Executive Summary
The following report was initiated and commissioned by ProClim-,
with funding from the Swiss Academy of Sciences and the Swiss Academy
of Humanities and Social Sciences. The report develops a definitional
framework and a tentative classification of aspects and research
questions concerning the human dimension of global environmental
change research. It, thereby, provides background information helpful
for the formulation of future specific Swiss research priorities.
At the same time, the report provides a contribution to the work
of the projected Swiss Research Commission on Climate and Climate
Change and contributes to the development of linkages between Swiss
researchers and international research and assessment programmes such
as the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global
Environmental Change (IHDP).
Research framework
In order to place research and monitoring of the human dimensions
into the broader context of global environmental change research and
monitoring, the indicative classification of global change research
as developed in Parts I and II of this study was revised and expanded
(Table 1).
According to this proposed framework, research on global
environmental change is presented around five major categories: (S)
Structures and Processes, (D) Dynamics of Change, (C) Causes of
Variability and Change, (I) Impacts of Change, and (R) Responsive
Policy Formation and Implementation. These major categories are
intended to cover the entire field of global change research, not
only the issues related to the human dimensions.
The present report, however, concentrates on a selection of these
categories covering fields of study which fall primarily into the
scope of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global
Environmental Change. Within the major research categories (S), (C)
and (I) the report analyses in some detail the sub categories Social
Processes and Institutions (S), Major Human Driving Forces (C),
Impacts on Sanitation and Quality of Life (I), and Impacts on Social
Processes and Institutions (I). Within category (D) all sub
categories, i.e. Past Global Changes, Detection of Recent Trends, and
Scenarios, are addressed. And within major theme (R) the sub
categories Scope of Measures and Activity of the Subsidiarity
Principle as well as Introduction, Integration and Enhancement of
Socio-economic and Ecologically Sustainable Development are covered.
International research and monitoring activities
The report situates ongoing Swiss research against the background
of major global and regional research and monitoring activities which
seek further understanding of the role of the human dimensions in
global environmental change. These are most notably three major
international programmes: the International Human Dimensions
Programme on Global Environmental Change, the United Nations
University's programmes and the European Union's Environment and
Climate Programme; in addition the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change as an international scientific and technical panel.
Current research activity
The results presented in this report are based primarily on the
information contained in the ProClim- Information System.
Further projects have been evaluated from the Swiss Information and
Data-archiving Service for the Social Sciences (SIDOS) and the
Catalogue of Swiss Environmental Research (UFoKat) as well as the
Swiss National Science Foundation and Federal Office of Science and
Education directly.
The report considers projects in progress from 1 January 1995 and
approved before September 1996. In contrast to
Parts I and II of this study the latest round of projects approved
for the second phase of the Swiss Priority Programme Environment and
the European Union's Fourth Framework Programme are included in the
analysis.
In order to obtain information about global change research
activity, gaps, funding, and priorities for the future, it was
necessary to restrict the analysis to research projects which address
key questions identified by global change research programmes. The
report concentrates on targeted research primarily motivated by
questions of environmental change, the human driving forces behind
it, its impacts on humans and their activities, possible political
response strategies, and human perception and assessment of it.
Decisions on the global change relevance (and, hence, on the
inclusion or exclusion of projects from the present analysis) were
taken by the author of this report in consultation with the Advisory
Group.
The main focus of the analysed projects is on socio-economic or
political (61%) and psychological, social and educational aspects
(20%) of global environmental change. 27.5% involve policy analysis
or the development of planning tools, planning instruments and
methods. Almost 16% work on the improvement of assessment, scenario
capacities and predictability methods. The biggest portion refer
their research explicitly to Switzerland (38%) or countries outside
the European Union (20.5%), mainly developing
countries.[1]
According to the analyses in this report, the overall picture
shows that the analysed social science and humanities' research in
Switzerland addresses all major aspects of the human dimension of
global environmental change. The figures indicate, however, that the
percentage of projects involving the study of Social Processes and
Institutions (65.5%) and within this theme especially the study of
Public Perception, Assessment and Behaviour (25.6%) rank highest.
Switzerland also has quite an impressive performance as regards the
study of Responsive Policy Formation and Implementation (34%) and the
study of Major Human Driving Forces of global environmental change
(32%). Relatively few projects address the Dynamics of Change (3.8%).
Projects which include the study of Major Human Driving Forces
concentrate on research into aspects of land use and land cover
change (42%). 36% involve the analysis of industrial and economic
transformation. 20% deal with topics related to the role of world
view in driving global environmental change, mainly tourism.
Among the projects which study aspects of Impacts of global
environmental change on human being, quality of life and social
processes and institutions, the emphasis of research is on the study
of social processes and institutions paying special attention to the
study of factors of production and technology. Around 28% of those
projects involve the study of perception, assessment and behaviour,
questions of environmental security and the impact on structures and
institutions respectively.
As regards the study of Responsive Policy Formation and
Implementation, emphasis is on response strategies and the analysis
of their environmental impact (58%). More than half of the projects
(55%) are explicitly concerned with the introduction, integration and
enhancement of socio-economic and ecologically sustainable
development, mainly with land use planning, changes in resource
intensity and the environmental impact of economic activities. 42%
involve the empowerment of social agents and capacity building
measures.
Current funding levels for human dimensions research
The available information indicate that funding for the research
and monitoring projects related to the human dimensions of global
change for which funding data were available (n = 83) amounts to
approximately CHF 8.6 mio. per year. If this value is extrapolated to
the total number of projects considered in the study (n = 156), total
annual funding for all projects would amount to about CHF 16.1 mio.
The Swiss National Science Foundation provides research support to
83% of the projects analysed, mainly through the Priority Programme
Environment. The other major source of funding is the Federal Office
of Education and Science which finances Swiss participation in
research and technology development programmes of the European Union,
providing funds for 12% of all projects analysed in this report.
Institutional arrangements
Co-ordination of research and monitoring activities on the human
dimensions is ensured on an international level by participation of
Swiss researchers in international programmes and networks as well as
by a variety of mechanisms at the national level (such as national
committees for international research programmes, co-ordination
offices and government commissions). At the national level, a
distinct proportion of research on the human dimension of global
environmental change is funded and co-ordinated through oriented
research programmes, in particular, the Swiss Priority Programme
Environment (SPP-E).
Contributions to international activities and national
needs
Switzerland contributed significantly to the International Human
Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) so far,
both directly through the hosting and co-financing of the IHDP
secretariat in its initial phase (1993-1996) and through relevant
research activity. Still, awareness of the programme within the
research community could be strengthened.
Swiss researchers have also made important contributions to
environmental programmes of the United Nations University over the
years. Their participation in programmes of the European Union, most
notably as regards the current Environment and Climate Programme
within the Fourth Framework Programme, is on an impressive increase.
Future directions in Swiss research on the human dimensions of
global environmental change
The material collected in this report shows that the social
sciences and the humanities need to give special attention to
encourage and foster their contributions to the understanding of the
human dimension of global environmental change. Research into the
human dimensions of global environmental change has not yet reached
its full potential. There needs to be a fuller awareness within the
social scientific and humanities' research community of the vital
questions on the understanding and responding to global environmental
change which fall into their competence.
Any science plan dealing with the human dimensions of global
environmental change, however, should focus on themes or problems
that are not only of obvious and central relevance to the
international effort to understand global environmental change but
which are also sufficiently central to basic concerns of the social
sciences and the humanities to be capable of raising the interest of
social scientists and scientists from the humanities on an ongoing
systematic basis and epistemological curiosity.
The need of a mediating position
To create such a heightened awareness and to encourage already
ongoing research the communication and dialogue between the
International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental
Change and the Swiss research community need to be intensified. The
report, therefore, envisions the creation of a position which would
serve as a mediator between the global and the local Swiss research
community, creating better awareness on both sides and preparing the
researchers for investigating topics of global environmental
relevance.
The report concludes with an unranked list of research and
monitoring needs and outlines ProClim-'s plans for arriving at a
consensus vision of priorities for global change research and
monitoring in the coming decades. ProClim- plans to facilitate inputs
from the scientific community to the development of the environmental
research strategy to be outlined by the Swiss Science Council on the
key research needed to address global and regional environmental
problems in the coming decades.
Tentative research and monitoring needs
This report does not intend to develop specific recommendations on
future research and monitoring priorities. Nonetheless, while
preparing the report, a number of research and monitoring needs were
identified by the author or by the members of the Advisory Group for
this report as being of high priority for research into the human
dimensions of global environmental change. These research and
monitoring needs merely serve as input for future efforts to identify
Swiss research priorities. They include:
Research
Integrated assessments of global change impacts on the full range
of direct and indirect effects of global environmental change on
Switzerland itself; standardised classification of land use and land
cover; research on the institutional drivers of changes in patterns
of land uses; research on human responses to change in land cover;
research on difference in the success of various efforts to establish
regimes to protect biodiversity; research on institutions and policy
questions related to sustainable development which are invoked in the
context of the priority issues; research on questions of social
technology, social intervention etc.; research into the development
of societal-nature relations over time to enable the systematic study
of change; encouragement of alternative methodological approaches.
Data collection and monitoring
Monitoring of key parameters of major human driving forces; data
collection and monitoring on social scientific and humanities'
aspects of land uses and land cover; data collection and monitoring
of public environmental opinion, life styles, environmental
behaviour, consumption patterns etc.; monitoring of social changes.
Modelling and scenario development
Development of various kinds of social intervention models and
their testing in different countries; modelling and scenario
development of individual and collective changes in behaviour.
Building on areas of national strength
In shaping and strengthening its future role the Swiss National
IHDP-Committee could develop a research agenda which builds on
existing strengths in the Swiss research community with respect to
the human dimensions of global environmental change. By concentrating
on one broad "umbrella" theme that can cover various related in-depth
themes, it may be possible to guarantee coherence, diversity and
continuity.
To Switzerland's existing strength in human dimensions on global
environmental change research belong: the study of Social Processes
and Institutions, especially the study of Public Perception,
Assessment and Behaviour; the study of Responsive Policy Formation
and Implementation and the study of Major Human Driving Forces of
global environmental change. Switzerland could further strengthen
research here and also build upon existing research into social
intervention, its planning and monitoring, as well as research in the
area of environment and development and capacity building.
Strengthening international co-operation
The building on research areas of national strength should be
accompanied by an increased effort towards the international
integration of Swiss research. This would entail the fostering of a
strong international integration of individual Swiss research
activities of great excellence and recognition on the one hand but
also an opening of ambitious national research programmes to the
international research community to enable the creation of
international "clusters" of research. As a contributor to and a
potential victim of global change, Switzerland must seek strong and
diverse international partnerships to further understanding of key
processes as well as to assist developing countries in developing
their own scientific capacity in these fields.
Implications of study results
ProClim- InfoSystem and the data basis
As was the case with Parts I and II of this study, the analyses
performed as part of this report suggest several areas where the data
basis might be improved, in particular with regard to:
- the contribution of Swiss research projects to international
programmes;
- information on the level of funding from indirect sources;
- research and monitoring conducted by or under contract of
federal offices and research institutes.
Priority-setting
Research priorities can be set (i) as they emerge from individual
researchers pursuing their personal scientific interests; (ii) in a
"top-down" fashion through the allocation of research budgets,
funding guidelines and co-ordinated research programmes; or (iii) by
"bottom-up" priority dialogues and co-ordination within the
scientific community, with the government as well as with the public
at large. This report suggests that each of these approaches can be
useful, but that very little attention has been given thus far to
"bottom-up" priority dialogues, be they among scientists or together
with policy makers. Given the central international importance of the
objective of sustainable development, the uncertainty of future
funding for research and monitoring and the urgency of global
environmental problems, it seems advisable to pursue this latter
approach.
End of the executive summary
