Social Sciences and Humanities Survey on Environmental Change Launched

Social sciences and humanities scholars are invited by the United Nations University’s International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (UNU IHDP) to provide input on social and human dimensions of global environmental change (GEC) research. IHDP has launched the global survey to understand social sciences and humanities research priorities, current activities and incentives/disincentives for conducting work in this field. This project is being run in partnership with the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and UNESCO.
 
The survey is being undertaken in response to calls by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Council for Science, the International Group of Funding Agencies and others for better integration of the social sciences into global environmental change research. Results will contribute to framing the global sustainability research program from a social sciences perspective.
 
To take the on-line survey, which should take 15-20 minutes to complete, please click on this link: IHDP Social Sciences and Humanities Survey. Survey results will be published and made available to participating organizations. Results will be aggregated and any personal identifying information will not be linked to the results, even if you choose to provide your email address for future follow-up. Survey participants will be able to request a copy of the report at the end of the survey.
 
As a follow-up to the survey, IHDP proposes to assemble social scientists and stakeholders to coordinate a thorough assessment and synthesis of social sciences research on socioeconomic structures and incentives, behaviors, beliefs and values, and mechanisms of societal response and adaptation in the context of GEC. This assessment will:

a.    Contribute improved knowledge and a refined social science research agenda for GEC

b.    Help to strengthen social science collaboration on the social dimensions of GEC, with a special effort to involve developing countries

c.    Provide critical information to the general public and policymakers on the social dimensions of GEC

d.    Feed into the evaluation of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (to take place in 2015) and other international processes

IHDP is one of the main multilateral global environmental change research organizations. IHDP’s role is to bring together state-of-the-art research findings on the social dimensions of GEC, to address gaps in knowledge by initiating new integrative research projects, to make findings available to the public and decision-makers in an easily understood form, and to help build the social science portion of the GEC research community.
 
Thank you very much for participating. If you have questions, please contact Anantha Duraiappah, PhD, duraiappah@ihdp.unu.edu or Deborah Rogers, PhD, rogers@ihdp.unu.edu.