The Future Earth program, which brings together thousands of researchers and billions of dollars of sustainability research from across the world, was launched in Australia in November.
The Academy is establishing an Australasian node of the global program to ensure that Australia and its neighbours can realise the full benefits of the sustainability work that’s being undertaken across the globe.
The Academy has appointed Dr Imran Ahmad to lead the program following support from CSIRO, the University of Queensland, Macquarie University and the University of Sydney.
Future Earth will take a uniquely holistic approach to address some of humanity’s most complex problems, such as climate change, food security and water supply, by integrating physical sciences with the social sciences and humanities.
An example of how this would work would be Future Earth Australia tackling the challenge of sustainable urban and agricultural development in areas with reduced rainfall by bringing together experts from diverse fields such as agricultural science, urban planning, behavioural economics and history.
The launch of Future Earth Australia follows an initial 18-month consultation and planning process involving each of Australia’s learned academies that was funded by the Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA).
More information on Future Earth Australia
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