Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
agendas but to help shape them in the fi rst place. The Danum
Research Centre in Sabah, Malaysia, for example, monitors
the causes and impacts of deforestation in the Tropics. Recent
experience of tsunamis in Asia, hurricanes in the Caribbean, and
fl ooding in Britain has stimulated the need for greater awareness,
early warning systems, and preventative measures.
•
As direct involvement of geographers on key committees and
working parties.
The ability to form research agendas is
considerably enhanced if geographers are members of key
committees in both the public and private domains. Roles as
advisors to government and lead roles on front-line working
parties are especially infl uential. The British geographer Sir
Peter Hall has had considerable infl uence in the development
of urban policies. He has served on the South-East England
Regional Planning Committee, on the Prime Minister's Urban
Task Force, and was an advisor on trunk road developments in
the UK. He was also Special Advisor to the Secretary of State
for the Environment 1991 to 1994 and has testifi ed before the
US Congress on urban policy. He is regarded, moreover, as the
founder of the Enterprise Zone concept, which has been adopted
worldwide. The Enterprise Zone was designed to encourage
private economic development in designated areas. Within this
'zone' investing companies enjoyed tax concessions and relaxed
planning regulations. At a different level, there is an excellent
record of the involvement of geographers in UK public bodies
such as National Parks committees, Sports Councils, and Crime
Prevention panels.
•
As parts of an interdisciplinary team to tackle major global or
regional problems.
Increasingly governments are becoming aware
of the need to turn to science to understand and tackle issues
such as global warming and environmental change. Geographers
need to obtain presence on these major projects and there is
ample evidence for success in this context. Groups dedicated to
understanding the current and future changes in the Greenland
and Antarctic ice sheets involve geographers; many of the
