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Southeast Asian Science-Policy Advisory Network for Global Environmental Change
(SEA-SPAN)


The Southeast Asian Science-Policy Advisory Network for Global Environmental Change (SEA-SPAN) arose out of the START-sponsored workshop “Living with Global Change: Improving the Links between Science and Policy in Southeast Asia,” held at the Impacts Centre for Southeast Asia (IC-SEA) in Bogor, Indonesia, in August 1996.

The workshop was particularly significant in raising awareness amongst the scientific community about the complexities of the public policy process in the region.

In May 1997, a discussion list (SEA-SPAN-L) and a web page hosted by IC-SEA were launched to support the network. The main role of SEA-SPAN-L to date has been to distribute information about current news, events and information sources of relevance to policy and environmental change in the region.

Two issues which have generated more substantial debate and discussion on this list are: the integration of conservation and development in agricultural production landscapes; and transboundary air pollution arising from land conversion in these areas.

Membership of SEA-SPAN-L in February 1998 stood at just over 170 with an average of between eight and nine postings a week.

In the future we are hopeful that the SEA-SPAN discussion list will evolve a role as a forum for the drafting and critical review of working documents of relevance to policy responses to global environmental change. We also intend to use the forum to help prepare briefing materials and the agenda for future Science-Policy meetings.

Visitors to the Web site can view sorted archives and up-to-date information on SEA-SPAN activities at: http://www.bogor.indo.net.id/IC-SEA/SEA-SPAN/.


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