Annual report 2005-06.indd - Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems ...

policyOverviewAustralia will face a range of challenges over thenext decade in managing its Southern Oceanand regional interests. We aim to contributeto national benefit by providing greaterunderstanding of the nature of internationalmarine resources and environmental regulation,the policy implications of climate changeresearch, the patterns of interaction amongststakeholders, and the types of institutional formsthat support and/or inhibit the effectiveness ofthese regimes.The Policy Program also ensures that scientificoutputs from the other ACE CRC researchprogram are able to contribute to policydevelopment and outcomes for partner agenciesand research users within Australian, State andLocal Government Agencies.A major strand of the Program’s researchhas centred on science-policy integrationover climate science and related areas andthe means by which this can be improved.Members of the policy program have engagedin regular discourse with partner agencies andresearch users through processes such as thedevelopment of the Research Users’ Forum andthrough project level linkages. The ACE CRCheld its first annual Research Users’ Forum inCanberra in late November 2004, and the secondin February 2006 enabling communication of ACECRC research to users and identification of users’interests and needs. These activities have beensupported by other end-user presentations andparticipation in seminars.Research on emergent issues has focusedon areas such as Antarctic marine biologicalprospecting, examining issues and challengesin developing regulatory responses to biologicalprospecting. Work on human impacts inAntarctica and the Southern Ocean has identifiedchallenges in existing management of Antarctictourism. Research on Southern Ocean whalinghas highlighted issues related to Australia’sdomestic legal regimes and its linkage withinternational instruments.The third, related focus of the program has beenlinking improved understanding of the regionto appropriate international regimes and toAustralian policy objectives. Achievements herehave included development of inventories ofinternational regimes and Australian legislativeand regulatory responsibilities, with thisresearch providing greater understanding ofthe nature of international marine resourcesand environmental regulation, the patterns ofinteraction amongst stakeholders, and the typesof institutional forms that may support and/orinhibit the effectiveness of the regimes.Key achievements 2005-06• Development and presentation of SecondResearch Users’ Forum• Second workshop on Australia’s AntarcticAgenda in collaboration with Sydney Centrefor International and Global Law• Identification of Australian legislative andregulatory responsibilities implementingAustralia's international instruments that linkto ACE CRC science outputs.• Development of new research projects onintegrating climate science research andAustralian public policy and managingscience-intensive public policy.• Development of internal arrangements tointegrate science and policy research withinthe ACE CRC through establishment of ad hocscience-policy working group(s) to synthesiseACE science and policy knowledge relevantto specific tasks/outputs. The working groupswill provide a mechanism for interdisciplinarydiscussion and for the production of specificoutputs of policy-relevance to government.Plans for 2006-07• Development of collaborative researchinitiatives between the Policy Program andthe Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), USA including a study of themanagement of science-intensive publicpolicy.• Completion of Stage 1 of new project oninstitutional structures and knowledgemanagement systems for integrating climatescience research and Australian public policy.• Continuing development of internationalcollaboration in analysis of polar regimes.• Completion of Australia’s Antarctic Agendawith book publication.50 Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems CRC - Annual Report 2005-06