International Year of the Planet Earth Secretariate

The International Year of Planet Earth aims to ensure greater and more effective use by society of the knowledge accumulated by the world's 400,000 Earth scientists. The Year's ultimate goal of helping to build safer, healthier and wealthier societies aro und the globe is expressed in the Year's subtitle 'Earth science for Society'. The International Year runs from January 2007 to December 2009, the central year of the triennium (2008) having been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as the UN Year. The U N sees the Year as a contribution to their sustainable development targets as it promotes wise (sustainable) use of Earth materials and encourages better planning and management to reduce risks for the world?s inhabitants. The International Year of Plane t Earth is a joint initiative by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Twelve Founding Partners, 26 Associate Partners and a growing number of International Partner organisations from all continents and representing all major g eoscientific communities in the world, have embarked on this initiative. The Year also enjoys the full political support of 191 UN countries. By the end of 2007, National Committees will have been established in some 70 countries and regions in the world. The main activities of the International Year of Planet Earth operate within its Science and Outreach programmes. Funding for projects in both programmes is sought from industry, Foundations and governments worldwide. Both programmes essentially operate in a response, or 'bottomup' mode. The Science Programme consists of 10 broad, societally relevant and multidisciplinary themes: health, climate, groundwater, ocean, soils, deep Earth, megacities, hazards, resources, and life.