Centre for Development and Environment (Switzerland)

CDE was established in 2009 as a strategic research centre of the University of Bern,{{Cite web|url=https://www.unibe.ch/research/research_priorities/centers_of_excellence/index_eng.html|title=Centers of Excellence|date=2017-03-28|website=Portal|access-date=2019-11-26}} under the direction of Peter Messerli and Thomas Breu. Its origins date back to the Group for Development and Environment, founded in 1988 at the Institute of Geography of the University of Bern. This research group was headed by two professors, Hans Hurni and Urs Wiesmann, and initially based on two international research programmes, the Soil Conservation Research Programme in Ethiopia{{Cite journal|last=Grunder|first=Martin|date=1988|title=Soil Conservation Research in Ethiopia|journal=Mountain Research and Development|volume=8|issue=2/3|pages=145–151|doi=10.2307/3673441|issn=0276-4741|jstor=3673441}} (1981–1998) and the Laikipia Research Programme in Kenya{{Cite web|url=https://forsbase.unil.ch/project/study-public-detail/9833/|title=FORSbase (in German)|last=|first=|date=|website=forsbase.unil.ch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731120752/https://forsbase.unil.ch/project/study-public-detail/9833/ |archive-date=2019-07-31 |access-date=2019-11-22}} (1984–1997). Other major international research programmes followed. These included Terre Tany{{Cite web|url=https://forsbase.unil.ch/project/study-public-detail/3610/|title=FORSbase (in German)|last=|first=|date=|website=forsbase.unil.ch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731120749/https://forsbase.unil.ch/project/study-public-detail/3610/ |archive-date=2019-07-31 |access-date=2019-11-22}} (1989–2000) in Madagascar, the Eastern and Southern Africa Partnership Programme{{Cite journal|last=Ott|first=Cordula|date=2017-02-27|title=Enabling Transformative Research: Lessons from the Eastern and Southern Africa Partnership Programme (1999-2015)|url=http://www.librelloph.com/challengesinsustainability/article/view/cis-5.1.15|journal=Challenges in Sustainability|language=en|volume=5|issue=1|pages=15–23–23|doi=10.12924/cis2017.05010015|issn=2297-6477|doi-access=free}} (1999–2015), and programmes in Central Asia,{{Cite web|url=http://en.camp.kg/|title=CAMP Alatoo is a leading regional Central Asian|website=en.camp.kg|access-date=2019-11-26}} the Mekong region,{{Cite journal|last=Heinimann|first=Andreas|last2=Breu|first2=Thomas|last3=Kohler|first3=Thomas|date=1 May 2005|title=Watershed Classification in the Lower Mekong Basin|journal=Mountain Research and Development|volume=25|issue=2|pages=181–182|doi=10.1659/0276-4741(2005)025[0181:WCITLM]2.0.CO;2|issn=0276-4741}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tabi.la/|title=The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative in the Lao PDR – TABI|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.decide.la/|title=Lao DECIDE Info - ເລີ່ມ|website=www.decide.la|access-date=2019-11-26}} and the Andes. From 2001 to 2013, CDE was the lead institution of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South,{{Cite web|url=http://www.snf.ch/en/researchinFocus/nccr/nccr-north-south/Pages/default.aspx|title=NCCR "North-South – Research Partnerships for Mitigating Syndromes of Global Change" (2001-2013) - SNF|website=www.snf.ch|access-date=2019-11-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.north-south.ch/Pages/default.aspx|title=NCCR North-South|last=|first=|date=|website=www.north-south.ch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131073406/http://www.north-south.ch:80/Pages/default.aspx |archive-date=2018-01-31 |access-date=2019-11-22}} a Swiss-based international research programme on global change and sustainable development.

In 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed then CDE Director Peter Messerli to co-chair the independent group of scientists drafting the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2019 on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Peter Messerli oversaw completion of the milestone report together with co-chair Endah Murniningtyas, former Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Environment in Indonesia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/envdev1770.doc.htm|title=Experts, Eminent Scientists to Draft Report on Sustainable Development Ahead of Global Review Set for 2019 {{!}} Meetings Coverage and Press Releases|website=www.un.org|access-date=2019-11-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/globalsdreport/2019|title=GSDR 2019 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform|website=sustainabledevelopment.un.org|access-date=2019-11-22}}

CDE conducts research on sustainable development in the context of global change and related impacts on natural resources (soils, water, biodiversity), land systems, and the living conditions of different population groups. It employs researchers from the natural sciences, social sciences, human sciences, humanities, law, and economics. The four main areas of research of CDE’s interdisciplinary teams are:

• Land resources: use of natural resources (water, soil, vegetation); importance of land (access, distribution, rights) and changes and adjustments in management (cultivation techniques, conservation, commodification) for sustainable development.
• Socio-economic transitions: global change; measuring poverty and inequality; social and technological innovations in the fields of labour, production, and consumption.
• Sustainability governance: interaction of global and local regulatory systems; GIS-based methods to identify different claims to water, land, or food; policy support.
• Education for sustainable development: building competencies for transformations to sustainable development; supporting the University of Bern in implementing sustainability in teaching, research, and operations.

CDE offers a full master's in Sustainabiltiy Transformations{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=Master in Sustainability Transformations: Shaping the change for desirable futures |url=https://www.cde.unibe.ch/studies/master_in_sustainability_transformations/index_eng.html |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)}} and minors in sustainable development at the bachelor’s{{Cite web|url=https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/studium/studienprogramme/bachelor_nachhaltige_entwicklung_nur_minor/index_ger.html|title=Bachelor Nachhaltige Entwicklung (Minor) (in German)|last=|first=|date=2019-09-24|website=Philosophisch-naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502183114/http://www.philnat.unibe.ch:80/studium/studienprogramme/bachelor_nachhaltige_entwicklung_nur_minor/index_ger.html |archive-date=2016-05-02 |access-date=2019-11-26}} and master’s{{Cite web|url=https://www.philnat.unibe.ch/studies/study_programs/master_s_in_sustainable_development_minor/index_eng.html|title=Master's in Sustainable Development (minor)|date=2018-08-09|website=Faculty of Science|access-date=2019-11-26}} level, with currently over 400 students enrolled in these programmes.

The International Graduate School (IGS) North-South was created in 2009{{Cite web|url=http://www.igs-north-south.ch/Pages/Mission.aspx|title=IGS North-South Mission|last=|first=|date=|website=www.igs-north-south.ch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902105753/http://www.igs-north-south.ch:80/Pages/Mission.aspx |archive-date=2016-09-02 |access-date=2019-11-26}} as part of the above-mentioned NCCR North-South programme. The IGS North-South is a doctoral programme based on an inter-university agreement between the Universities of Basel, Bern, Lausanne, and Zurich, as well as selected cooperation agreements with universities in countries of the global South and East. CDE coordinates the IGS North-South, which currently has around 100 doctoral students.

Administratively, CDE is part of the Faculty of Science of the University of Bern. The university’s Executive Board issues a performance mandate to CDE.

CDE maintains a broad national and international network with academic institutions such as ProClim,{{Cite web|url=https://naturalsciences.ch/organisations/proclim|title=ProClim|website=naturalsciences.ch|access-date=2019-11-22}} the Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries KFPE,{{Cite web|url=https://naturalsciences.ch/organisations/kfpe|title=Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries|website=naturalsciences.ch|access-date=2019-11-22}} td-net{{Cite web|url=http://www.transdisciplinarity.ch/en/td-net/Aktuell/td-net-News.html|title=Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences {{!}} td-net news|website=www.transdisciplinarity.ch|access-date=2019-11-22}} the Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology (SAGUF),{{Cite web|url=https://naturalsciences.ch/organisations/saguf|title=Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology|website=naturalsciences.ch|access-date=2019-11-22}} and scnat; global scientific programmes;{{Cite web|url=https://landmatrix.org/|title=Land Matrix - LAND MATRIX|website=landmatrix.org|access-date=2019-11-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wocat.net/en/|title=Wocat|website=Wocat|language=en|access-date=2019-11-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://glp.earth/|title=Global Land Programme {{!}}|website=glp.earth|access-date=2019-11-22}} civil society organizations; and the public sector. It hosts

• the coordination office of the [https://mountainresearchinitiative.org/ Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)]
• the coordination office of the [https://www.wocat.net/en/ World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT)];
• the editorial office of the international peer-reviewed journal [https://www.mrd-journal.org/ Mountain Research and Development (MRD)]; and
• together with Biovision, the [https://www.sdsn.ch/ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Switzerland].

• [https://www.cde.unibe.ch/ CDE's website]
• [http://www.igs-north-south.ch/Pages/default.aspx International Graduate School (IGS) North-South]

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Category:University of Bern

Category:Environmental research institutes