Thus the Association of International Research Initiatives for Environmental Studies (AIRIES) was established under the auspices of the Environment Agency of Japan in 1996 with the goal of organizing efforts to predict these problems before they happen, learn as much and as quickly as possible about them, and take appropriate countermeasures. To do this, it brings specialists from diverse scientific and academic fields together, aiming to provide opportunities to share their knowledge.

AIRIES also encourages people in industry, government, and academia to unite and bring all of their knowledge to bear on solving these problems. It promotes cooperative among advanced and developing countries, a focusing of efforts through international cooperative research projects, and better technology for handling global environmental problems.

Promotion of Information Exchange

• To edit and publish the Japanese periodical gChikyu kankyoh and the English periodical gGlobal Environmental Researchh and to distribute them to domestic and overseas universities, research institutes, environment-related organizations, and to AIRIES members
• To hold seminars and lectures on global environmental issues

Investigation and Joint Research

1. Global Environmental Conservation
• To collect and provide information on global environment-related research
• To participate in global environment-related meetings both within and outside Japan
2. Earth-Observing Satellites
• To collect and provide information on earth-observing satellites
• To propose the technological development of earth-observing satellites
• To promote the use of data obtained from earth-observing satellites
3. Anti-Desertification
• To collect and provide information on international research on desertification
• To propose research into desertification
• To develop technologies for desertification control
4. Management of International Environmental Project
• To promote international environmental projects and Clean Development Mechanism/Joint Implementation (CDM/JI) Projects in trust

Provision of Information to AIRIES Members

• To publish AIRIES News monthly
• To provide domestic and overseas research reports on the global environment
• To provide domestic and overseas information on environmental administration

Major Activities Commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment

1. Eco-Frontier Fellowship Program

Logistical support (invitation, visa arrangement, etc.), as well as assistance of the conduct of joint activities with the host researchers/ host research institutes
2. Global Environment Research Fund

Database management of results from research projects under the Global Environment Research Fund*, organization of symposia on global environmental issues, and other related tasks
*The Ministry of the Environment research fund supporting policy-making on global environmental issues by scientific aspects

Major Projects Commissioned in FY2003

1. International Research Exchange Program (Ministry of the Environment)

To conduct logistical support for 16 Eco-Frontier Fellows and to hold the presentation of joint activities with the host researchers *see list of the fellows for details

2. Administration of the Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) (Ministry of the Environment and Hyogo Prefecture)

To support global change research-related projects, to put up an APN Web site, and to publish an APN newsletter
3. Global Environment Research Program (Ministry of the Environment)

To hold meetings to present the results of research activities conducted under the program, to prepare pamphlets of the program, and to put up a Web site for the program

4. Public Symposium (Ministry of the Environment)

To hold the public symposium on the impacts and risk of the global warming under the Global Environment Research Program in Tokyo

5. Environmental Research and Technological Development (Ministry of the Environment)

To conduct a survey on current status of research and technological development in environmental-related local research institutes in Japan

6. Global Warming: Impacts on Society (National Institutes for Environmental Studies)

To conduct a survey on the impacts of global warming on society and to hold a workshop on regional impacts in Kitakyushu

7. Anti-Desertification Activities (National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences)

To clarify the process of desertification in Pakistan

8. Management of International Environment Project (Global Environment Center Foundation)

To conduct a field survey on Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of co-generation project converting sugar industrial solid waste gBagasseh into bio-energy in Brazil

ASSOCIATION OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

MAP

1-4-4 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0005, JAPAN
TEL@+81-3-5812-2105
FAX@+81-3-5812-2106
E-mail@airies@airies.or.jp
URL@http://www.airies.or.jp