Wikipedia Entry The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Chagne (IHDP) is a research programme that studies the human and societal aspects of the phenomenon of global change. IHDP aims to frame, develop and integrate social science research on global change, and promote the application of its key findings. It strives to develop research approaches that put societies at the center of the debate, looking at current global environmental problems as social and societal challenges. IHDP’s work brings together groups of multi-disciplinary and multi-national researchers to work on long-term collaborative science. It’s major role within the scientific field is providing leadership in the selection and development of themes for focused research and in stimulating scientific communities to coordinate their efforts on these themes within the framework of its projects.
IHDP Research consists of ten projects. It’s 6 core projects, focus on how humans affect and are affected by climate change, with specific topics including human security, urbanization, industrial transformation and environmental governance. Two of its six core projects are also core projects of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) and focus specifically on coupled human-environment systems such as land use, and coastal zones. It also has four joint projects on carbon, water, human health and food security with the other three global change research programmes (ESSP).
HISTORY IHDP was established in 1996 by the International Social Science Council (ISSC), and the International Council for Science (ICSU) IHDP succeeded the Human Dimensions Programme (HDP), which was sponsored by the ISSC alone. In 2006, the United Nations University joined ISSC and ICSU as an institutional sponsor of IHDP. SECRETARIAT The IHDP Secretariat is located at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany, and is hosted by the United Nations University. EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE PARTNERSHIP IHDP is a partner of the Earth System Science Partnership along with the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the World Climate Research Programme, and DIVERSITAS an international programme for biodiversity research. CORE PROJECTS Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) Urbanization and Global Environmental Change (UGEC) Industrial Transformation (IHDP-IT) Earth System Governance (ESG) Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) Global Land Project (GLP)