ALBERT

Description: The major task facing the PROSEA project during the period 1987-1990 is to lay a sound basis for the Implementation Phase 1991-1995, while at the same time concrete results have to be produced. The project will achieve this by internationalization, documentation, consultation, and publication. Internationalization. — PROSEA is trying to establish a network of cooperating institutions in Southeast Asia, which will act as centres of activity for PROSEA in the respective countries. Main objectives are to gather existing information and expertise on the plant resources. Each centre will have a country officer paid by PROSEA. Missions were held to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. The following institutes agreed to become a coordinating agency for PROSEA: — Thailand: The Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) at Bangkok. — Malaysia: FRIM at Kepong, MARDI at Serdang or Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (decision not yet taken by the institutes). — Indonesia: The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) at Jakarta. LIPI has designated the Centre for Research and Development in Biology in Bogor as the executing agency, where also the headquarters of the field network will be housed. Dr. J.S. Siemonsma will be the coordinator for PROSEA (operational summer 1988). — The Philippines: The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) at Los Baños. — Papua New Guinea: The Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Lae.

Description: Dr. B.P. DEL ROSARIO (PCARRD, Los Baños) has resumed the post of Programme Leader at the Philippine Country Office per April 1993. Dr. N. WULIJARNI-SOETJIPTO (BO) succeeded Dr. J. KARTASUBRATA (BO) as General Editor per August 1993.

Description: The Task Force ‘PROSEA beyond 2000’ [members: Dr. A.R.M. Ali (FRIM), Dr. B.P. del Rosario (PCARRD), Dr. J. Kartasubrata (PROSEA-BO) and Dr. J.S. Siemonsma (PROSEA-WAG)], met several times and prepared a report with items for discussion at the Third International PROSEA Workshop on 15-17 November 1999 in Bogor. Some proposed major discussion items are: – Should PROSEA continue as a foundation? As an autonomous ASEAN centre? Integrate with or link to other centres? – Is a second edition of the handbook necessary in the next decade? – If no second edition of the handbook is foreseen in the next decade, updating of the databank will be necessary and possibilities of the Internet should be exploited in full. – Should each country office try to cover half of the annual budget with the contribution of the host institute to decrease dependence on external funding? – Should PROSEA concentrate on client-oriented information services in the next decade? The 10th PROSEA Country Officers’ Meeting was held on 7-10 September 1998 in Wageningen. Special attention was asked for quality control of record abstracts in the databank and for careful proof-reading of handbook derived materials before publication.

Description: On 25 and 26 June 2001 FRIM and PROSEA Country Office Malaysia organised a First National Workshop on Environmental Education (EE) in Forest Recreational Areas. The workshop was attended by 75 participants, most from municipalities and government agencies. The issue is actual because tourism is increasingly shifting towards eco- or nature tourism and Malaysia has a lot to offer in this respect. PROSEA Malaysia could contribute e.g. by institutionalising EE at all levels of education, including teachers training, providing teachers with support material for EE, bringing school and community closer by making them undertake EE activities together and providing basic environmental knowledge to all government agencies, private sectors, general public, and political parties. Mid 2001, Dr. E. Sukara, Deputy for Natural Sciences for Biology LIPI, succeeded Dr. A. Nontji as Chair of PROSEA’S National Steering Committee in Indonesia.

Description: Since January 1991, Mr. J. KARTASUBRATA (BO) is the third General Editor, focusing on forestry aspects. He is based at the Network Office in 80. The other General Editors are Dr. P.C.M. JANSEN (botanical aspects) and Dr. E. WESTPHAL (agronomical aspects), both based at the Publication Office in WAG. On May 13-15, 1991, the Executive Board (Dr. A. SOEGIARTO, chairman, Dr. H.C. VAN DER PLAS, vice-chairman) met in WAG. Financial affairs were discussed and the first Board of Trustees meeting, scheduled for October 1991, was prepared. A contract between the PROSEA Foundation and PUDOC (Publisher, WAG) was signed. Copyrights and profits are equally shared by PROSEA and PUDOC. PUDOC is responsible for the hardbound edition of the handbook and the bibliographic database products, whereas PROSEA is responsible for the paperback editions (English and translations). PUDOC provides free of charge documentation facilities (e.g. CATALOG).

Description: In the Bulletin of 1986 (p. 281) the revival of the PROSEA Project has been announced. Some more information on its background and progress seems in order. Historical background. In the field of plant resources of SE. Asia there are no other publications giving such thorough and comprehensive information than K. HEYNE’s ’De nuttige planten van Nederlandsch-Indie’ (1927), and I.H. BURKILL’s ’A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula’ (1935). (For India there is the many-volumed ’Wealth of India’, which presently is being updated. Ed.). The reprint of both voluminous and outdated books in 1950 (as ’De nuttige planten van Indonesie’) and 1966, respectively, proves that there is definitely a need for such information.

Description: PROSEA publishes its own newsletter which originally was published in Wageningen, the Netherlands, but from April 1991 is edited by J. Kartasubrata and N. Wulijarni-Soetjipto, Herbarium Bogoriense, POB 234, Bogor 16122, Indonesia. From December 10-12, 1990, the Multilateral Steering Committee held its third meeting in Manila. The Committee has been dissolved and has been replaced by a Board of trustees, in which all members will be represented.

Description: The task force, headed by Salleh Mohd. Nor (FRIM), was appointed by the Multilateral Steering Committee (Board of Trustees) of PROSEA to make proposals concerning the legal framework, organizational structure, manpower, and total funding requirements of PROSEA for the Implementa- tion Phase 1991-1995. It completed its work and submitted its report in January 1990. The Board unanimously took over the proposals of the task force at its meeting in February 1990 in Kuala Lumpur. The main recommendations are: 1) Legal framework — To obtain a ‘legal status’ for the purposes of securing international funding and protection of copyrights, it is decided to establish PROSEA as a non-profit foundation (NGO) under Indonesian law, with an international charter, taking domicile in Bogor, Indonesia. Meanwhile the PROSEA Foundation has been established. To ensure international stature, recognition by governments, and to facilitate participation by national institutions, the PROSEA Foundation seeks linkages with existing international organizations in the form of collaborative programs. Discussions are going on with ESCAP and UNESCO. 2) Organizational structure — Controlled by the Board of Trustees, two offices are established: a) The PROSEA Network Office. Located at Bogor, Indonesia, coordinating 5 country offices in S.E. Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand). This is principally a data bank network, of permanent character, becoming gradually the most valuable asset of the project. b) the PROSEA Publication Office. Located at Wageningen, the Netherlands, organizing the publication of the handbook. This component has a definite time-table and will be finished as soon as publication of the handbook is completed. 3) Manpower and funding requirements — To realize the ambitious publication schedule for the period 1991-1995 and to improve the visibility of the dissemination/extension tasks, manpower should ideally be increased from the present 22 to about 36 staffmembers. The total budget requirement for this period has tentatively been set at US$ 9,000,000. Meanwhile fact-finding missions for potential donors have been active in the U.S.A., Japan, the E.E.C., Denmark, and Sweden. Contacts with numerous institutions and organizations are ongoing.