GRID-Arendal: 30 Years of Making a Difference

A key focus of GRID-Arendal activities this year was the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, where GRID-Arendal, together with UNEP, organized a display of products and services. At this summit, A Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an Operational Unit of the United Nations University (UNU) at GRID-Arendal was signed by UNEP, UNU and the Government of Norway. The Environment and Poverty Times was released at the WSSD, and the Arctic Environment Times at the Arctic Parliamentarian Summit in Tromsø, Norway, in line with our commitment to broaden the scope of new innovative GRID-Arendal products in communicating information for decision-making. GRID-Arendal and the World Resources Institute (WRI) published Where are the Poor? Experiences with the Development and Use of Poverty Maps . This has led to further cooperation planned for 2003 in establishing a global online database of poverty maps and environmental information. Vital Water Graphics was produced for presentation in early 2003 at the UNEP Governing Council Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya and at the WorldWater Day in Japan. Vital Climate Graphics Africa was presented at the 8th Conference of the Parties (COP 8) of the Climate Change Convention in Delhi, India. Technical guidance and support from GRID-Arendal led to the launch of Earthwire Africa at the summit of African Ministers of the Environment in Kampala, Uganda. A popularized version of an assessment of the Caspian environment was produced in cooperation with the countries in Caucasus and Central Asia.

2002