Sub-Global Second Working Group Meeting

Sunday, June 15, 2003 | Stockholm, SE

The Sub-global Working Group held its second meeting in Stockholm, Sweden in late June. The meeting was hosted by the Centre for Research on Natural Resources and the Environment (CNM), Stockholm University. In attendance were more than 70 participants from the sub-global assessment teams, as well as Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs) of assessment report chapters, and MA Fellows. The main objectives of the meeting were to share the lessons learned from the sub-global assessments, and to ensure progress on the working group report which will synthesise the major findings and lessons on methodologies and approaches from the sub-global assessments. The first part of the meeting was spent in breakout groups focused on themes from the MA conceptual framework, which also correspond broadly with chapters in the working group report. The rest of the meeting was spent mostly in chapter teams, which worked on draft outlines for their chapters, refinining key questions for sub-global inputs and where necessary identified additional authors for chapter sections. During the course of the meeting, several issues related to outreach and engagement were also discussed. Participants helped to further develop a programme for associated assessments, and had a special session devoted to planning communication and outreach strategies and needs. Participants also discussed plans for the Bridging Scales and Epistemologies Conference. Postponed from June of 2003, the conference will now be held March 2004 in Alexandria, Egypt. A half-day field trip was coordinated to visit sites in the Stockholm City Park and allotments -- especially valuable as these sites are being assessed as part of the Swedish local assessments led by CNM.