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Project Updates

Meridian Assists in Revision of the National Response Plan

Through our ongoing assistance to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Meridian has been facilitating external stakeholder meetings as well internal writing teams in the formal U.S. government review and revision process for the National Response Plan and National Incident Management System (NRP/NIMS). In October, Meridian worked with the government's Task Force co-chairs and staff from the DHS Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the DHS Preparedness Directorate to design and facilitate a stakeholder meeting to collect input on critical issues identified in the key "after action reviews" by the White House, both houses of Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and others to assess lessons learned after the Katrina and Wilma disasters.  The DHS FEMA Under-Secretary and Director and the DHS Under-Secretary for Preparedness co-hosted the meeting on behalf of the NRP/NIMS Task Force. Over ninety participants from state governors’ offices; state offices of homeland security and emergency management; state, local, and tribal associations; private sector organizations; and non-governmental organizations with significant interest in disaster preparedness and response joined the discussion. Staff members from DHS, the White House, and other NRP signatory agencies also participated in the meeting. 

Meridian is continuing its involvement in the review process.  In partnership with the Homeland Security Institute, Meridian is facilitating and supporting several workgroups that have been tasked with revising key components of the NRP.  These include work groups addressing Catastrophic Incidents; Special Needs Populations; Companion Animals; and Volunteer and Donations Management.  Members of those work groups, which include DHS and other federal officials as well as state local, tribal, and representatives from the NGO and private sector communities, are currently discussing areas for improvement in the current plan.  The result of these discussions will be a set of revisions that will be incorporated into a new draft NRP available for public comment and finalized in June 2007.  Meridian will be involved with subsequent stakeholder meetings as well ongoing work group activities.  For more information on Meridian’s activities associated with the NRP/NIMS process, please contact Michael Lesnick by email at mlesnick@merid.org

Meridian Convenes Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor

With support from The Rockefeller Foundation (United States), International Development Research Centre (Canada), and Department for International Development (United Kingdom), Meridian Institute has convened the Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks (GDNP) in order to raise awareness about the implications of nanotechnology for the poor; close the gaps within and between sectors of society to catalyze actions that address specific opportunities and risks; and, identify ways that science and technology can play an appropriate role in the development process. 

GDNP recently convened a multi-stakeholder International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Water, and Development in Chennai, India to develop recommendations and identify activities that will inform decisions and catalyze actions by stakeholders (e.g., water experts, development experts, governments, NGOs, companies, universities, international institutions, donors) involved with (a) nanotechnology research and development efforts relevant to providing clean water in developing countries and (b) activities to address potential environmental, health, safety, socio-economic, and other issues related to the use of nanotechnology in water treatment devices. Meridian released three background papers on nanotechnology and water purification in preparation for this workshop: “Nanotechnology, Water, and Development”; “Overview and Comparison of Conventional and Nano-Based Water Treatment Technologies”; and “Examples of Enabling Technologies for the Development of Nano-Based Water Treatment Technologies”.  A summary document of this workshop will also be released in early February.  The meeting summary, the background papers, and more information on the GDNP and Meridian’s other nanotechnology projects can be viewed on our Nanotechnology Portal, http://www.merid.org/nano.

Meridian’s Nanotechnology and Development News (NDN) – another component of the GDNP – is a free, daily electronic news service covering the most important developments related to nanotechnology, poverty alleviation, and the role of science and technology in development, has completed its first full year of operation.  NDN provides succinct summaries of the most pertinent news related to the opportunities and risks of nanotechnology for developing countries drawn from a range of sources such as peer-reviewed journals, international news wires, and industry, government, and NGO publications.  Nanotechnology & Development News (NDN) currently has more than 600 subscribers from over fifty-four countries, including thirty developing countries.  More information about Nanotechnology and Development News is available at http://www.merid.org/NDN.  You may subscribe to the news service at: http://www.merid.org/NDN/subscribe.php.

Food Security and Ag-Biotech News Now Available in French

Meridian Institute launched a French-language version of Food Security and Ag-Biotech (FS-AgBiotech) News on Monday, February 5.  The same news summaries currently read by thousands of people each month in English are now available in French.  FS-AgBiotech News is a free daily news service that provides summarized news and analysis of global developments related to agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified crops, with a special focus on implications for food security in the developing world.  Daily news summaries are available by email, on the web, or through a RSS news feed.

Government officials, scientists, NGOs, and industry representatives from more than fifty countries currently subscribe to the English version of the news service.  They report that FS-AgBiotech News keeps them up-to-date on key developments and emerging global issues.  By making FS-AgBiotech News available in French, Meridian Institute aims to provide the same timely and high-quality news coverage to French speakers around the world, especially those from developing countries.  Funding for the French and English versions is provided by The Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Centre of Canada.

Also on February 5, Meridian launched a new Agriculture Portal website.  The Portal allows easy access to Meridian Institute’s broad range of projects in the area of agriculture and food security.  To access the Agriculture Portal, please visit http://www.merid.org/ag.

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