ECO-IEST President, Alternative Member to the IPBES Bureau

News
ECO
CHRONICLE
As some of the
delegates put it
at the meeting,
"the Intergovernmental Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
(IPBES) is now a new born baby that
needs pampering". Excellent progress
has been achieved and an ambitious
inter-sessional process leading to
IPBES-2 has been agreed on.
According to the Official Website of
the Intergovernmental Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,
Professor Zakri from Malaysia now
chairs the IPBES, who is also the head
of the IPBES Bureau.
Asghar Mohammadi Fazel, President
of the ECO Institute of Environmental
Science and Technology (ECO-IEST),
Deputy Head of the Natural
Environment and
Biodiversity of the
Department of
Environment of
Iran was also elected
as alternative
member of IPBES
from Asia-Pacific
states.
This 6-day meeting
also took this
opportunity to
elect an international
group of
renowned experts
for the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel
(MEP), which will ensure the scientific
credibility and independence of the
IPBES work. Ms. Mehrasa Mehrdadi,
Technical Expert of the Natural
ECO-IEST
President,
Alternative Member
to the IPBES Bureau
Environment
and Biodiversity
Division of the
Department of
Environment of
Iran, was also elected as one of four
MEP members from Asia-Pacific States.
Established in April 2012, IPBES is a
new platform established by the international
community as an independent
intergovernmental body for assessing
the state of the planet's biodiversity,
its ecosystems and the essential
services they provide to society.
IPBES provides a mechanism recognized
by both the scientific and policy
communities to synthesize, review,
assess and critically evaluate relevant
information and knowledge generated
worldwide by governments, academia,
scientific organizations, non-governmental
organizations and indigenous
communities. This
involves a credible
group of experts in
conducting assessments
of such information
and knowledge
in a transparent
way.
It aims to strengthen
capacity for the
effective use of science
in decisionmaking
at all levels;
address the needs of
Multilateral
Environmental Agreements that are
related to biodiversity and ecosystem
services, and build on existing processes
ensuring synergy and complementarities
in each other's work.
ECO Bank
& Southern
Khorasan
Water and
Wastewater
Company
Sign
Agreement
ECO
CHRONICLE
On 27 January
2013, ECO Trade and
Development Bank signed long term
loan agreement with Southern Khorasan
Water and Wastewater Company
(SKWWC) for the amount of EUR
16.975 million in order to provide 10
years credit facility inclusive of 3.5 years
grace period. According to the signed
agreement, the ETDB will finance the
construction of the second module of
the wastewater treatment plant besides
the building of the collection networks
and the main transmission line in Birjand
City.The project aims at improving public
health conditions in the region by protecting
the quality of underground and
surface water resources as well as ensuring
uncontaminated food supply chain.
At the ceremony organized for the signing
of the agreement, Finance Minister of
the I.R. of Iran, Seyyed Shamsaddin
Hosseini, underlined the importance of
using the facilities of IDB and ETDB, noting
that Iran would continue extending
its full support to these institutions in line
with their development programs.
ECO CHRONICLE
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