It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, June 02, 2023
New method improves efficiency of ‘vision transformer’ AI systems
Vision transformers (ViTs) are powerful artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can identify or categorize objects in images – however, there are significant challenges related to both computing power requirements and decision-making transparency. Researchers have now developed a new methodology that addresses both challenges, while also improving the ViT’s ability to identify, classify and segment objects in images.
Transformers are among the most powerful existing AI models. For example, ChatGPT is an AI that uses transformer architecture, but the inputs used to train it are language. ViTs are transformer-based AI that are trained using visual inputs. For example, ViTs could be used to detect and categorize objects in an image, such as identifying all of the cars or all of the pedestrians in an image.
However, ViTs face two challenges.
First, transformer models are very complex. Relative to the amount of data being plugged into the AI, transformer models require a significant amount of computational power and use a large amount of memory. This is particularly problematic for ViTs, because images contain so much data.
Second, it is difficult for users to understand exactly how ViTs make decisions. For example, you might have trained a ViT to identify dogs in an image. But it’s not entirely clear how the ViT is determining what is a dog and what is not. Depending on the application, understanding the ViT’s decision-making process, also known as its model interpretability, can be very important.
The new ViT methodology, called “Patch-to-Cluster attention” (PaCa), addresses both challenges.
“We address the challenge related to computational and memory demands by using clustering techniques, which allow the transformer architecture to better identify and focus on objects in an image,” says Tianfu Wu, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. “Clustering is when the AI lumps sections of the image together, based on similarities it finds in the image data. This significantly reduces computational demands on the system. Before clustering, computational demands for a ViT are quadratic. For example, if the system breaks an image down into 100 smaller units, it would need to compare all 100 units to each other – which would be 10,000 complex functions.
“By clustering, we’re able to make this a linear process, where each smaller unit only needs to be compared to a predetermined number of clusters. Let’s say you tell the system to establish 10 clusters; that would only be 1,000 complex functions,” Wu says.
“Clustering also allows us to address model interpretability, because we can look at how it created the clusters in the first place. What features did it decide were important when lumping these sections of data together? And because the AI is only creating a small number of clusters, we can look at those pretty easily.”
The researchers did comprehensive testing of PaCa, comparing it to two state-of-the-art ViTs called SWin and PVT.
“We found that PaCa outperformed SWin and PVT in every way,” Wu says. “PaCa was better at classifying objects in images, better at identifying objects in images, and better at segmentation – essentially outlining the boundaries of objects in images. It was also more efficient, meaning that it was able to perform those tasks more quickly than the other ViTs.
“The next step for us is to scale up PaCa by training on larger, foundational data sets.”
The paper, “PaCa-ViT: Learning Patch-to-Cluster Attention in Vision Transformers,” will be presented at the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, being held June 18-22 in Vancouver, Canada. First author of the paper is Ryan Grainger, a Ph.D. student at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Thomas Paniagua, a Ph.D. student at NC State; Xi Song, an independent researcher; and Naresh Cuntoor and Mun Wai Lee of BlueHalo.
The work was done with support from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, under contract number 2021-21040700003; the U.S. Army Research Office, under grants W911NF1810295 and W911NF2210010; and the National Science Foundation, under grants 1909644, 1822477, 2024688 and 2013451.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Computational simulation/modeling
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
PaCa-ViT: Learning Patch-to-Cluster Attention in Vision Transformers
Visual analytics research aims to improve supply chain resiliency
An interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by the University of Oklahoma, is working to provide decision-makers with better information to improve national security and supply chain resiliency through visual analytics
IMAGE: ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO OF SUPPLY CHAIN MODELINGview more
CREDIT: LICENSED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA; SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO ID: 2195197535
A new research effort led by the University of Oklahoma and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, will develop a visual analytics system to help Department of Defense decision makers understand the different types of risks associated with the global supply chain networks, the various actions that can be taken to protect the interests of national security, and ways to withstand and recover from any supply chain disruptions as quickly as possible.
Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic have made apparent how supply chain networks are an essential yet vulnerable necessity for how resources, goods and services move around the globe.
“Everything that has happened in recent years has emphasized the importance of studying supply chain networks and making those more resilient to a broad range of disruptions, as well as more adaptable to new technologies,” said Andrés D. González, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Gallogly College of Engineering at OU, and the principal investigator of the study.
“For example, COVID-19 caused significant cascading failures, where in diverse circumstances, a delay or a disruption in one of the functions from a single supplier propagated globally throughout the entire supply chain network and had effects in multiple regions and industries,” he added. “Many of these failures were caused by mechanisms that had never been observed before in history, and the depth and complexity of their effects were not adequately foreseen, thus inspiring the type of work we’re doing.”
González, who is also an affiliate faculty in the data science and analytics program in the Gallogly College of Engineering at OU, is leading an interdisciplinary team composed of experts spanning economics, industrial and systems engineering, computer science, and aerospace and mechanical engineering, among others. González is also working with OU’s Data Institute for Societal Challenges and Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute, whose executive director, retired Lt. Gen. Gene Kirkland, observed that this effort is “yet another example of emerging partnerships between academic colleges and university-wide centers to advance OU’s research in support of national security challenges.”
Over the course of the four-year $3.7 million project, the research team plans to create an extensive computational and visual analytic environment using state-of-the-art modeling and predictive techniques, along with visualizations such as spatiotemporal graphs, charts and maps, to identify vulnerabilities and patterns that can help to better understand and evaluate the interactions and interdependencies between different components in supply-demand systems.
“First, we need to gain adequate supply chain visibility and understand the complex regional and global supply-demand networks, their structures and dynamical properties, using novel data-driven system identification techniques based on multiple data sources such as contracts, partnerships, and flow of commodities and information,” González said. “Once a good understanding of supply chain network structure and dynamics has been achieved, it is critical to develop advanced models for supplier survivability prediction, risk quantification and propagation, and resilience-based mitigation, preparedness and recovery actions.”
By integrating those components within a visual analytics environment, researchers and practitioners will have a framework that can show not only visual representations of existing supply-demand networks but also provide significant insights and actionable information for stakeholders and decision makers.
“A strong visual analytics environment can provide valuable information into what-if scenarios associated with a diverse range of disruptions, as well as pre- and post-event policies,” González said. “For example, what if we had another pandemic? What would be the effect of increasing tributary duties in a particular industry? Or, what if there is some political issue that affects some trade deal? The idea is to learn how people make decisions and how that can also give information to mathematical models to improve their predictive power.
“It is also very important to understand the effect that other countries have on the performance of supply chain networks in the U.S., so having an understanding of this will enable us to make better decisions to reduce vulnerabilities, enhance our resilience, and improve cooperation as well,” he added.
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About the University of Oklahoma Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships
The University of Oklahoma is a leading research university classified by the Carnegie Foundation as the nation’s highest tier of research universities. Faculty, staff and students at OU are tackling global challenges and accelerating the delivery of practical solutions that impact society in direct and tangible ways through research and creative activities. OU researchers expand foundational knowledge while moving beyond traditional academic boundaries, collaborating across disciplines and globally with other research institutions as well as decision makers and practitioners from industry, government and civil society to create and apply solutions for a better world. Find out more at ou.edu/research
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the state, region and nation’s educational, cultural, economic and health care needs. For more information, visit www.ou.edu.
Irish Aran Islands based science team set new maritime WiFi world record
European team use proprietary ‘SeaFi’ technology to send furthest wireless broadband transmission from ship-to-shore ever achieved without satellite
IMAGE: THE NEW RECORD IS 36.83KM (19.9 NAUTICAL MILES) SET ON SATURDAY, 26 MAY 2023, OFF THE COAST OF THE ARAN ISLANDS.view more
CREDIT: HIGHWAVE PROJECT
A team of scientists working off the west coast of Ireland have set a new world record for the furthest broadband transmission from a ship at sea back to land without satellite or cellular connection. The new record is 36.83km (19.9 nautical miles) set on Saturday, 26 May 2023, off the coast of the Aran Islands.
The team based at Aran Island Research Station (AIRS) on Inishmaan, with support from the local community, Irish manufacturer ÉireComposites, the Marine Institute, University College Dublin (UCD) and ENS Paris-Saclay, used technology called ‘SeaFi’ to beat the previous record of 35.92km (19.4 nautical miles), set on 6 June 2018 using the same technology.
SeaFi is a self-funded scientific research project that provides enabling technology behind the European Research Council (ERC) funded project HIGHWAVE, which is led by Professor Frédéric Dias from UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics and ENS Paris-Saclay. SeaFi was invented by HIGHWAVE consortium member Arnaud Disant in 2013, with support from the Irish Naval Service and the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI). HIGHWAVE is based at AIRS and studies breaking Atlantic ocean waves using fluid dynamics principles. AIRS was built as part of the HIGHWAVE project.
In January this year, the ERC awarded HIGHWAVE a proof-of-concept grant to develop the project’s novel maritime wireless communications, under the project name ‘REALTIMESEA.’
HIGHWAVE lead researcher, Professor Frédéric Dias said: “This record is another milestone in the development of wireless marine data communication systems. The ERC proof-of-concept REALTIMESEA precisely deals with using the SeaFI system on data buoys. The system offers mobility, privacy, big data throughput capability in a cost-efficient manner.
As shown with the record, it has the capability of being available over tens of kilometres much like UHF/VHF, thus allowing data from a variety of sensors located at sea to be immediately available on shore or at least on a nearby ship.
“I want to thank our collaborators and supporters from the Marine Institute, ÉireComposites and the community of Inishmaan, who are very much a part of the HIGHWAVE team.”
As senior research engineer on the project, Mr Disant was on board the MV Blath na Mara (pictured) for the record attempt. He said: “We are delighted to have broken the unchallenged 2018 world record on Inishmaan, almost without preparation and no sea trials.”
At sea presently, fishermen and other maritime businesses only have two options for communications: satellite or cellular systems, such as the 3G used by mobile phone networks. SeaFi offers a third alternative, fulfilling a deficit in maritime coastal telecommunications.
The SeaFi technology facilitates the creation of private networks in ports and coastal areas by establishing connections between lighthouses, maritime wind turbines, offshore drilling platforms and vessels at sea. These networks can be used to connect ships and their crews or alternatively data collection from data collection buoys.
SeaFi will be used to connect the new proof-of-concept Met Ocean Buoy 10km off the shores of Inishmaan.
Breaking the Record
MV Blath Na Mara set sail in the early hours of Saturday morning, crewed by Master Rory Beatty, Helmsman Thomàs Feeney, Navigator Tommy Flaherty and SeaFi Station Operators Micheal O’Conghaile and Arnaud Disant. The day was fair and a gentle breeze helped sail on a course of 250 degrees past the Aran Islands, approximately 70km from the port of Rossaveel, while remaining in contact with the Aran Island Research Station (AIRS) where the scientists from UCD and ENS Paris-Saclay received multiple emails and video calls over the course of the record attempt.
The last email sent from the bridge of MV Blath Na Mara, registered at a distance of 36.83 km was also received by independent witnesses in Beijing (China), Larnaca (Cyprus), Bordeaux (France) and San Diego (USA).
ÉireComposites directly supported the challenge, working closely with Arnaud Disant to create a concept dome structure, in a move to benefit the technology industry in Connemara, telecommunications and ocean engineering generally. The Marine Institute helped to secure Merchant Vessel Blath Na Mara and a crew. UCD and ENS Paris Saclay were instrumental in lining up a team of scientists. All these efforts were wholly backed by the local community of the Aran Islands who have become a support network and enthusiastically engage with the HIGHWAVE project.
About HIGHWAVE
The €2.5m HIGHWAVE project applies fluid dynamics to study the physical mechanisms underlying destructive breaking waves on the ocean’s surface and develop accurate wave models. These models could help improve criteria for the design of ships and coastal and offshore infrastructures, help to quantify seabed erosion, and help to quantify air-sea CO2 transfer, which is key to predicting future climate.
About the ERC
The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation.
The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. Since 1 November 2021, Maria Leptin is the new President of the ERC. The overall ERC budget from 2021 to 2027 is more than €16 billion, as part of the Horizon Europe programme, under the responsibility of the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
News article
International scientific collaboration helps reduce regional disparities in tackling climate change
Assessment was made by experts at the annual meeting of the Global Research Council taking place in The Hague. Representatives of funding agencies from 63 countries ratified a statement of principles and practices on funding research on the topic
FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
IMAGE: THELMA KRUG, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) AND A FAPESP BOARD MEMBERview more
CREDIT: LEANDRO COLLI
Climate change is already affecting all regions of the world, impacting natural systems, biodiversity and human life. The global nature of this challenge demands that public funding agencies in all countries be involved in research on the topic, building synergies and collaborations with other initiatives. For this effort to be effective, however, mechanisms must be created to assist funding agencies in countries with transitioning economies in order to reduce regional disparities in addressing this threat.
The assessment was made by experts at a panel discussion on climate change research funding that took place on Wednesday (May 31), during the annual meeting of the Global Research Council, which runs until Friday (June 2) in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
During the event, co-organized by FAPESP, representatives of funding agencies from 63 countries ratified a declaration of principles and practices on funding research on the topic.
"International collaboration will allow us to identify possible mitigation and adaptation options to meet regional needs covering the full range of sectors, including energy, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, land use and forestry waste," said Thelma Krug, vice president of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Global Climate Change (IPCC) and a FAPESP board member.
During her lecture, Krug highlighted that science already points to the need for rapid, deep, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so that the long-term temperature targets stipulated in the Paris Agreement are met. This will imply profound social changes and transformations in all areas of society, she pointed out.
"These transformations require that scientific and traditional knowledge come together to help identify and implement best practices and strategies at the national level, connecting science with all levels of government, the private sector, civil society, local communities and indigenous peoples. No one can be left out of this equation," she stressed.
In order to achieve this goal, however, it is necessary to promote equal opportunities for the countries of the Global South – which includes developing nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Oceania –, Krug pondered.
"It's a reality that there are many more opportunities for scientific development in the Global North and this can lead to biases. Therefore, ideally there should be equal opportunities for southern countries so that it's possible to identify local context-specific challenges to address climate change impacts and risks and exploit the technical and economic potential of mitigation in all areas," she assessed.
According to Krug, the GRC members recognize that these issues alone create a demand for research and offer numerous opportunities to fund projects that can make a difference in developing public policy, strengthening public and private partnerships, driving innovation, and pursuing fair transition.
Relationship with the SDGs
Action against climate change is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations (UN) and connects with several of the other 16 goals, pointed out Cherry Murray, professor at the University of Arizona, in the USA, and co-president of a group of ten experts appointed by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to support the implementation of the SDGs. The group also includes Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, FAPESP's scientific director from 2005 to April 2020.
"Many of the Sustainable Development Goals will need local solutions to be achieved because we're talking about jobs and quality of life for local populations. But to start taking carbon out of the atmosphere we need it to happen on a global level," he pondered.
According to data from a study by researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis presented by Murray, achieving the SDGs will require six different social transformations. Most of them are being driven by climate change, said the researcher.
"By 2030, 80% of the world's population will live in cities that haven’t yet been built, and many of them will be located in the Global South. These cities will need to be much smarter," Murray said.
"We need global research collaboration, but solutions need to be tailored to local needs and involve both mitigation and adaptation," she pointed out.
In this sense, one of the contributions of the GRC could be to articulate local solutions in tackling climate change with a global scenario, evaluated Ricardo Galvão, president of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
"We need much better articulation between different countries," Galvão said.
One successful partnership initiative of Brazil in climate change research with other countries was the development of Earth observation satellites in cooperation with China that made it possible to monitor deforestation in the Amazon, exemplified the researcher.
"This was very important for us to have more details about the deforestation of the forest," he said.
This same type of partnership could be useful, now, to improve climate models to analyze climate change in South America, Galvão said.
"None of them work well for South America. The Andes mountain range, for example, isn't well considered in these models. And why isn't there an international approach to look more carefully at where our models fail? We lack an international agreement between the different agencies for that," he said.
Funding agencies from 63 countries ratify document for broader and more inclusive research
A charter of principles was ratified during the annual meeting of the Global Research Council. The goal is to establish common practices to assess the quality of the science produced and facilitate international collaborations
FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
IMAGE: THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH COMMON PRACTICES TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF THE SCIENCE PRODUCED AND FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONSview more
CREDIT: KARINA TOLEDO
Research, institutions and researchers need to be assessed in a broad and holistic way, taking into account the context in which the research is done, such as the field of study or the stage of the researcher's career. Moreover, the diversity of research activities, innovation, and outputs that demand diverse skills and competencies all need to be recognized. Responsible research practices and approaches should be guided by the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
These are some of the principles ratified by agencies participating in the annual meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC), which runs until Friday (May 2) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, in the Netherlands. The meeting has been organized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and FAPESP.
"We have a lot of influence on the culture and behavior of researchers and research organizations. So coming up with a set of principles about how we think about rewarding and recognizing researchers is absolutely critical and fundamental to what we do," said Prue Williams, New Zealand's Minister for Business, Innovation and Employment, who led the session "Recognizing and Rewarding Researchers" held on Wednesday (May 31).
Arfan Ikram, a member of the NWO executive board and professor at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, recalled his own career as a professor and researcher to stress the importance of rewarding and recognizing researchers at different stages of their careers.
"This recognition and reward movement is at least a decade old, and today I seek to contribute in the role of research funder. But when I look back, I see that recognition and reward have benefited my career as a researcher and professor enormously, such that without it I wouldn't be here," he said.
New challenges
The keynote address was given by Laura Rovelli, a member of the Executive Council of DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment) and coordinator of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), based in Buenos Aires.
According to Rovelli, there are currently some challenges to research assessment due to different transformations taking place in society, some of them related to urgent and critical problems. One of these is the quest for sustainability while facing global climate change and other social issues.
"It’s necessary to strengthen the role of science as a common good, in order to obtain citizens' engagement in scientific activity. On the other hand, to protect access to the benefits of science, which can bring well-being to individuals and societies, aligning research quality with integrity and social impact is also a challenge," she stressed.
In this sense, the researcher recalled that some measures are being taken to improve the quality of research assessment in South America, such as the network of 10 Brazilian universities working on reforms aligned to the principles of DORA, an international group that has been formulating and proposing improvements in this type of assessment since 2012.
Following the talk, the participants divided into five groups and raised questions to be incorporated into future discussions on the topic at the GRC. Finally, they ratified the charter of principles, with nine items designed to advance new ways of assessing research and researchers.
Tackling global problems requires international collaboration and this underscores the strategic role of the GRC
Representatives from 81 research funding agencies from 63 countries are meeting this week in The Hague, in the Netherlands, for the Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council. The event will discuss topics that will help shape the future of research
FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
IMAGE: THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GLOBAL RESEARCH COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS TOPICS THAT WILL HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLDview more
CREDIT: GRC
"Welcome everyone to the 11th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council [GRC], here at the Peace Palace. In times of war and conflict, what an encouraging place for us to be gathered, sharing and discussing ideas to shape and further develop global research collaboration."
With these words the president of the Governing Board of the GRC, Katja Becker, opened the annual meeting of the main public funding agencies for research in the world, which in 2023 is taking place in The Hague (Netherlands), where the United Nations Court of Justice is located. The event is being hosted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and FAPESP. Taking part are 175 representatives from 81 research funding institutions from 63 countries.
In her introductory speech, Becker, who is also president of the German Research Foundation (DFG), said that the need for global cooperation is becoming increasingly evident, which makes the joint activities carried out within the framework of the GRC even more important. On the other hand, she said, there is a growing perception that research freedom and scientific exchange are under threat.
On behalf of the NWO, Marcel Levi welcomed the participants and said he was proud that the event organized in his country – in collaboration with Brazilian partners – had brought together a record number of organizations and countries.
"Today we're at the Peace Palace, a true icon for peace and justice. Indeed, one of the best possible ways to achieve international collaboration and cross-border understanding is research. Science and peace are intimately linked," said Levi, recalling that the construction of the Peace Palace was funded by an American philanthropist called Andrew Carnegie, who sought to bring the world's population together by bringing inspiring people together. "And that is exactly what we want for this week: to bring together colleagues to find international solutions to common problems and inspire each other."
The opening session was also attended by Marco Antonio Zago, president of FAPESP, who stressed the coincidence of the event taking place exactly 100 years since the death of Rui Barbosa (1849-1923), the Brazilian politician and diplomat who became known as the "Eagle of The Hague" for his strong performance in the Second Peace Conference, in 1907, held in an attempt to avoid a world conflict that, a few years later, would become the First World War.
"As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, we must ask ourselves how true is the perception we scientists have about the role of science in society. And perhaps even more relevant: is this role changing? Is science still progressing as strongly as it was at the end of the last century? We must recognize the complexity of today's reality, which is more than ever defined by global phenomena such as the pandemic, wars, the global energy and food crisis, large-scale migrations," Zago said, then pointing out that no country or national or regional science system is able to define its own future alone or independently. "This context highlights the relevance of the Global Research Council and all these meetings, as it represents a privileged forum for interaction, collaboration and joint initiatives."
Zago also highlighted that science is a key tool for achieving the SDGs, which include the fight against climate change, one of the main themes of the event. "To achieve this goal will require a synergistic action of governments, the engagement of society and a strong contribution from science, technology and innovation," he stressed.
One topic under discussion this year – how to improve the way researchers are evaluated and rewarded – has, in the assessment of FAPESP's president, the potential to shape the future of research.
"I see a productive path for joint collaboration in the coming years, should we succeed in solving two prominent problems in today's scientific community: the slowdown of disruptive science and the disenchantment of younger generations with scientific careers," he concluded.
Beyond metrics
The opening ceremony was followed by a lecture given by Robbert Dijkgraaf, who, besides being a physicist and string theory scholar, is a professor at the University of Amsterdam and currently the Netherlands Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
One of the central points of his speech was the exaggerated attachment of scientists to performance indicators, numbers, and other types of metrics that, according to the minister, has "spread like wildfire and is now present in many aspects of society."
"Today there are managers who focus exclusively on quantitative goals. Nurses spend more time recording their activities than caring for patients. And policymakers – I say this from experience – we sometimes lose sight of the human story behind all these numbers, data and metrics," he said. "And in academia, of course, we create numerical indices to measure the career impact of publications. Some refer to modern scholars as 'les measurables' [a pun on the word measure]. We often reduce the complexity of life to a single number. Metrics have their value, but it's important to remain critical."
In Dijkgraaf's assessment, important steps will be taken during the Annual Meeting of the GRC toward new principles for recognizing and rewarding researchers, in an effort to capture all dimensions of academic work.
"Seeing this topic on the agenda fills me with pride, as the Netherlands was one of the first to address the issue. The fact that this movement is now gaining international acceptance is clear from the distinguished company gathered here today. There's nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come."
The agenda for the 11th meeting brings together a number of strategic themes, including overarching questions about equality, diversity and inclusion, and the responsible evaluation of scientific research, as well as questions concerning international collaboration and future activities of the GRC. "We're going to focus on innovating ways to recognize and reward scientists, as well as discussing funders' responsibilities and opportunities in addressing climate change. I firmly believe that the statements of principle on both topics, which will be presented in subsequent sessions, will inspire each of us, our organizations, and the GRC as a whole as we strive to enable scientific research to be done in the best way possible," said the president of the GRC's Governing Board.
"Science provides us with knowledge, innovative tools and creative solutions to combat climate change and the loss of biological diversity, to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, promote justice and bring about the logic of global peace. May our work together contribute to a global spirit of peaceful cooperation," he added.
UMD-led study finds forest protection successfully leads to reduced emissions at global scale
New study confirms protected forests preserve equivalent to one year of global fossil fuel emissions through avoided emissions
A study recently published in Nature Communications by researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD), Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona, Conservation International and more has found that worldwide protected forests have an additional 9.65 billion metric tons of carbon stored in their aboveground biomass compared to ecologically similar unprotected areas—a finding that quantifies just how important protected areas are in our continued climate mitigation efforts.
This study, which was jointly funded by the National Science Foundation (PI Brian Enquist, University of Arizona) and NASA (PI Laura Duncanson, UMD), used the highly accurate forest height, structure and surface elevation data produced by NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI, PI Ralph Dubayah, UMD). The team of researchers compared protected areas’ efficacy in avoiding emissions to the atmosphere with unprotected areas’ ability to do the same and tested the assumption that protected areas provide disproportionately more ecosystem services—including carbon storage and sequestration—than non-protected areas.
"We have never had these 3D satellite datasets before, so we have never been able to map forest carbon accurately at this scale. Analyzing the data to discover the magnitude of avoided emissions in protected areas shines yet another light on the global importance of forest conservation,” said UMD Assistant Professor Laura Duncanson, lead author of the study. “We look forward to continuing this work to monitor the future success of protected areas for preserving carbon.”
The biggest, most climate-positive impact the researchers observed came from the protected, moist broadleaf forest biome in the Brazilian Amazon, with Brazil contributing 36% to the global signal.
Another key finding was that the amount of aboveground biomass—the dry mass of woody matter in vegetation that stands above the ground—gained from protected areas is roughly equivalent to one year of annual global emissions from fossil fuels.
Previous attempts to quantify protected areas' biomass content had high uncertainties and/or biases, as past satellite biomass products are known to saturate in high biomass forests, such as old-growth protected areas. GEDI data helped the researchers overcome these limitations.
The researchers specifically used height, cover, Plant Area Index (PAI), and Above Ground Biomass Density (AGBD) products from the first 18 months of GEDI mission data, which was collected between April 2019 and September 2020. In total, the researchers—which also include UMD’s Mengyu (Amber) Liang, Veronika Leitold and John Armston—analyzed more than 400 million 3D structure samples and matched each protected area to ecologically similar unprotected areas based on climate, human pressure, land type, country and other factors.
“These results are novel in that they provide the first, long-anticipated evidence that protected areas are effectively sequestering a lot more CO2 from the atmosphere than otherwise similar but degraded areas that surround them," said Scott Goetz, Regents’ Professor in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University and coauthor of the study. “They were only possible because of systematic spaceborne measurements of canopy structure and aboveground biomass from the GEDI Lidar mission.”
The researchers’ study highlights the urgency of protection and restoration for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, as emphasized by the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC found that nature-based solutions such as reducing the destruction of forests and other ecosystems, restoring them and improving the management of working lands, such as farms, are among the top five most effective strategies for mitigating carbon emissions by 2030.
“Protected areas are an essential part of the conservation toolkit. They confer enormous benefits in the form of living carbon, essential to mitigate climate change's worst effects,” said Patrick Roehrdanz, director of Climate Change and Biodiversity at Conservation International. “This research reflects the importance of the Convention on Biological Diversity target—of achieving 30 percent protection of all ecosystems—as an effective strategy to address more than one of the biggest environmental crises we face: biodiversity loss and climate change.”
Other collaborating researchers include Sebastien Costedoat, Patrick Roehrdanz and Alex Zvoleff (Conservation International); Brian Enquist (University of Arizona); Lola Fatoyinbo (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center); Mariano Gonzalez-Roglich (WCS Argentina); Cory Merow (University of Connecticut); and Karyn Tabor (University of Maryland, Baltimore County).
The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
1-Jun-2023
NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS
Municipal administrators know about NbS but rarely use them to reduce environmental inequality
Study mapped knowledge of nature-based solutions among municipal staff responsible for projects in 20 Brazilian cities. The survey points to the need to adapt the approach used in the northern hemisphere to local conditions
FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO
IMAGE: STUDY MAPPED KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AMONG MUNICIPAL STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR PROJECTS IN 20 BRAZILIAN CITIES. THE SURVEY POINTS TO THE NEED TO ADAPT THE APPROACH USED IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE TO LOCAL CONDITIONSview more
CREDIT: EDUARDO CÉSAR/PESQUISA FAPESP
Initiatives involving nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly frequent in Europe and the United States, but still scarce in Brazil and rarely part of local public policy even when mayors are aware of the concept.
This is one of the findings of a survey conducted in Brazil by scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of the ABC (UFABC), also in São Paulo state. Based on questionnaires and a focus group of municipal technicians and project managers from all five regions of Brazil, the study aimed to help close the gap in knowledge of nature-based solutions, which address societal challenges via ecosystem protection, sustainable management and restoration, benefiting biodiversity and human wellbeing.
Although nature-based solutions are found at a range of scales and typologies, they comprise a coherent toolkit for cities that seek to decarbonize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also becoming climate-resilient and ecologically healthy.
The concept was pioneered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), created in 1948 and now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, with more than 1,400 governmental and civil society member organizations in 160 countries. IUCN developed a formal definition of the concept of nature-based solutions and a global standard for its use.
Many countries in the northern hemisphere are currently implementing projects and studies involving nature-based solutions for city renovation and development. However, in several cases these initiatives have driven up house prices and forced residents of neighborhoods with adequate infrastructure to move to areas farther from the city center, making inequality worse.
“Among other aspects, our study set out to see whether these policies that come from the Global North are being adapted to conditions here and whether they’re succeeding. We confirmed that nature-based solutions are becoming more frequent in Brazilian cities. Mayors and municipal administrators are familiar with the concept, but what to prioritize in decision-making is a problem,” Pedro Henrique Campello Torres told Agência FAPESP. Torres is first author of an article on the study published in the journal Environmental Science & Policy. He has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning, holds a PhD in social science, and is a professor at USP.
“If public policies that prioritize the implementation of nature-based solutions are introduced in areas where infrastructure already exists, an opportunity is missed to solve problems involving inequality of access to environmental improvements. This inequality affects public health in leisure areas and also relates to the issue of environmental racism,” he said.
The survey was part of Torres’ postdoctoral research supported by FAPESP. He is now conducting a project under the aegis of the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change (RPGCC).
According to the World Cities Report published in 2022 by UN Habitat, although the pace of urbanization decelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, urban areas are already home to 55% of the world’s population, and the proportion is expected to grow to 68% by 2050, increasing the number of urban residents by 2.2 billion.
On the other hand, the report warns that the impacts of the pandemic, as well as global economic uncertainties, environmental challenges, and wars and conflicts in different parts of the world could have long-term impacts on the future of cities, including a 30% increase in extreme poverty (213 million people) by 2030.
To meet these challenges, investment in sustainable urban development is the way forward, prioritizing a reduction in poverty and inequality; fostering productive and inclusive urban economies; and adopting environmental policies and actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change. Recommended initiatives ranging from rain gardens and linear parks to hillside stabilization and urban farms can help cities become more resilient to extreme weather events and produce benefits for society.
Methods
The researchers designed a questionnaire covering key elements of nature-based solutions relating to justice and “green gentrification” — urban renewal projects that result in changes to the profile of the residents of a given area due to removals and rising house prices.
Municipal administrators, technicians and project managers in selected Brazilian cities were asked to complete the questionnaire, with 14 items, six of them open-ended. The focus was on diagnosing the respondents’ understanding of the concept of nature-based solutions, their stage of development, the references used in their practices, and any concrete cases. The eight multiple-choice questions were designed to find out how justice comes into play and can be integrated into the design and implementation of nature-based solutions.
Thirty-one people in 20 municipalities completed the questionnaire in the period November 9-27, 2020. Most were members of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments in 130 countries committed to sustainable urban development.
The survey covered cities in nine Brazilian states: Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu and Niterói), São Paulo (São Paulo, Boituva, Campinas, Sorocaba, Suzano, Santo André, Ribeirão Pires and Mogi das Cruzes) and Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte) in the Southeast region; Rio Grande do Sul (São Leopoldo and Porto Alegre), Santa Catarina (Joinville and Lindóia do Sul) and Paraná (Curitiba) in the South; Ceará (Fortaleza) in the Northeast; Amapá (Macapá) in the North; and Mato Grosso (Cuiabá) in the Center-West.
After completion of the questionnaires, the researchers convened a focus group, which met on December 21, 2020, with one participant from each region to present the key results and verify possible regional differences.
In the third stage, the data from the survey and focus group were analyzed to identify the main barriers, challenges, gaps and limitations, as well as the opportunities presented by the implementation of nature-based solutions in Brazilian cities.
Results
More than a quarter (28.5%) of the respondents said they knew about nature-based solutions from academia. The next most frequent source of this knowledge was articles and books (22%), followed by outside courses (10%), and partnerships with non-governmental organizations (10%).
When asked to name municipal projects involving nature-based solutions, 18 out of 31 were able to identify the concept but not to name specific projects. They mentioned the following types of activity: reforestation to rehabilitate hydrographic basins, rain gardens, creation of parks by reforestation, linear parks, restoration of contaminated areas, ecologically built parkways, and tree planting to combat heat islands.
With regard to the financing mechanisms that could promote more projects and works for nature-based solutions, 38% mentioned municipal environmental funds, 26% referred to public-private partnerships, and 10% cited individual or collective budget amendments.
On action to address inequality, 28% preferred collaborative governance, while 22% prioritized local community involvement in drawing up and implementing proposals.
“When we asked municipal administrators if the projects aimed to reduce deficits or improve deprived areas, they mainly responded in the negative. In other words, the initiatives weren’t implemented in deprived areas, but in already green areas, leading to the maintenance of environmental privileges and leaving a proportion of the city’s residents as badly off as before. We want the opposite: larger numbers of green areas and nature-based solutions for everyone to have access in a democratic manner,” Torres said.
To move the discussion forward, the article advocates global and local networking to address structural and funding challenges; transparency and inclusion in designing and implementing instruments for protection and environmental justice; and participatory governance and project implementation processes involving engagement with multiple actors.
According to Torres, the Brazilian case can contribute to discussion of the subject in other parts of the Global South with similar inequalities and social vulnerabilities, especially Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Besides Torres, the other authors of the article are Pedro Henrique Campello Torres, Daniele Tubino Pante de Souza, Sandra Momm, Luciana Travassos, Sophia Picarelli, Pedro Roberto Jacobi and Robson da Silva Moreno.
The study was also supported by FAPESP via two other projects (18/12245-1 and 19/06536-6).
About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
