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Commitment to sustainable nitrogen management for improved life, health and environment continues

GEF-UNEP/CEH INMS Project

By IW:LEARN

September 7^th, 2020

First e-briefing for the UN Environment Nitrogen Working Group

On 8-9 June 2020, the UNEP-CEH/GEF ‘Towards INMS’ Project (INMS) hosted the ‘First e-briefing for the Nitrogen Working Group of the United Nations Environment Programme’.

The e-briefing was the first of its kind, building on the progress made during the historic signing of the Colombo Declaration in October 2019 as part of the Launch of the Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The e-briefing also follows the adoption of the Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management (UNEP/ EA.4/ Res.14), during the Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) in March 2019. The e-briefing provided National Focal Points with the opportunity to meet and discuss the way forward including the creation of a Task Team for the Nitrogen Working Group.

Commitment to sustainable nitrogen management for improved life, health and environment continues

Session 1 of the meeting focused on a briefing from INMS on the International Nitrogen Assessment (INA), a major output for the INMS Project scheduled for publication in 2022. Session 2 focused on what is needed from the Inter-convention Nitrogen Coordination Mechanism (INCOM), with input from UN Conventions and other relevant initiatives. This presented an opportunity for Member States to provide interventions, with several countries contributing comments, including: India, Sri Lanka, Romania, and Germany.

With over 160 delegates representing more than 50 countries in attendance, the e-briefing was a very successful step in the implementation of the Resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management. Further information including: the agenda, briefing documents, presentations, and recordings of the meeting can be found here.

Commitment to sustainable nitrogen management for improved life, health and environment continues

Nitrogen management is not a new problem, but a central part of the solution to many global environmental challenges, with substantial economic benefits.

The Project looks forward to meeting again with partners and key stakeholders at the next e-briefing of the Nitrogen Working Group, provisionally planned for the Autumn of 2020.

In its recently released Project Newsletter, the INMS Project also imparts key messages on current global issues, as well as highlights from recently concluded activities.

A MOOC, organized by The University of Edinburgh, is currently available for FREE in six languages (English, Hungarian, Hindi, Sinhalese, Urdu and Nepalese) at edX and will help broaden understanding about the global nitrogen challenge.

Read the INMS Project August 2020 Newsletter

About ‘Towards INMS’ Project

The ‘Targeted Research for improving understanding of the global nitrogen cycle towards the establishment of an International Nitrogen Management System (INMS)’ project or ‘Towards INMS’ will deliver the INMS within the next of couple years. It is implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with funding through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed through the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and its Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). There are over 70 global project partners supporting the work through co-finance. The project is also conducting five regional demonstrative on-the-ground interventions.

‘Towards INMS’ is developing the evidence base to showcase the need for effective practices for global nitrogen management and highlight options to maximize the multiple benefits of better nitrogen use. The project presents a key opportunity to pull together a global and critical mass of science evidence on the nitrogen cycle, and develop a sustained process that gets science, governments, businesses and civil society working together to build common understanding and deliver real change.

For more information on the GEF-UNEP/CEH INMS Project, please contact the Project Coordinator Clare Howard (cbritt@ceh.ac.uk) or the Project Coordination Unit (inms@ceh.ac.uk), and visit the project website and the project page on iwlearn.net.

"The Nitrogen Song," created by Grammy Winning Composer Ricky Kej, premiered at the launch of the United Nations Global Campaign on Sustainable Nitrogen Management on 23-24 October 2019 in Colombo. The Nitrogen song raises awareness on the importance of maintaining the delicate Nitrogen balance on our planet. It is this balance that maintains all life.

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