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7th Thematic Seminar on the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Urban Environmental Management: Strengthening the implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative

13-14 December 2004

Bangkok, Thailand

Professor Hidefumi Imura

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Good morning ladies and gentlemen:

I am pleased to have this chance to welcome you to the 7th Thematic Seminar on the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Urban Environmental Management being held in the beautiful city of Bangkok.

This is the seventh seminar in the thematic seminar series which aims to enhance the capacities of local governments in improving the environmental quality of our urban area. Previous seminars have been held on solid waste management, public-private partnerships for urban water supply and wastewater treatment, urban air quality management, industrial relocation, public participation in urban environmental management, and international cooperation for local initiatives.This seminar, which focuses on the use of information and communication technologies in urban environmental management,aims to facilitate collaboration and exchange of knowledge and information among network participants to improve understanding in the use and effectiveness of ICT, assess the current status of ICT application at the local level, adopt measures to strengthen information sharing and future implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative, and increase the capacity of local participants with regard to the management and communication of information.

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, or IGES as it is known, is a research institute which focuses on identifying policy recommendations on sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific Region. IGES addressesissues of critical importance to our region, including urban environmental management, climate change, freshwater resources, forest conservation, environmentally-sound business models and technologies, and integration of sustainable developmentin the Region from a long-term, cross-sectoral perspective.

IGES has been working in collaboration with UNESCAP throughout the implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative, from its inception in 2000 to the present. With our office located in the City of Kitakyushu, we are in a rare position to directly converse with officials and residents of the City of Kitakyushu and analyse the actions taken in overcoming the severe environmental pollution the City experienced; this is the basis for the Kitakyushu Initiative, which attempts to draw lessons from thepractices and experiences of all cities, including Kitakyushu City, and put them together into a menu of effective actions that could be useful in other cities in the region.Our institute has been honoured to be able to take such an important role in providing not only secretariat support to the implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative, but also professional and substantive support to the activities that have been carried out, in particular the collection andanalysis of successful practices in urban environmental management, research on the application of quantitative indicators, expert support in the implementation of pilot activities, and research support in the conduct of thematic seminars.

Many people question the importance of involving a research institute in theimplementation of network activities. This is one of the major characteristics of the Kitakyushu Initiative, which makes it inherently different from other initiatives in our region. There are major barriers to bringing critical research outputto its intended audience; disseminating information on not only the “who,”“what,”“where,” and “why,” but also the “how” of particular successful actions is a criticalpart of formulating and implementingactions in our own cities.

Over the past years, IGES has worked in collaboration withUNESCAP in the formulation of programmes for the Kitakyushu Initiative based on our research experiences and output, and attempted to bridge the gap between research and actual practice, in essence, learning how to be not only a “think-tank” but a “do-tank.” As many of you know, research can take years to reach its intended audience, however, through our work with the Kitakyushu Initiative, we have been able to find an outlet for the dissemination of timely and relevant research, as well as obtain important information regarding the environmental practices of the local governments in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, strategically placed to address the environmental challenges of our region, is pleased to be able to play an important role in the implementation of the Kitakyushu Initiative in collaboration with UNESCAP and looks forward to the further development of this special programme together with you, the members of the network.

We look forward to working with you over the seminar period and to receiving your ideas on how the Kitakyushu Initiative can be strengthened through the use of ICT in urban environmental management.

Thank you.