Climate-Forest Interactions Workshops and opportunities for collaborative research

1. INVITATION Climate-Forest Interactions Workshops and opportunities for collaborative research • The Malaysian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD), and the international Research Consortium, OP3, invite meteorologists, chemists, hydrologists, engineers, foresters, ecologists, plant biologists, and those informing climate change policy to attend the following workshops: • Tuesday 9 January 2007, 8:00-16:00 • Workshop for potential Malaysian collaborators • Location: Environment Institute of Malaysia (EiMAS), UKM Bangi campus, Malaysia • Saturday 13 January 2007, 10:00-15:00 • Workshop for potential Malaysian collaborators and site visit • Location: Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah, Malaysia • Some funds are available to support attendance at either of the two workshops. • To register interest, please email Mr Faizal Shahril at faizal@nre.gov.my or Dr Nick Chappell atn.chappell@lancaster.ac.uk before 31 December 2006

2. The OP3 Project • OP3 is a consortium of 11 research institutions from the UK and Malaysia, plus other international partners. The aim of the project is to study forest-climate interactions in Sabah. The field campaigns (including a research aircraft) will be based at the Bukit Atur Global Atmospheric Watch station in 2008. • There is now an opportunity for other Malaysian scientists, with an interest in all areas of forest-climate interactions, including climate policy, to extend the scope of the project by becoming involved in this international consortium. • Areas of possible collaboration include: • Climate change • Weather forecasting, modification, and particles • The water cycle (hydrology) • Regional air quality • Plant biodiversity and climate • Workshop Agenda • Introduction and welcome from Malaysian Ministry of Natural • Resources and Environment • Overview of the OP3 Project – Prof. Nick Hewitt, Lancaster University • Climate and air quality studies in Malaysia – Dr Leong Chow Peng, • Deputy Director MMD • Global climate modelling – Prof. John Pyle FRS, Cambridge University • Biosphere-atmosphere interactions – Prof. David Fowler FRS, CEH Edinburgh • Chemistry of the atmosphere – Dr. Graham Mills, University of East Anglia • Earth Observation – Dr. Paul Monks, Leicester University • Clouds, weather modification and atmospheric particles – Dr. Martin Gallagher, Manchester University • Forest-climate interactions and plant biodiversity - Dr. Nick Chappell, • Lancaster University • Lunch • Break out discussion groups: • Climate change (Chair: Prof. John Pyle FRS, Cambridge University) • Weather forecasting, modification, and particles • (Chair: Dr. Leong Chow Peng, Deputy Director MMD) • The water cycle (Chair: Dr. Kawi Bidin, Universiti Malaysia Sabah) • Regional air quality (Chair: Dr. Paul Monks, Leicester University) • Climate impacts on plant biodiversity (Chair: Dr. Chris Geron, USEPA) • Summing up and close • The afternoon session will provide an opportunity for small-group discussions on specific collaborations. There will also be opportunities for further discussions on Wednesday 10 January and Sunday 14 January. There will be a visit to the Bukit Atur Global Atmospheric Watch Station on Sunday 14 January.