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center operated by CIESIN. These include the U.S. Census Grids and the Global Poverty Mapping Project. The NPL Superfund Footprint Mapper can display population and environmental characteristics for areas surrounding more than 1700 NPL Superfund sites. An archived recording of the Webinar will be available soon on the SRP Web site.

See: Columbia University Superfund Research Program Web site

Mon May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Deputy director Marc Levy participated in a workshop, “Climate and Security: Evidence, Emerging Risks and a New Agenda,” held May 3–4 in Paris. The workshop was sponsored by Institut du Développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI), Sciences Po, University of Exeter, and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. For the segment focused on research, which took place on May 3, Levy gave a presentation on a panel entitled, “Peace-building and Mitigation & Adaptation Projects.” The following day he participated in a panel that synthesized recent research results for policy makers.

See: Agenda: "Climate and Security..."

Sat May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012

More than 100 experts on Earth observations gathered in Geneva April 30–May 4 to coordinate plans for integrating remote sensing and other environmental and socioeconomic data under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). CIESIN director Robert Chen participated in the GEO Work Plan Symposium 2012, reporting on the efforts of the GEO Data Sharing Working Group to reduce the legal and institutional barriers to sharing data across the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) being developed by GEO member countries and other participating organizations. Chen is one of the co-chairs of the Working Group, representing the International Council for Science, and serves as task coordinator for the GEO work plan task on data sharing. CIESIN geographic information specialist Sneha Rao subsequently participated in the kickoff meeting for the fifth phase of the GEO Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP-5), held May 3-4. She presented CIESIN’s planned contributions to the pilot, emphasizing ways to integrate data on population, land use, hazards, and sustainability with Earth observations to support GEO's priority societal benefit areas such as disaster management, agriculture, and climate adaptation.

See: GEO 2012-15 Work Plan
       GEO AIP-5 Kickoff Workshop

Mon Apr 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy participated in a meeting April 27 to summarize the results of the United Nations Environment Programme Fifth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), at United Nations headquarters. The meeting was convened by the Permanent Missions of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Switzerland and the United States to the UN, and UNEP. The meeting focused on the successes and failures of the world’s implementation of internationally agreed environmental goals. Other speakers included John Matuszak, U.S. Department of State; Jorge Laguna-Celis, Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN; Daniel Ziegerer, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment; and Jose Almonte, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dominican Republic. Levy’s comments emphasized the poor track record in meeting international environmental goals, and he made a case for international action focused more heavily on drivers of environmental change and oriented more toward transforming large-scale systems. Levy is a coordinating lead author, along with CIESIN post-doctoral scholar Alexandra Morel, of a GEO-5 chapter on drivers of environmental change.

See: GEO-5 Summary Meeting

Wed Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012

CIESIN senior research associate Meredith Golden participated in a conference sponsored by the Northeast Superfund Research Program, “Complex Mixtures and Exposures: Analyzing, Modeling, and Predicting Fate and Effects at Multiple Levels of Environmental and Biological Systems,” held April 23–24 at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. More than 50 toxicologists, ecotoxicologists, epidemiologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, engineers, and research translation experts convened to examine the challenges to understanding and predicting the environmental, biological, and mechanistic aspects of complex mixtures and complex exposures. As rapporteur for the research translation perspective, Golden, who is co-PI of the Research Translation Core for the Columbia University Superfund Research Program, emphasized the need for scientists to identify key audiences and to engage in productive dialogue in order to foster innovative science and research collaborations to improve public health at Superfund sites.

Thu Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), built initially as a pavilion for the 1964 World's Fair, features the largest collection of hands-on science exhibits in New York City. With support from the National Science Foundation, CIESIN is collaborating with the NYSCI to explore new ways of learning about the interconnected economic, social and environmental factors that influence sustainability. The new three-year project, Interaction Research in Complex Informal Learning Environments (IRCILE), will prototype and implement a data-rich, technology-mediated collaborative environment for learning about sustainability, appropriate for elementary and middle school students as well as parents, teachers, and other visitors to the NYSCI facility in Queens, New York. CIESIN scientists began participating in project planning meetings in January and hosted a working meeting April 18 with NYSCI project leads Stephen Uzzo and Geralyn Abinader. One outcome of the project is expected to be a new multi-player game environment housed in the NYSCI's Great Hall.

Wed Apr 18 00:00:00 EDT 2012

EI Fellow Alexandra Morel was one of eight postdoctoral scientists who presented their research in sustainable development as part of the Earth Institute Fellows Spring Symposium held April 18 on Columbia University's Morningside campus. The Symposium presentations ranged from measuring the impact of Walmart's Chinese Direct Farm Program on small farmers in China to assessing the ability of New York City inhabitants to manage indoor temperature and humidity levels. The Symposium was introduced by EI director and professor Jeffrey Sachs and moderated by John Mutter, Director of the EI Fellows Program. Morel has been helping to lead CIESIN’s household survey efforts for the Frontera Verde Project, a large-scale reforestation initiative of the governments of Haiti and Dominican Republic and the UN Environment Program and UN Development Program. She presented a spatial analysis of environmental degradation and household insecurity in the area along the Haitian and Dominican Border. Morel has been hosted by CIESIN as an Earth Institute Fellow since October 2010.

See: "Spatial Analysis of Environmental Degradation and Household Insecurity along the Haitian and Dominican Border"

Tue Apr 17 00:00:00 EDT 2012

A new and improved Web site and quarterly newsletter have been released by the Africa Soils Information Service (AfSIS). One important enhancement is a section on the homepage called "Data and Map Portal" that highlights the project's progress in sampling sentinel sites across the continent, creating the Africa Soil Profiles Database, carrying out diagnostic trials, and conducting critical analysis of the data. The subscription-based newsletter, which now offers a more reader-friendly layout, aims to keep interested recipients up to date on project activities and provide a behind-the-scenes look at some of the individuals involved in AfSIS field work. AfSIS is a collaboration between the Earth Institute and African scientists and institutions to develop detailed digital maps of soils in 42 countries of sub-Saharan Africa in support of sustainable agriculture. Development of the new outreach vehicles has been led by AfSIS team members Alison Rose, research manager at the Earth Institute's Tropical Agriculture and Rural Environment Program; Sonya Ahamed, senior research associate at CIESIN; and Annie Gerard, media designer at CIESIN. To subscribe to the newsletter, go to the new AfSIS Web site.

Fri Apr 13 00:00:00 EDT 2012

The inclusion of disaster risk reduction as one of the seven critical issues in the 2012 Rio+20 Summit presents a timely opportunity for consideration of political and financial action within the context of sustainable development. A meeting April 11, “From Sendai to Rio: Cultivating a Disaster-Resilient Society for Sustainable Development,” convened a wide range of local and international government officials and experts to discuss building climate and disaster resilience in coastal cities, and to share their expertise in influencing the public and policy understanding on sustainable development, especially in the urban context. Held at Columbia University's Low Library in Manhattan, the meeting was organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, and the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), in collaboration with The Earth Institute at Columbia University, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), and the Center on Japanese Economy and Business.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute, gave opening remarks, along with Jun Yamazaki, ambassador, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, and Margareta Wahlstrom, special representative of the secretary-general for Disaster Risk Reduction. Cynthia Rosenzweig, head of Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), served as moderator. Key discussion points included exploring lessons learned from recent disasters; discussing the benefits of fortifying cities against disaster; and recommending issues for future research and applications. The results of the dialogue will be made available to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development-Rio+20 and to the member cities of UNISDR's "Making Cities Resilient" campaign.

See: From Sendai to Rio: Cultivating a Disaster-Resilient Society for Sustainable Development
       Agenda

Thu Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012

With the arrival of three student interns April 9 from the École Polytechnique in Paris, CIESIN marks its fifth year as a host center for the Alliance program, a unique joint venture between Columbia University, École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, and the Université de Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne. Cécile Martinier is a dual major in the economics of sustainable development and in civil engineering. At CIESIN, she is analyzing sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions data, to gain insights into the evolution of global SO₂ emissions over time according to two main parameters, geography and emissions sources. Mylène Dupas, an environmental economics major, is focusing on the spatial distribution of CO₂ emissions in North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Both Martinier and Dupas are working with CIESIN information scientist Xiaoshi Xing. Tancrède Besnard is an economics major working with the Haiti Regeneration Initiative team, including program manager Alex Fischer and staff associate Paola Kim Blanco. He is helping to analyze the survey data collected recently in Haiti. The three Alliance interns will work at CIESIN for three months, to meet a requirement for third-year students in the four-year program, which is equivalent to a U.S. masters degree.

See: Alliance Program

Fri Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012

A major gathering of the global sustainability science and policy communities took place in London March 26–29. The conference, “Planet Under Pressure: New Knowledge Towards Solutions,” was organized in response to the need for new solutions to achieve sustainable economic and environmental development for all. Nearly 3,000 people, representing science, policy, development, investment, industry, technology, the media, and other sectors, attended the meeting, along with several thousand more online participants. CIESIN director Robert Chen gave a presentation on integrating data from multiple scientific disciplines in a session, “Data Challenges for Global Sustainability,” that was co-chaired by former CIESIN director Roberta Balstad. Senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin presented on urban heat island effects at a panel on urbanization and on best practices for resettlement in anticipation of future climate change impacts at a panel on climate change and migration. He also presented a poster on data integration for global change research. The conference was sponsored by the global environmental research programmes of the International Council for Science (ICSU), with the aim to provide scientific inputs and recommendations to the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio (Rio +20). A new integrated research initiative, “Future Earth” was also launched at the conference.

See: Planet Under Pressure

Tue Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012

On March 26, the associate director of CIESIN’s Geospatial Applications Division, Mark Becker, gave a presentation on CIESIN’s data products and research capabilities to a group consisting of approximately 25 representatives from the State Department, the USGS, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) and other government agencies. The presentation, which took place at the U.S. State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., involved an overview of some ongoing projects including planned updates now underway for the launch of the fourth version of the Gridded Population of the World data product, an updated subnational Infant Mortality Rate grid, and CIESIN’s role in the Earth Institute’s Haiti Regeneration Initiative. The following days, March 27 and 28, Becker participated in the first World-Wide Human Geography Data Working Group Meeting. The Working Group is designed to build voluntary partnerships around human geography data and mapping focused on the general principle of making appropriate information available to promote human security. Becker presented information on the goals, objectives, and current status of the African Soils Information Service (AfSIS) project, a collaboration between the Earth Institute and African scientists and institutions, to develop detailed digital maps of soils in 42 sub-Saharan African countries of in support of sustainable agriculture. CIESIN is helping to build information systems for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating the data to a wide range of end users.

Tue Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012

At the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Technical Committee (TC) Meeting in Austin, Texas, March 19–22, CIESIN associate director of information technology, Sri Vinay, presented "Assessing Open Source Software Implementation Options from a Digital Preservation Perspective," authored with CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs. Vinay also attended meetings related to the National Science Foundation (NSF) EarthCube initiative, including an exploratory meeting on governance issues.

See: OGC TC/PC Meeting Agenda
       Assessing Open Source Software Implementation Options from a Digital Preservation Perspective

Fri Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Taro Ubukawa, chief of the Environmental Geoinformation Section, Environmental Geography Division, Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, MLIT, has begun a one-year appointment at CIESIN as a visiting scientist. Ubukawa, who has worked extensively with the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping, will be conducting research in coordination with the CODATA Global Roads Data Development Task Group (gROADS), an international team of experts that aims to improve data on intercity road networks. He also plans to address global data needs related to coastlines and infrastructure. Ubukawa holds an M.S. in metamorphic petrology and a B.S. in science, from Kyoto University.

Fri Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Spatial data are critical to the assessment of vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation (VIA) to climate change, yet serious gaps exist in the availability and quality of relevant spatial data for all regions of the world, including specific issues such as lack of consistent time series and scale and format incompatibilities. To address these gaps and identify high priority data weaknesses, a workshop is being organized that will bring together major stakeholders and identify partnerships. Planned for June 1 in conjunction with the May 29-31 Adaptation Futures Conference sponsored by the University of Arizona and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Tucson, Arizona, the workshop will focus on vulnerable groups, urban area and critical infrastructure maps, sectoral data, hazards, and adaptive capacity/resilience. Climate model data availability and formats and best practices for using climate data will also be discussed. The invitation-only workshop is being sponsored by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN, the Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA), and the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP). For further information, please contact SEDAC deputy manager Alex de Sherbinin at adesherbinin@ciesin.columbia.edu or by phone at +1-845-365-8936.

See: Workshop on Data Gaps for Research and Action on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (273 KB PDF)

Thu Mar 22 00:00:00 EDT 2012

In recognition of World Water Day March 22, researchers from the Côte Sud Initiative (CSI) are highlighting the initial results from the project’s new climate monitoring system, which enables continuous field data collection to enable better understanding of river systems in Haiti. Installed in the South Department, the monitoring system, a first for the region, includes rain gauges, a mobile water quality testing laboratory, and river monitoring stations in the larger regional rivers. The system is expected to help reduce flood risks by contributing to early warning and mitigation efforts. Flooding is a key factor in the spread of associated diseases such as cholera. CIESIN is among 15 partners in the collaborative project, including other centers of the Earth Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and local and national partners. Full Story

Tue Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2012

Clockwise from upper left, CIESIN staff and interns at different phases of the educational spectrum: lecturing; learning; presenting student research findings; and leading an internationally-hosted workshop.

A unique aspect of the Earth Institute at Columbia University is its commitment to engage directly in problem solving, namely the development and implementation of sustainable solutions to the many interlinked environmental and development challenges facing society. As a center within the Earth Institute, CIESIN has the opportunity to work at the interfaces between science and policy, basic and applied disciplines, and research and “practice.” When complex environmental and socioeconomic systems intersect, for example, we must often meld diverse sources and types of data into integrated data and information systems and products that meet the needs not only of researchers, but also of applied users and decision makers. And for these efforts to be effective and sustainable in the long run, we need to engage with such users on an ongoing basis to improve the utility of these systems and products and to incorporate new data, knowledge, and technology as they become available.

The Earth Institute has long recognized that its deep involvement in policy and practice needs to be reconciled with the academic traditions and standards of a major research University such as Columbia. With this in mind, the Earth Institute Faculty established a Practice Committee, led by Professor Edward Lloyd of the Columbia Law School, which has endeavored to address a range of important practice-related issues faced by faculty, staff, and students, and by centers like CIESIN. This committee, on which I continue to serve, has discovered that different fields—e.g., law, public health, engineering, architecture and urban planning, and the arts and sciences—often have quite different approaches to recognizing the value of practice and to ensuring that high standards of quality in practice are met.
Full Story

Tue Mar 06 00:00:00 EST 2012

CIESIN senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin was a panel participant in a seminar on Columbia’s Morningside campus, “One Planet, Too Many People.” The seminar, held March 5, was sponsored by the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy. Tim Fox of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers headlined the seminar, which focused on the availability of engineering solutions to the challenges involved in providing food, water, and shelter to a future world of 9.5 billion people. de Sherbinin joined panelists Joel Cohen (the Laboratory of Populations at Rockefeller and Columbia University); Eliot Sclar (Urban Planning, Graduate School of Architecture); Glenn Denning (School of International and Public Affairs); and Klaus Lackner (Earth and Environmental Engineering).

See: "Population Explosion: Can the Planet Cope?" (Report by Institution of Mechanical Engineers)

Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2012

Staff at the CIESIN-Earth Institute exhibit booth of the 2012 Association of American Geographers explain research activities and programs to conference attendees. Pictured left to right: Allison Ladue, assistant director, Columbia University's Master of Science in Sustainability Management, and Allison Lacko, research staff assistant, CIESIN.

The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) had a strong presence at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, which drew more than 8,500 participants to New York City February 24–28. CIESIN co-sponsored two booths, one staffed in collaboration with the Earth Institute, and the other showcasing CIESIN’s Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) together with the Land Processes Data Active Archive Center (LP DAAC), two of NASA’s Earth science data centers. On February 26, senior research associate Alex de Sherbinin was chair and organizer of a panel session, Geospatial and Statistical Data from International Institutions, which included presentations by several different United Nations and World Bank representatives with whom CIESIN collaborates. Senior staff associate Sandra Baptista also organized a session, Frontiers in Spatial Demography and Population Geography, held on February 28 and chaired by Michael Goodchild of the University of California at Santa Barbara. CIESIN staff members participated in several panel and paper sessions: geographic information specialist Malanding Jaiteh was a panelist for Science in Support of Sustainable Development and Human Rights in East Africa, chaired by State Department geographer Lee Schwartz; associate director Mark Becker was a panelist in two sessions, Geospatial Technologies for International Development and Internships and Work-Based Learning as Career Preparation; Earth Institute Fellow Alexandra Morel presented an interactive short paper, “Spatial Analysis of Socio-Economic and Natural Hazard Vulnerability for Haiti, Using GIS and Remote Sensing,” co-authored with senior staff associate Liana Razafindrazay; geographic information specialist Sneha Rao presented the paper, “Exploring Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in Classrooms Using CHANGE Viewer,” co-authored with senior systems analyst programmer James Carcone, Mark Becker, and Cayuga Community College colleague Amy Work; Alex de Sherbinin presented a paper, “Estimating Global Net Migration by Ecosystem and By Decade: 1970-2010,” co-authored with deputy director Marc Levy, associate research scientist Susana Adamo, geographic information specialist Kytt MacManus, senior research associate Valentina Mara, and Liana Razafindrazay; and he also presented the paper “Environmental Indicators: An Application of Satellite Data Products to Support High Level Decisions for National and International Environmental Protection” co-authored with Marc Levy and Battelle Memorial Institute colleagues Erica Zell and Stephanie Weber. CIESIN welcomed AAG participants at a reception held February 27 and hosted twelve AAG participants on a field trip to the Lamont campus on February 28. CIESIN director Robert Chen’s role as one of three co-chairs of the Local Arrangements Committee was recognized at the AAG opening session on February 24.

Mon Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2012

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO), a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations launched in 2005, has established a new Data Sharing Working Group to continue efforts to implement the Data Sharing Principles for the Global Earth Obwserving System of Systems (GEOSS). The Working Group carries on the efforts of the previous Data Sharing Task Force, which completed its work at the GEO-VIII Plenary in Beijing in November 2011. CIESIN director Robert Chen is collaborating with Paul Uhlir of the U.S. National Research Council to serve as one of the co-chairs of the new Working Group, representing the International Council for Science (ICSU). Other co-chairs include the U.S. and the European Commission, and members include representatives of more than 20 GEO members and participating organizations. GEOSS aims to interconnect both space- and ground-based observation and data systems from around the world to form a seamless system in support of societal applications, decision making, and scientific research.

See: GEO Data Sharing Working Group

Mon Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2012

Participants at the upcoming 2012 Association of American Geographers (AAG) annual meeting are welcome to visit the CIESIN exhibit booths from Saturday through Monday in Rhinelander Gallery, second floor of the Hilton (#1207, the NASA Earth Science booth, and #1110, the Earth Institute/CIESIN, Columbia University booth), and to join CIESIN at a reception at Rosie O’Grady’s (800 Seventh Ave) the evening of Monday, February 27, from 7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. A field trip to the Lamont campus of Columbia University is planned for Tuesday, February 28, 1–6 p.m., with a walking tour of the research facilities, presentations by CIESIN and Lamont staff, and an informal reception (advance registration required; space is limited).

CIESIN has organized two AAG sessions:

• Sunday, February 26, 2:40 p.m.–4:20 p.m. (session 3517), Murray Hill Suite A, Hilton Hotel, second floor, Geospatial and Statistical Data from International Institutions (organized and chaired by Alex de Sherbinin).

• Tuesday, February 28, Feb 28, 8 a.m.–9:40 a.m. (session 5156), Central Park East, Sheraton Hotel, second floor, Frontiers in Spatial Demography and Population Geography (organized by Sandra Baptista).

Also of interest are panel discussions and papers presented by CIESIN staff:

• Saturday, February 25
  4:40 p.m.–6:20 p.m. (panel session 2605), concourse E, Hilton Hotel, concourse level, Science in Support of Sustainable Development and Human Rights in East Africa (Malanding Jaiteh, panelist).

• Sunday, February 26
  8 a.m.–9:40 a.m. (interactive short paper session 3123), Sutton Parlor Center, Hilton Hotel, second floor, Highlights in Spatial Analysis and Modelling. “Spatial Analysis of Socio-Economic and Natural Hazard Vulnerability for Haiti, using GIS and Remote Sensing,” presented by Alexandra Morel, co-authored with Liana Razafindrazay).
  
  10:00-11:40 a.m. (paper session 3251), Sheraton Hotel, lower level, conference room 1, Climate and Climate Change Literacy. “Exploring Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in Classrooms Using CHANGE Viewer.” Presented by Sneha Rao and co-authored by CIESIN colleagues James Carcone, Mark Becker, and IAGT/Cayuga Community College colleague Amy Work.
  
  2:40 p.m.–4:20 p.m. (3516), Morgan Suite, Hilton NY, second floor, Geospatial Technologies for International Development (Mark Becker, panelist).

• Monday, February 27
  10:00 a.m.–11:40 a.m. (4215), Madison Suite, Hilton NY, second floor, Internships and Work-Based Learning as Career Preparation (Mark Becker, panelist).

• Tuesday, February 28
  10 a.m.–11:40 a.m. (paper session 5252), Conference Room J, Sheraton Hotel, lower level, Data and Methods in Population Geography. Alex de Sherbinin is chair and presenter of “Estimating Global Net Migration by Ecosystem and By Decade: 1970-2010,” co-authored with CIESIN colleagues Marc Levy, Susana Adamo, Kytt MacManus, Valentina Mara, and Liana Razafindrazay.
  
  2:00 p.m.–3:40 p.m. (paper session 5476), Madison Suite 6, Sheraton Hotel, Fifth Floor, Geographical Applications of Remote Sensing (III). “Environmental Indicators: An Application of Satellite Data Products to Support High Level Decisions for National and International Environmental Protection,” presented by Alex de Sherbinin, co-authored with Marc Levy and Battelle Memorial Institute colleagues Erica Zell and Stephanie Weber,
  
  In addition, Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs will be giving a plenary presentation (4333) on Monday, February 27, from 11:50 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the Trianon Ballroom, Hilton NY, third floor.

See: 2012 Association of American Geographers Meeting

Fri Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2012

Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve in Menlo Park, California, was the venue for an international meeting held February 6–8 and organized by the Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) secretariat to address the data and information needs of the scientific community involved in assessing the implications of climate change for society. TGICA was established by the IPCC to coordinate data management efforts across IPCC working groups and between IPCC assessments, including oversight of the IPCC Data Distribution Centre (DDC). CIESIN director Robert Chen and senior staff associate Xiaoshi Xing represented the socioeconomic portion of the DDC, which is hosted by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN. Chen presented a new DDC data and information access policy, which was approved by the TGICA. Xing contributed to discussions about improvements to a new information resource on the development of new scenarios of future socioeconomic and environmental development, which he helped to implement. Chen continues to serve as an ex officio member of the TGICA, which is now co-chaired by Timothy Carter from Finland and Bruce Hewitson from South Africa.

Fri Feb 03 00:00:00 EST 2012

The newly released report, Climate Change Impacts and Responses: Societal Indicators for the National Climate Assessment, presents the background materials and outcomes of a workshop held April 28-29, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the workshop convened more than 50 experts from the social and natural sciences to consider the development of policy-relevant indicators of climate impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. It was one of three workshops on indicator needs and approaches organized to provide inputs to the National Climate Assessment (NCA), which is preparing a report to be released in 2013. CIESIN director Robert Chen served as co-chair of the workshop steering committee and synthesis team and co-authored the workshop summary (Part 1) and a white paper on the development of societal indicators for the NCA (Part 2). CIESIN senior staff associate Sandra Baptista was also a member of the workshop steering committee and synthesis team and prepared a societal indicators bibliography, inventory summaries, and an inventory table (Parts 3, 4 and 5 of the report). Chen is now one of the co-chairs of the NCA Indicators Working Group together with Anthony Janetos of Battelle/University of Maryland and Deke Arndt of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.

See: Report: Climate Change Impacts and Responses....
       National Climate Assessment Overview
       Global Change Research Program: Workshop and Meeting Reports

Thu Feb 02 00:00:00 EST 2012

The Board on Research Data and Information (BRDI) of the U.S. National Research Council held its sixth meeting in Washington, D.C., January 31–February 1 under the leadership of two new co-chairs, Prof. Francine Berman of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Clifford Lynch of the Coalition for Networked Information. One major focus of the meeting was the role of BRDI in relationship to international scientific data efforts led by the International Council for Science (ICSU), and in particular the ICSU Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) and the ICSU World Data System (WDS). CIESIN director Robert Chen, in his capacity as CODATA secretary general and ex officio member of BRDI, reported on current CODATA activities and initiatives, including plans for the 23rd CODATA international conference in Taipei in October 2012. He also helped to lead a discussion on potential cooperation between CODATA and the WDS on topics such as data policy, stewardship, citation, and access. Former CIESIN director Roberta Balstad was one of the outgoing BRDI members, having served as BRDI's vice chair and as the former chair of the U.S. National Committee for CODATA.

See: New BRDI Chairs and Members
       Sixth BRDI Meeting Agenda

Mon Jan 30 00:00:00 EST 2012

Two new staff appointments have been made recently in CIESIN's Science Applications Division. Sylwia Trzaska, a climate scientist specializing in climate variability and change in Africa and other developing regions, has joined CIESIN as an associate research scientist, effective January 16. She is helping to lead a project on African and Latin American resilience to climate change with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Since 2002, Trzaska has worked with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO). Her areas of research include sea surface variability in the Tropical Atlantic; interannual variability of climate and its sub-seasonal features and their predictability in West Africa; and variability of the dry season in West Africa and its relationship to meningococcal meningitis epidemics, with a special focus on the role of mineral dust. Trzaska holds a Ph.D in climatology from the University of Burgundy, Dijon, France.

Kimberly Peng, a former Earth Institute intern at CIESIN, has been appointed senior research staff assistant. Peng is working on the Haiti Regeneration Initiative (HRI), assisting with the data collection and analysis for the household surveys currently being conducted in the Côte Sud Initiative (CSI) region. In addition, she is supporting the Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) by maintaining content for the AfSIS Web site. Peng has a B.A. in economics from the University of Maryland and an M.A. from the Earth Institute’s Program in Climate and Society.

Thu Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2012

Announced at the World Economic Forum held January 25–29 in Davos, Switzerland, the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced by CIESIN and Yale University’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy (YCELP), in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, identifies Switzerland as first in addressing pollution control and natural resource management challenges. Iraq is ranked last. The EPI has been produced every two years since 2006. The 2012 EPI ranks 132 countries, using 22 indicators in ten major policy categories including air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity, and forest management.

For the first time a complementary index showing country improvement from 2000 to 2010, the Pilot Trend Environmental Performance Index (Trend EPI), was released. Latvia was ranked number one in the Trend EPI, with Russia in last place. The U.S., which is 49^th in the EPI, was just 77^th in the Trend EPI, implying few recent gains in addressing environmental issues.

Data sets making up the EPI were contributed from the International Energy Agency, remote sensing research groups at Battelle and University of Maryland, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and other entities. Lack of data in certain areas—in particular, waste management, toxic exposures, agricultural sustainability and water resources—continue to limit the ability of the EPI to contribute towards the understanding necessary to develop policies for safeguarding the environment.

See: 2012 Environmental Performance Index

Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2012

Alex de Sherbinin, CIESIN senior research associate, participated in “Where the Rain Falls,” a project analysis workshop organized by CARE and the United Nations University January 17–19 in Bonn, Germany. The purpose of the workshop was to review field research results from seven countries on the relationship between rainfall variability, rural livelihoods, and migration. CIESIN’s role is to provide time series climatological data (focusing on rainfall variability over the past decade) for the research sites and to provide geospatial data and mapping to help put the research results in context.

See: Where the Rain Falls

Thu Jan 19 00:00:00 EST 2012

An article in the anthology, Sensing Our Planet: NASA Earth Science Research Features 2011, highlights the research of Erle Ellis and Navin Ramankutty, who have focused on landscapes used by people in order to understand more about human impacts on ecology at the global and local scale. According to the article, “Repatterning the World,” two major insights resulted: that a surprisingly large amount of the world is actually taken up by human-inhabited areas (anthromes); and that human influence has grown so extensive that natural systems in large part now fit themselves within human systems. Rather than restricting biome definitions to various wild descriptors, as is traditional in ecology, Ellis and Ramankutty developed 21 classifications, of which only three are wild. Their results have been published as a data set, Anthropogenic Biomes, disseminated by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) operated by CIESIN. Sensing Our Planet is an annual publication that showcases multidisciplinary research using Earth-observing data from NASA Earth science data centers, including research on climate change, hazards, and more. Ellis, who is an associate professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is a member of the SEDAC User Working Group, which provides strategic guidance regarding the data and information needs of SEDAC users. Ramankutty is an assistant professor at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

See: Sensing Our Planet: NASA Earth Science Research Features 2011

Wed Jan 18 00:00:00 EST 2012

CIESIN deputy director Marc Levy joined a distinguished panel of speakers organized by the Environmental Change and Security Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center to discuss “New Research on Climate and Conflict Links.” Levy’s presentation raised a number of research challenges, including the contrast between climate data, which is structured around time scales of centuries, and the much shorter time frames of conflict data and concerns, typically six months to two years. In addition to Levy, the panel included Joseph Hewitt, technical team leader, Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation, U.S. Agency for International Development; Joshua Busby, assistant professor of Public Affairs, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin; and Solomon Hsiang, postdoctoral research associate, Science Technology & Environmental Policy, Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs, Princeton University. A video of the event, which was held at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., December 19, 2011, is available at http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/new-research-climate-and-conflict-links.

See: “New Research on Climate and Conflict Links”

Fri Jan 13 00:00:00 EST 2012

A visiting scholar from the China Earthquake Administration, Long Wang, has been hosted by CIESIN for two weeks beginning January 4. Wang is currently an an assistant professor and a doctoral student in disaster prevention and reduction at the Earthquake Disaster Research Center (EDRC) of the Institute of Earthquake Science in the China Earthquake Administration, where he also received a masters degree in solid earth geophysics. He has a B.S. from Nanjing University in geographic information systems. While at the Lamont campus, Wang has investigated methods of assessing exposure to earthquake hazards using gridded population data and building inventories and has met with seismologists from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Tue Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 2012

CIESIN senior digital archivist Robert Downs and Data Center Services manager John Scialdone attended the ESIP Federation Winter Meeting 2012, which was held in Washington, DC, January 4–6. Downs presented the paper, “Alternative Approaches to Collaborative Software Deployment Leveraging Open Source Software,” during the session, Realizing the Benefit of (Re-)using Open Source Software. He also presented a poster co-authored with CIESIN geographic information specialist Sneha Rao, “Learning About Climate Change and Human-Health Impacts with the CHANGE Viewer.” At the meeting, John Scialdone was elected chair of the ESIP Federation Partnership Committee, which oversees the Federation's membership selection process.

See: "Alternative Approaches to Collaborative Software Deployment..."
       "Learning about Climate Change and Human-Health Impacts..."

Fri Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2012

The first independent analysis of China environmental data at the sub-national level by an international team has been released by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), part of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and Yale University. The report, Towards a China Environmental Performance Index, presents a framework for assessing environmental performance by province as an aid to developing government environmental policies. China faces formidable environmental challenges owing to its large population, limited water resources, rapid economic growth, and fast-paced urbanization.

The research was carried out in collaboration with the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning and the City University of Hong Kong. The framework that emerged, developed in consultation with many environmental experts in China and the U.S., provides a tailored set of issues and indicators that will be important to track for the foreseeable future. Core policy issues include air pollution, water quality, climate change, energy efficiency, and toxic metals, among others. According to the report, greater transparency and freer access to data, especially raw data from monitoring systems and spatial data on environmental conditions, are essential in the future development of environmental performance indicators for China.

The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and CIESIN have been the world leaders in developing national-scale environmental indices since they launched the Environmental Sustainability Index in the year 2000. The motivation behind the subnational work in China was to better reflect the country's diverse geographical landscapes and differentiated environmental stresses, and to provide a more effective tool for policy making.

See: Report: Towards a China Environmental Performance Index
       Blog: China’s Long March Towards Better Environmental Conditions

Thu Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 2012

CIESIN director Robert Chen has joined the Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO) of the National Academies for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2012. BISO promotes international collaboration in scientific research and coordinates U.S. participation in international scientific, engineering, and medical organizations. Chaired by Tilahun Yilma of the University of California, Davis, BISO serves as the U.S. National Committee to the International Council for Science (ICSU) and oversees a network of more than 20 U.S. National Committees for various ICSU scientific bodies. BISO also coordinates U.S. involvement in other international organizations such as the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS), the InterAcademy Panel for International Issues (IAP), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Chen is currently Secretary General of the ICSU interdisciplinary committee CODATA, the Committee on Data for Science and Technology, through October 2012, and has extensive experience working with international scientific organizations and initiatives.