My Journey Begins….

1. Science and Diplomacy:From 18th Century Scottish Enlightenment to21stCentury Sustainable Development. Paul van GardingenESPA Director &UNESCO Chair in International DevelopmentThe University of Edinburgh

2. My Journey Begins….

3. … and leads to Scotland …

4. The Scottish Enlightenment

5. Scientific Enquiry:Influencing the World David Hume Philosopher. ‘- A Treatise on Human Nature’ James Watt The power of steam Driving the industrial revolution James Hutton Geologist ‘Theory of the Earth’ Adam Smith Moral Philosophy /Economics ‘The Wealth of Nations’’

6. Science and Diplomacy The three dimensions of science diplomacy. • Science in diplomacy • Diplomacy for science • Science for diplomacy

7. www.espa.ac.uk

8. Ecosystem Services forPoverty Alleviation ESPA’s Vision ESPA is an international research programme providing evidence of how ecosystem services can support well-being and sustainable poverty alleviation among poor people in low-income countries. Our projects are interdisciplinary, linking the social, natural and political sciences to address a series of focused research questions and evidence challenges. They are delivered through collaborative partnerships involving the world’s best researchers from developing and developed countries. ESPA’s success will be measured by the way that its research can be turned into results that benefit the poor.

9. ESPA’s Science in Diplomacy • Addressing the challenges of cross-border resources. • Evidence supporting Multilateral Environmental Agreements (Rio 1992) • Sustainable Development Goals

10. Colombia

13. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals • Major outcome from Rio+20 • Being designed to “integrate economic, social, and environmental aspects and recognise the interlinkages in achieving sustainable development in all its dimensions” • Part of the UN’s negotiations of the post-2015 / post-MDG development agenda

14. Where can ESPA’s Research Evidence Contribute to the SDGs? 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 2. End hunger, achieve food security and adequate nutrition for all, and promote sustainable agriculture 3. Attain healthy life for all at all ages 6. Secure water and sanitation for all for a sustainable world 8. Promote strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all

15. 2. End hunger, achieve food security and adequate nutrition for all • ESPA Assets project working in Colombia, Peru and Malawi aims to inform policy makers on how future land use and climate change will affect both food security and the ecosystem services associated with it

16. 6. Secure water and sanitation for all for a sustainable world • An ESPA project in Bolivia is exploring ways to encourage changes in behaviour to reduce water pollution, increase dry-season flows and enhance human welfare.

17. Where can ESPA’s Research Evidence Contribute to the SDGs? 11. Build inclusive, safe and sustainable cities and human settlements 12. Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns 13. Promote actions at all levels to address climate change 14. Attain conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas 15. Protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and halt all biodiversity loss

18. 13. Promote actions at all levels to address climate change • ESPA research in Kenya has developed the world’s first mangrove restoration project supported by an innovative carbon finance scheme.

19. Where can ESPA’s Research Evidence Contribute to the SDGs? 11. Build inclusive, safe and sustainable cities and human settlements 12. Promote sustainable consumption and production patterns 13. Promote actions at all levels to address climate change 14. Attain conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, oceans and seas 15. Protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and halt all biodiversity loss

20. Sustainability Robert Burns “To a mouse” … You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,And weary winter coming fast,And cozy here, beneath the blast,You thought to dwell,Till crash! the cruel plough passedOut through your cell …

21. Sustainability Robert Burns … But little Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

22. Roles for Science in Diplomacy • Providing evidence to inform decisions • Empowering stakeholders in negotiations • more equitable access to relevant knowledge • Exploring future scenarios and policy options • Including understanding business as usual • Providing methods for monitoring and verification

23. Challenges for Scientists • Communicating results to non-scientists • Communicating complexity and uncertainty • Recognising that policy and diplomacy respond to multiple sources of information as well as political drivers • Balancing the need for objectivity with the desire to support desired outcomes. • Policy relevant, not, Policy prescriptive

24. Challenges for Diplomats and Policy Makers • Understanding science and the scientific process • Dealing with uncertainty and complexity • Needing results and evidence now • Lag time between asking questions and getting answers • Dealing with multiple voices and sources of information • Trade-offs between winners and losers

25. An interesting contrast • Policy makers and diplomats may think that scientists take too long to produce results and never give a straight answer after ignoring the political reality of the world. • Scientists may think that policy makers and diplomats take too long to produce results and never give a straight answer after ignoring the scientific reality of the world.

30. Diplomacy for Science

31. Diplomacy for Science (examples) • Promoting international scientific collaboration • European Union’s Vision 2020 • UNESCO’s science programmes • Belmont Forum • ICSU (e.g. Future Earth) • Building scientific capacity around the world • AU-NEPAD Science and Technology programme • Numerous bilateral programmes • Much more is needed!

32. ESPA in Numbers (May 2014) 90Projects working in 50 countries involving 756 ESPA researchers from 310 institutions ESPA’s most influential paper cited 226times 106Academic publications 65 In ISI listed journals 680Citations 22 Books and chapters 19 Models 11 Datasets 867 Outcomes reported 50%of all ESPA researchers from developing countries 24%of funds for recent projects allocated directly to developing countries 26%of ESPA researchers are women

33. Science for Diplomacy

34. Informing Dialogue

35. ESPA in Bangladesh • Bangladesh is key country featuring in ESPA’s research. • The ESPA Deltas project will generate evidence on how ecosystems contribute to poverty alleviation and health and sensitivity to climate and land-use change

36. Starting a Conversation

37. Challenges Crossing Political Boundaries

38. Land Use Change and Degradation

39. Leads to Soil Erosion

40. Influencing Hydrology in Other Countries

41. … and poverty

43. Science can Open Doors

44. Science and Diplomacy • Science and diplomacy are both social constructs and should be required to deliver benefits to society. • Interdisciplinary scientific enquiry can inform debate, define options, open doors and change the way we view the world. • Diplomacy is needed to create the environment for international scientific cooperation and platforms to utilise the world’s science.

45. My Questions? • How can the communities of science and diplomacy learn to work better together? • How can science and diplomacy together create a platform to address the major global challenges facing all of humanity in the 21st Century?