13
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
14
INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
Working
in partnership
18
WORLD-WIDE
EVENTS
Through its network of sites, IRD is present in more than 50 countries
in the South. It has consolidated its links with their research and training
structures and is among the main European players in research
for the South.
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
14
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP / INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
In the Mediterranean
INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS
Water management
in the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean region has many assets: a young and educated
population, almost non-existent “absolute” poverty, and abundant
natural resources despite an unequal distribution of the benefits of
growth. The “Arab Springs” triggered in 2010 led to a genuine political
transition. This region is subject to significant social and ecological
pressures, producing historic, unprecedented transformations, and
leading to a re-examination of the fundamental conditions, and even
possibilities, for its medium- and long-term development. The coastal
zones are suffering increased pollution and are subject to competition
for control of the area and access to water resources. Faced with
demographic, health, ecological, economic, and cultural challenges,
analyses are highlighting the risks of complex and lasting crises.
In 2013, IRD participated in many strategic projects. These include
Med-Spring 1, which focuses on capacity-building, the sharing of
knowledge, and cooperation in the areas of water, food, and energy;
and ERANet-MED2, intended to develop European-Mediterranean
cooperation by coordinating national and regional programmes. These
two projects have involved the CIHEAM-IAMB (Centre international des
hautes études agronomiques méditerranéennes – Istituto Agronomico
Mediterraneo di Bari - The international centre for higher agronomic
research in the Mediterranean - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute
of Bari) in Italy.
Also, IRD actively participated in discussions at the ANR-TransMed
seminar on the challenges and prospects for trans-Mediterranean
research, with the attendance of key researchers in the North and South
Mediterranean.
Additionally, the Lebanese-French Environmental Observatory,
O-Life, was established to share and improve observation tools for water
management, biodiversity, and integrated management of the coastal
zone.
region. Yet, economic prospects are positive, with widespread, strong
growth in countries rich in natural resources.
2013 was marked by a strengthening of partnerships, especially with
universities and research organisations, through active participation in
events and through the establishment of many framework agreements.
IRD is a partner in the Scientific and Technical Research Conferences
at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey and in the Conferences on
Higher Education and Research in Senegal.
The First French-Ghanaian University Conferences helped present
partnerships between IRD and institutions in Ghana before all the
chancelleries of the country’s Universities in the country and French
research and higher education directors.
In Burkina Faso, the Patho-BIOS LMI was established in
collaboration with the Institute for Environment and Agricultural
Research. IRD signed framework agreements with the National
Institute for Biomedical Research in the Democratic Republic of Congo
and with the University of Yaoundé 1 in Cameroon. Four new young
international teams were launched in Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso,
and Cameroon. 2013 was also the year in which scientific cooperation
was restarted, especially in Mali, by holding an international conference
to report on the project for the “Contemporary Mali” Priority Solidarity
Fund and the launch of a European Sahel-Maghreb research, training,
and innovation initiative for sustainable development in high-risk areas.
1
2
Mediterranean Science, Policy, Research and Innovation Gateway.
Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation through ERA-Net Joint activities and beyond.
In West and Central Africa
Contact: geostrategie@ird.fr
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
West and Central Africa are priorities for French development policy
due to the significance of the development challenges that they represent
and to their geographic, cultural, and linguistic proximity with France.
Dependent on agricultural activity and fishing in the coastal areas,
the region has been suffering from extreme meteorological events for
decades, aggravated by the impacts of climate change. Additionally,
steady demographic growth is causing significant pressure on natural
resources. More recently, problems of insecurity have arisen in the Sahel
Partnership agreement
in Côte d’Ivoire
15
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS / WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
In Southern Africa, East Africa,
and the Indian Ocean
This region includes both countries with intermediate revenue,
such as South Africa, the Seychelles, and Botswana, and so-called
“less advanced” countries, such as Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Angola.
Some of them have experienced remarkable economic growth in the last
decade. With annual rates approaching 8.5% and 6.8% respectively,
Ethiopia and Angola recorded the most rapid growth in Africa. Despite
significant progress in providing access to potable water and health
infrastructures, the health condition of the people remains one of
the main challenges to be met under the Millennium Development
Goals. The region is also highly exposed to geological risks and climate
hazards, especially the islands, coral reefs, and mangroves.
Here, IRD has strengthened its research partnership in both
anglophone and lusophone countries as well as with priority
francophone countries such as Burundi.
The signature of a memorandum of understanding with the
Malagasy Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
established the general principles for scientific cooperation between
IRD and Madagascar.
The Institute also participated in the 3rd annual meeting of the joint
French-South African committee for science and technology, which was
held in Pretoria to prepare for President François Hollande’s State Visit
to South Africa in October 2013.
Lastly, the call for tender for the ERAfrica project, coordinated by
IRD, helped select 18 projects from the 124 proposals.
Soil studies
in South Africa
IRD also re-energised its activities in Guinea through a partnership
agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education.
Lastly, IRD signed a headquarters agreement with the Ivoirian
government and concluded a partnership agreement to implement
the support project for the modernisation and reform of universities
and grandes écoles in Cote d’Ivoire, as part of a debt reduction and
development contract (C2D).
(Ministry of Research), the Inter-institutional Committee on the
Sea, and the École polytechnique du littoral (Polytechnic School for
the Coast).
Significant events marked the year, such as the start of the
French-Peruvian Doctoral School in Life Sciences, and the first
cooperative seminar between the Venezuelan institute for Scientific
Research, Venezuelan Foundation for Seismological Research,
Foundation for the Institute of Engineering for technological
research and development, and IRD.
Lastly, a regional cooperation dynamic in Latin America, bringing
together public and research participants, was initiated particulary
around the subject of cities (urban re-densification, urban development and climate change, public housing) and sustainable resource
management in arid regions of Latin America and the Caribbean
(AridasLAC regional programme).
3
Gini Index, CIA.
In Latin America and the Caribbean
The Latin America and Caribbean region has significant
development inequalities on the continental level and within each
country. Despite significant progress over the past 20 years, it still
includes 11 of the 25 most unequal countries in the world 3. This
area is the principal area for the analysis of major tropical climate
phenomena and for ocean-continent interactions. It is also home to
remarkable ecosystems for studying major questions arising today
on the erosion of biodiversity, its preservation and development,
water resources, environmental risks, non-renewable resources, etc.
In 2013, IRD signed several framework agreements in Latin
America. These agreements helped develop and strengthen research
activities, notably in Peru with the National Water Authority, and
in Ecuador, with the Ministry of the Environment, the Senescyt
City of Lima
in Peru
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
16
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP / INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
The French Foundation for research on biodiversity is supporting
the Dimpie project for the production of metadata on macro-algae
(Lagplon database).
Lastly, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs’ Pacific Fund
is supporting the AeDenPac project. This project brings together IRD,
the Pasteur Institute and the DASS (Directorate for Health and Social
Affairs) of New Caledonia, the Louis Malardé Institute of French
Polynesia, and their partners in Fiji and Tonga, to support research
on the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for dengue and chikungunya.
In New Caledonia, a framework agreement on collaboration was
signed with the North Province. It will help organise a prospective
workshop on research strategy in this province and establish a
humanities and social science research office with the Conservatory
of Natural Areas in the North Province and the IAC (Institut néocalédonien agronomique - New Caledonian Agronomic Institute).
In Asia
The economic growth that Asia has experienced for the past
twenty years has resulted in a reduction in monetary poverty and
progress in health and education. However, the region remains marked
by significant disparities among countries and by high contrasts
within countries. Development comes with significant changes that
sometimes can destabilise communities in transition. Deforestation,
changing use of soils, pressure on coastal ecosystems, modification
of production systems, and the intensification of urbanisation raise
major questions about transportation and energy, the environment,
and more generally, risk management and prevention, whether for
natural, societal, or health risks.
In 2013, IRD signed several agreements and started numerous
partnerships to design, construct, and develop research activities.
For example, conducted with the Pasteur Institute of Laos and
Kasetstart University in Thailand, the Malvec project focuses on
studying malaria vector resistance to insecticides. IRD has partnered
with the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia to build a regional platform
(PR-Asia) for the study of communicable infectious diseases and
emerging pathogens on the Pasteur Institute’s campus.
An ANRS project in partnership with the Health Sciences
University was started in Laos on the social and cultural dimensions
of protecting children with antiretroviral drugs. In Vietnam, IRD
and the Ho Chi Minh City Science University launched a programme
financed by the Air Liquide Foundation on the atmospheric CO2 fixing
capacity of mangroves. In Indonesia, the ANR project, Domerapi,
conducted in partnership with the Centre for the Reduction of
Geological and Volcanic Risks and the Bandung Institute of
Technology, covers the dynamics of a volcanic arc of lava domes. In
East Timor, a study of cultural transitions in the Papua-Austronesian
group was begun in collaboration with the Government Secretariat
for Culture.
In Bangladesh, the BanD-AID (Belmont Forum) project aims to
establish a satellite and in situ observation system for the GangesBrahmaputra delta to measure the causes and consequences of
the rise in sea level, and to determine human interactions that are
making the coastal areas more fragile. It involves American, German,
Bangladeshi, and French teams, including IRD and the CEFIRSE 4
LMI. The establishment of the ESTAFS 5 network in Indonesia,
Laos, and Vietnam also helped develop a regional partnership on
aquaculture.
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
Aquaculture
in Indonesia
In the Pacific
The Pacific region is one of the largest marine and terrestrial
biodiversity reserves on our planet. More than anywhere else, in
particular due to its insularity, the preservation of this biodiversity is
subject to significant constraints due to global environmental changes
(including climate change), natural hazards, and anthropogenic
activities, especially mining operations. The region represents a
true large-scale laboratory for modelling the effects of global change
and establishing attenuation and adaptation measures, developing
biological resources, and proposing biodiversity conservation
measures. In this context, IRD plays a major scientific coordination
role for major international programmes involving New Caledonia,
French Polynesia, the Island States of Oceania, and International
Regional Organisations. This is the case notably for the GOPS (Grand
observatoire de l’environnement et de la biodiversité du Pacifique sud Grand Observatory for the Environment and Biodiversity of the South
Pacific), supported by the Institut national des sciences de l’univers
(French National Institute for Science of the Universe) at the CNRS, and
the ALLEnvi Alliance, and the PACE-Net+ project, which is inaugurating
a new cycle highlighting the European Union’s interest in this region
and the renewed trust in IRD.
The Coral Labex is also financing three important projects on the
impacts of climate change on coral reefs to improve their sustainable
management.
In Europe
As part of the FP7, the joint CPU-IRD representative, established
in the CLORA (Club des Organismes de Recherche Associés - Club of
Affiliated Research Organisations) building, has strengthened the links
among European Project coordinators and partners and the European
Commission and its Agencies.
It contributed to influencing the policy of the Institute for Science
and Innovation in the South through its membership in CLORA, at
4
5
French-Indian Water Sciences Research Unit.
Ethnobotany for Sustainable Therapy in Aquaculture and Food Safety.
Red algae from
Polynesia
17
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS / WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
Brittany IRD Centre
Science Europe and through its term as president of the Group of
European experts for “science” as part of the 8th Africa-EU partnership.
The various subject area meetings and working groups organised by
these bodies have enabled it to highlight the importance of NorthSouth partnerships in constructing the European research area6. IRD
has also worked closely with the alliances and departments of the
Ministry of Higher Education and Research on the preparation and
discussions of H2020. The establishment participated in discussions
on the possible role of CLORA in the new configuration of the
institutional research and innovation landscape in France and worked
to bring IRD closer to the EUA (European University Association)
of which the Institute became a member. Lastly, IRD met with its
European counterparts to formalise bilateral partnerships for research
for development in the South. Framework agreements were signed, for
example with the IIAC (Instituto de Investigacao Cientifica Tropical)
in Portugal. Others are in the process of being signed (with the CNR,
Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche, in Italy), or being developed (with
the CSIC, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, in Spain).
In Metropolitan France
The IRD North France centre significantly developed its academic
partnership as part of the Idex, in particular in the Île-de-France
Region, with the “Sorbonne Universités”7 Idex. Relations with local
government bodies (the Regional Council, the Council General of SeineSaint-Denis, Est-Ensemble metropolitan, and the city of Bondy), led to
financial support for Bond’innov (an incubator for innovative NorthSouth companies), and to the NumériSud digital campus project that
will be inaugurated in 2014.
In partnership with the University of Yaoundé 1 in Cameroon and
the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal, the IRD North France
centre hosted a class of 15 international master’s students in tropical
plant biology and ecology.
In Brittany, IRD became a member of the board of directors of the
Technopôle Brest-Iroise. It is also developing a strong partnership
with the local offices of INSERM, the CNRS, INRIA, BRGM, IRSTEA,
INRA, IFREMER, MNHN, Météo France, and ANSES as part of the
Conference of Research Organisations in Brittany (COREB). To that
end, IRD is actively participating in establishing a Community of Breton
Universities and Institutions.
The IRD South France centre has aligned its research activities with
all the higher education and research institutions and local government
bodies, in particular the Regional Council of Languedoc-Roussillon. It
is participating in the research and teaching strategy for the five regions
where IRD teams are established and is involved in the Future Investments projects: 2 Idex, 11 Labex, 4 Equipex, a Research Infrastructure,
a Bioinformatics project, an Institut Carnot, a University Hospital Institute, etc. It is also participating in activities sponsored by foundations
(in particular Agropolis-Fondation), and GIS (such as EnviRhônAlp). It
is contributing its experience and expertise on partnerships with the
countries of the South to these mechanisms. Economic transfer and
promotion also remain priorities, in particular with the SATT AXLR
(in which IRD holds a 17% share).
Internationally, construction has begun in Montpellier on the
headquarters for the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research), an IRD partner. Additionally, the MIVEGEC UMR
is a World Health Organisation centre collaborating on the public health
evaluation of new insecticides. The TransVIHMI UMI was accredited as
a “supranational reference” for the study of antiviral resistance (with a
branch in Cameroon categorised as a “national reference” in the area).
New research structures were inaugurated in 2013: a geosciences
building (Géoazur laboratory), an extension of the TransVIHMI AIDS
research laboratory, and the Montpellier Institute on water and the
environment (IM2E).
6
A document initiated by IRD on the topic: International Cooperation in Research and
Innovation under H2020
7
In partnership with Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris-Sorbonne University, Compiègne
Technology University, MNHN, INSERM, and the CNRS
North and South innovative
entrepreneurship meetings
in Bondy
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
18
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP / WORLD-WIDE EVENTS
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, EAST AFRICA, AND THE INDIAN OCEAN
WORLD-WIDE
EVENTS
4 sites / 81 staff members / 85 co-publications
IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
8 sites / 136 staff members / 158 co-publications
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
3 sites / 59 staff members1 / 88 co-publications2
Butterfly fish
from the Maldives
City of Cairo
in Egypt
ShERACA +: A cooperative project between Egypt and Europe
IRD is part of the Consortium for the European project ShERACA+ (Shaping
Egypt’s association to the European Research Area and Cooperation Action
Plus). Financed by the 7th PCRD from the European Commission and
coordinated by the Egyptian Ministry of Research, this project is intended
to strengthen bilateral EU–Egypt dialogue and coordinate research and
innovation programmes. Through an inventory of initiatives, it aims to
support the preparation of joint activities in areas of common interest and
societal challenges, in particular as part of the launch of the new masterprogramme Horizon 2020.
1
Permanent researchers, IT, and buildings. 22012 Web of science data, IRD documents.
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013
To be Pan-African
Organised together with the Urmis Unit on 17 and 18 May at the headquarters
of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, the Being Pan-African conference,
an official side-event of the special summit to commemorate the fiftieth
anniversary of the organisation of the AU, brought together renowned
intellectuals and the general public from the African diaspora on the topic
of the roots, benefits, and challenges of Pan-Africanism, a fundamental
step toward African renaissance.
A regional summer school on gemmology and geology
The Regional summer school on “Knowledge of gems: from the field to the
market” in Kenya, brought together, under the aegis of the Ministry of Mines
and the University of the Voi mining region, researchers from the GET unit
and professionals to share their experience with students, in particular on
the economic exploitation of tsavolite and tanzanite.
Celebrating Marine Sciences
Four hundred people from all the island and coastal countries in the region
attended the 8th international conference of WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean
Marine Science Association) on the theme of “Science and society: building
partnerships for action”. IRD is highly involved in this research network and
in organising its conferences.
Study of the Coropuna
glacier in Peru
An international symposium for Lake Titicaca
This first joint event between Bolivia and Peru covered an environmental
diagnosis of Lake Titicaca. This initiative, strongly supported by the ALT
(Autonomous bi-national authority for Lake Titicaca) should lead to the
establishment of a bi-national observatory on Lake Titicaca, with significant
IRD involvement.
The impact of climate change on glaciers is a major concern
The international conference on glaciers brought together nearly
2,000 participants in Peru. The Great Ice LMI was highly involved.
The new urban challenges in the Andes
The Los nuevos desafíos urbanos en la zona andina seminar, organised
by the French Embassy, IRD, AFD, ANA (National Water Agency), and the
Peruvian Ministry of Housing, took place in Lima in November 2013. It was
an opportunity for discussion among researchers and professionals from
France and many Andean countries. The PACIVUR programme (Andean
programme for research and training on urban vulnerability) sponsored by
IRD was the topic of a presentation.
19
WORLD-WIDE EVENTS / WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
IN THE PACIFIC
IN ASIA
6 sites / 308 staff members / 203 co-publications
Millet cultivation
in Niger
A Climate Change Plan for Senegal
IRD helped develop the plan and present the results to the Regional Council
of Dakar, in the presence of the French Minister for Development, Pascal
Canfin.
The National Trade Fair on Creativity and Innovation
Organised by the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of Higher Education
and Research, with IRD support and participation, the 1st such trade fair
was held in Niamey in December 2013. The objective: to mobilise Nigerian
researchers and inventors to improve, manage, and diversify agricultural
techniques.
The Fourth Scientific Film Festival of Ouagadougou
More than 700 spectators attended this scientific cultural event organised
by IRD and the French Institute.
4 sites / 95 staff members / 136 co-publications
2 sites / 113 staff members / 5 co-publications
Satellite view of the
Ganges Delta
Reducing mortality and morbidity associated with infectious
encephalitis in Southeast Asia
The regional SEAe project (Southeast Asia Encephalitis Project) was launched
in Vientiane at the end of 2013. It brings together health institutions and
universities from 5 Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Thailand, and Vietnam) and is intended to improve diagnosis and treatment
of the disease. Two days of presentations allowed the participants to share
their work and organise the future implementation of the programme.
Launch of the French-Indian SARAL-AltiKa satellite
This satellite measures the surface topography of the oceans and that
of height variations of major world rivers. The CEFIRSE LMI is heavily
involved in exploiting its data, in partnership with the Indian Space Research
Organisation and the Indian Institute of Sciences.
An innovative approach for better management of maritime
resources in Indonesia
The vast INDESO spatial oceanography project started in partnership with
IFREMER and the CLS (Collecte localisation satellite - Satellite location
campaign), for the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and with
support from the AFD. This project combining infrastructure development,
research (remote sensing, and biogeochemical modelling), and training is in
response to considerable development challenges in the largest archipelago
in the world, where maritime resource management is a national challenge.
50 years of research in French Polynesia
In 1963, IRD (then called Orstom) created the first research centre in
Papeete. In 1982, a new centre was built in Arue. For half a century, IRD has
conducted original scientific research in Polynesia in strong partnership
with local researchers.
Global Oceanic Ecosystems - Impacts of climate change
on large predators
The Cliotop conference is a component of the international IMBER programme
(Integrated Marine Biochemistry and Ecosystem Research) on global oceanic
ecosystems, the predators that inhabit them, and related fisheries. This
second international conference was organised in Nouméa by the General
Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the CSIRO ( Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Australia), in collaboration
with IRD, in February 2013.
A Sea Coral workshop
This workshop was held in Brisbane on 25-26 March 2013 as part of the
declaration of French-Australian intentions for the sustainable management
of Sea Coral, signed in March 2010 by the Caledonian executives, the
French Government, and the Australian Ministry of the Environment. Six
researchers from the IRD centre in Nouméa associated with the Coreus,
Locean, Legos and Geoazur UMRs participated actively.
IRD - ANNUAL REPORT 2013