GRID Polar Division News

May 15, 2013, Kiruna, Sweden - The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Faunahas presented the "Arctic Biodiversity Assessment"to the Foreign Ministers of the Arctic Council countries at the Arctic Council Ministerial.

Bonn, Germany, 2 May 2013 - Partnership agreement signed at the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation is set tostrengthen cooperation between the Convention of Arctic Flora and Fauna and the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

May 3, 2013, DeKalb, Illinois, USA- The film "Status and Trends in Arctic Biodiversity" has won the 2013 documentary award of the annual Green Lens Environmental Film Festival.

April 2, 2013, Assam, India - HICAP project sites in the Assam region of India were visited by GA and AARANYAK.

February 17, 2013, Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia- Following on from a preparatory visit by Mikhael Pogodaev and Anna Degteva in late December 2012, the Nomadic Herders’ team has been working hard last week to consult with the various Ministries of the Government of Sakha (Yakutia), during the CAFF Biennial meetings held 11 – 15 February 2013. They also had the chance to meet with various experts on land degradation and biodiversity conservation within the North-East Federal University.

February 18, 2013, Nairobi, Kenya, - A side event entitled "What future for the Arctic?" was organized on the occasion of theFirst Universal Session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum, held in Nairobi on February 18-22, 2013.

February 18, 2013, Nairobi, Kenya - The 2013 edition of the UNEP Year Book was released by UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, during the opening press conference of the First Universal Session of the UNEP Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF).

A journalist training workshop, held inNepal, brought together about 20 different journalists from the region to improve their skills for communicating on climate change.

Climate change experts and government officials have arrived in Doha, Qatar, for yet another round of global climate talks. Olav Orheim, the chair of GRID-Arendal's board, writes in the British newspaper The Independent that while no one is holding their breath about any major breakthrough on this highly contentious issue, there might – just might – be reason to believe that at last progress can be made.

28-31 August - Arendal, Norway - GA hosts a meeting of the Working Group for the 2013 UNEP Year Book. Representing GA at this meeting are Peter Prokosch, Lawrence Hislop, Christian Nellemann and Lars Kullerud.