MoU between MAIRS-FE and Future Earth formally signed

The transition of Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS) to Future Earth commenced about two years ago. The Regional Centre for Future Earth in Asia hosted a meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC), led by its chair Michael Manton, in November 2016 which provided the turning point for MAIRS.

At that meeting, offers of support for the International Project Office (IPO) for MAIRS at Peking University, Beijing and for the Regional Project Office (RPO) for MAIRS at the Indian Institute for Science, Bangalore were accepted, and Tong Zhu was appointed as Interim Director of the IPO and S.K. Satheesh was appointed as Interim Director of the RPO.

A new web page is being established under the domain name mairs-fe.org, and the program name has been changed to Monsoon Asia Integrated Research for Sustainability – Future Earth (MAIRS-FE).

Based on the Initial Strategic Research Plan for Future Earth in Asia prepared by the SSC, three priority research areas were identified. These areas, which are seen to be especially important for Asia and to align with the Future Earth KANs, are

• resilience to climate-related natural disasters
• human health in monsoon Asia
• water, energy and food nexus.

MAIRS-FE will continue to commit to cross-cutting global change issues related to the unique Asian monsoon climate and topography, and develop links across the diverse cultures and societies of Asia, while closely working with other core projects, the relevant Knowledge-Action Networks, and Regional Advisory Committee for Future Earth in Asia.