AUSTRALIA

Research sector 

The NHMRC releases a fortnightly newsletter called Tracker with the latest information on major activities and funding opportunities in Australia. It’s an excellent resource for a snapshot on Australia’s scientific funding landscape and projects with overseas involvement. View the latest edition of Tracker here. 

• Commentary: How nature-based knowledge can restore local ecosystems and improve community well-being. 
• Commentary: Pacific Islanders have long drawn wisdom from the Earth; the science is behind them. 

Climate change 

• A Biodiversity Council survey has found that 95% of Australians support increased federal government investment in nature. 
• A Traditional owners appeal against the Santos Narrabri Gas Project has been upheld by Federal Court. 
• The Albanese government has announced funding to finance EV loans, freight and infrastructure. 
• Global Change Biology has published research on protecting smaller parcels of land for better conservation outcomes. 
• The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released the first National Climate Risk Assessment. 
• OAG has commented on the EU policy on the Green Deal, climate neutrality, oceans and fisheries, and the circular economy. 
• Satellite measurements show that global carbon emissions are still rising. 
• Asia Pacific tops list of most impacted by weather perils from Swissre. 
• FoE report explores the risks that AI poses to the world’s climate crisis. 

Technology 

• Tesla has quit the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries over claims the group deliberately deceived Australian customers on the NVES. 
• A new technique for accurately mapping shallow and coastal marine habitats has been published.  
• Nature commented on the elevated levels of trust scientists have in AI.  
• The Australian Human Right Commission released the first report on the Australian response to neurotechnologies. 
• New global maps show changes in irrigation across the planet. 

GEDSI 

• The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has formally accepted the nomination for World Heritage status for the Murujuga Cultural Landscape. 
• Master Builders Australia released a multifaceted policy platform, Breaking Ground: Women in building and construction. 
• PIF SG Puna addressed an International Women’s Day event. 
• The Lowy issued ‘Supporting Pacific women to tell the region’s stories’.  
•  MP Katy Gallagher issued the annual ‘Status of Women Report Card’. 
• ASPI issued ‘Breaking barriers: the women leading Australia’s national security community’. 
• ACER issued ‘Supporting the advancement of girls’ education’. 
• The Coalition of Peaks issued its 2022-23 annual report. 
• ASPI issued ‘Why Chinese policing in Pacific Island countries is a problem’. 
• New CEDA research has revealed that Australia is currently failing to make the most of migrant skills, hampering productive capacity.   

INDONESIA

Research and Technology

• According to data from BRIN in 2023, as many as 62% of companies in Indonesia have the potential to adopt AI. One example is in the agricultural sector, where AI is applied through drone technology and sensors to enhance farming productivity.
• BRIN stated that the Timau National Observatory would have a 3.8-metre telescope to observe planets beyond the solar system.
• The Capital City Authority of Nusantara (OIKN) collaborates across various research fields to cultivate quality human resources. The Nusantara Institute of Urban and Rural Development (NIURaD), comprising several international and national universities, has been established as part of this initiative. 

Research and Innovation

• BRIN has collaborated with Ministries and Institutions to harvest rainwater in Tarakan, North Kalimantan. BRIN researchers have also developed the Arsinum Mobile innovation, a technology with three UV filters capable of producing 5,000 litres of clean drinking water from raw sources.
• A team of lecturers and students from the Electrical Engineering Department of Semarang State Polytechnic (Polines) is developing an effective and efficient healthcare service robot named Robot Asisten Medis (RAMA) for healthcare facilities.
• The Director General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology stated that the Kedaireka programme had produced thousands of collaborative works.
• The University of Indonesia (UI) Library provides education on the importance of research data management to support the advancement of science and enhance research quality in the academic environment.

Environment and Climate Change (ECC)

• BRIN mentioned that climate change impacts hydrological processes and water resources. Thus, BRIN will strengthen research and innovation to address the water crisis and provide full support through the 10^th World Water Forum in Bali on May 18-24, 2024.
• BRIN stated that the new densely populated satellite city development must consider adequate sanitation infrastructure or waste management to avoid polluting groundwater and raw water sources.
• BRIN states that climate change has threatened the availability of water and land, necessitating global collaboration to address these impacts in the future. (Koran Jakarta, Page. 1, 14 March 2024)
• BRIN stated that 2023 was the hottest year, with a global temperature rise of up to 1.52 degrees Celsius, which disrupted the productivity of food commodities such as rice and cooking oil.

 Research and Funding

• BRIN opened and allocated funding for Research and Innovation for Indonesia Maju (RIIM). Recipients of this funding can come from both universities and research institutions.

Research and Licenses

• The Domestic Policy Strategy Agency (BSKDN) collaborates with BRIN to capture strategic domestic governance issues for analysis, aiming to produce high-quality policy recommendations

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Updates supported by Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA)