IAP Conference and General Assembly 2010

IAP Conference and General Assembly 2010 (12-15 January 2010), hosted by The Royal Society in London, UK, to mark the celebration of the Society's 350th Anniversary.

The IAP Conference Communiqué ...

"Biodiversity is the term used to describe the variety of life, at all levels from genes through species and to ecosystems, and is valued by people and cultures for reasons ranging from the aesthetic to the economic.

Biodiversity is being lost at increasing rates, largely as a result of human activities. Loss of biodiversity threatens the ecosystems that play a central role in supporting vital Earth systems upon which humanity depends. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems through provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual and recreational benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient cycling. Every person in every country depends on these ecosystem services and the biodiversity that underpins them; these links are most direct for the poorest and most vulnerable peoples..." Download the Communiqué to view also the Recommendations made by the Conference participants.

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Download the TWAS NEWSLETTER article: IAP MEETS IN LONDON.

Listen to The Royal Society's PODCAST:  http://royalsociety.org/rscience/  - episode 9.
In this episode we hear about the IAP Conference on Biodiversity and David Miliband's views on the role of science in diplomacy.  We also find out how The Royal Society helps scientist experiment with Parliament and Professor Mohamed Hassan, President of the African Academies of Science answers the question, Why Science?

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"The event will be the inaugural event for the Year of Biodiversity, providing a unique forum for science academies and biodiversity policy and science experts to discuss the various issues associated with the 2010 Biodiversity target. In particular, the meeting will consider the definition of future targets and indicators, with special reference to the needs of different countries, and the way in which science can support this process. We anticipate this will be a constructive contribution to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) negotiations later in the year..." - IAP Co-chairs.

For further information, contact:
IAP Secretariat
Tel: +39 040 2240-680/681
E-mail: iap@twas.org