United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Office in Nairobi, Kenya

Science and technology policies for sustainable development

Policies are essential tools for the use of science and technology in development. In Africa the challenge is that several countries do not have a science and technology policy. Furthermore some of the countries which have enacted such policies, did so several years ago and need to revise them to reflect the emergence of new technology. UNESCO is helping in some African countries to build the capacity for science and technology formulation. The organization provides training and technical assistance to member States for policy formulation and review. In 2006/07 the Office will conduct a study to map out the state of science and technology policies in countries in the region.

Examples of Recent Activities:

• Convening a conference of 250 university leaders responsible fro science and technology in Africa (COVIDSET 2005), Accra Ghana 15-17 November 2005.
• Publication of the book State of Science and Technology Training Institutions. Contribution to universities staff development- Award and Administration of 10 postgraduate fellowships each year.
• Publication of the African Journal of Science and Technology.

Disaster Mitigation

Although natural hazards and disasters seem to be inevitable, their catastrophic impact can be considerably reduced through various methods of pre-disaster planning and post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation. In many developing countries, characterized by heavy concentration of population, shanty towns, slums and marginal settlements, a natural hazard can lead to grave consequences even where its initial impact is not very severe. Hazard and disaster management requires response, incident mapping, establishing priorities, developing action plans, and implementing the plan to protect lives, property and the environment. Mapping and information acquisition is therefore vital for disaster management. Available technologies such as GIS and Remote Sensing provide analysis of environmental factors for the identification of potential geohazards and disasters.