ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, March 16, 2004 -- Some 200 scientists and local and indigenous experts will meet in Alexandria, March 17-20, for the first conference to highlight the importance of traditional and indigenous knowledge in improving public understanding of local and global environmental processes.

The conference, called "Bridging Scales and Epistemologies: Linking Local Knowledge and Global Science in Multi-Scale Assessments," will be held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt . It will examine the contributions of both Western and non-Western knowledge in solving the environmental challenges that face the world.

"Environmental changes affect people globally and locally. Yet, international scientific assessments often ignore the vast knowledge and expertise of local and indigenous peoples," said Dr. Walt Reid, executive director of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. "This ranges from detailed records of species diversity to stories of species migration and weather patterns that are passed down through village elders, hunters, and farmers."

The speakers will include:

** Dr. Ismail Serageldin, director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina

** Tashi Duojie, Snowland Green River Association, the first NGO of Tibetan nomads

** Tatyana Petrova, scientist, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North

** Marcela Machaca Mendieta, Quechua Indian from Peru

** Sarah Laird, expert on the risks and benefits of the commercial use of local knowledge

** Thomas J. Wilbanks, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, an expert on linking local with global assessment information

The conference is part of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), the first global scientific study of its kind. It is a four-year $21 million project launched in 2001 by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The MA will provide governments, the private sector, and local organizations with better information on how to restore, maintain, or enhance the productivity of the ecosystems that support life on Earth.

The conference is sponsored by the MA, the Swedish International Biodiversity Programme, The Christensen Fund, the Canadian International Development Agency, the International Council for Science (ICSU), and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The MA is supported by the United Nations, the Global Environment Facility, the UN Foundation, and international research agencies like the World Resources Institute.

For more information, contact:

World Resources Institute
Paul Mackie, senior media officer, +1(202)729-7684, pmackie@wri.org
In Alexandria, Egypt: Nicolas Lucas, MA communications officer, will be in Alexandria March 17-20 and can be reached through Helnan Palestine Hotel, tel: +(203) 547 3500, fax: +(203) 547 3378, email: lucas@wri.org