Academy of Science South Africa 2005/6 Annual Report

ASSAfProgramme 3The urban environmentalsustainability programme isdesigned to engage the broadlydefinedleadership of cities, localscientists and engineers, andmobilise world-class scientificand technical expertise in abroad partnership that will actin selected locations to addressenvironmental challengesand opportunities in rapidlygrowing urban regions.Working towards more sustainable citiesThe report will accordingly be written to maximise its impact on the resolution of controversy in thisarea, on improved health-service planning and purposeful resourcing, and the general promotion ofnational cohesion in addressing the pandemic infections. It will aim to be decisive in achieving a muchneededturn-around of a critical national success factor, the health of our youth and of our economicallyactive people, and the preservation of families as the social core of the nation. The projected time toconclude and publish the report is one year with four to five full Panel meetings and the possibility ofan open/public workshop to enhance the study. The length of the report is envisaged to be ± 200 pages,comprising 10 chapters of about 20 pages each. A brief version of the report (±20) will also be publishedfor broad dissemination.Evolving Consensus Study: US National Academies’Urban Environmental Sustainability ProgrammeThe US National Academies and a number of international partners are submitting a proposal to theGordon and Betty Moore Foundation that will fall within the National Academies’ urban environmentalsustainability programme. A complementary proposal is being prepared by the University of Californiaat Berkeley and several partners. The urban environmental sustainability programme is designed toengage the broadly-defined leadership of cities, local scientists and engineers, and mobilise world-classscientific and technical expertise in a broad partnership that will act in selected locations to addressenvironmental challenges and opportunities in rapidly growing urban regions.The programme is envisioned as spanning at least a decade, ultimately involving dozens of citiesin many countries. Specific programme elements are designed to engage with municipal governments,academic and technical organisations, as well as key urban planners at the local level; with nationalacademies of science and engineering, government ministries and key national policy makers at thenational level; and with outstanding urban scholars, engineers and policy experts at the global level, ascities share their experience and knowledge resources.42 Promoting Excellence in Science for Society