SciDev.Net

IASO is an umbrella organisation for 52 national obesity associations across 56 countries. Its mission statement is to "improve global health by promoting the understanding of obesity and weight-related diseases through scientific research and dialogue, whilst encouraging the development of effective policies for their prevention and management."

The organisation is strongly advocacy-based and publishes frequent statements aimed at policymakers on how to tackle obesity. The website also contains detailed data on the global prevalence of obesity. Since obese people are often at high risk for other diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, the website also outlines these risks, offering links to other relevant associations.

ICIMOD, based in Kathmandu, serves as a mountain learning and knowledge centre, committed to improving the sustainable livelihoods of mountain peoples in the extended Himalayan region. ICIMOD's strategy is based on working with its partners to identify, test, adapt and provide innovative solutions for overcoming mountain vulnerabilities. The centre builds institutional capacities and facilitates the development of mountain policy and regional cooperation, by serving as a multidisciplinary documentation centre and consultative centre on sustainable development in mountains.

This non-profit organisation aims to develop sustainable ecological farming in Africa and India. ICRISAT's mission is "to help empower 600 million poor people to overcome hunger, poverty and a degraded environment in the dry tropics through better agriculture".

ICRISAT's BioPower initiative aims to ensure that bioenergy research benefits the poor. Its activities include analysing bioenergy trends and understanding their repercussions for the poor, and enabling governments to formulate pro-bioenergy policies that benefit poor people.

The IISD is a Canadian policy research institute that publishes books, papers and policy briefs on issues affecting sustainable development such as climate change, governance and natural resources. The IISD Reporting Services focuses on environmental issues and publishes news and event coverage as well as the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (see ENB). The organisation also runs the Climate-L.Org blog and hosts a number of networks, including the Trade Knowledge Network and the Sustainable Coffee Partnership.

The INCTR is dedicated to helping build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries in which such capacity is limited. The network, which has support from the US National Cancer Institute, aims to build capacity for cancer treatment and research in countries with limited resources through long-term collaborative projects coupled to training and educational programmes. It also seeks to promote international collaboration on cancer control between developed and developing countries. The INCTR is located at the Institut Pasteur in Brussels but also has branches in the US, France, Brazil, Egypt and Nepal and offices in the UK, India and Tanzania. The website contains details of the network's activities in various countries.

The centre is a WHO collaborating centre for research and training in the control of cardiovascular disease, and also prevention and rehabilitation for patients in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The centre strongly advocates evidence-based health policies as the only way to promote health. Its focus on prevention led to the Isfahan Health Heart Programme, a community programme to promote healthier lifestyles to prevent non-communicable diseases.

The Nepal Academy of Science and Technology is an independent body promoting science and technology in Nepal. Its objectives include: advancement of science and technology for all-round development of the nation, preservation and further modernisation of indigenous technologies, promotion of research in science and technology, and identification and facilitation of appropriate technology transfer.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology is part of Nepal's Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. It monitors the hydrological and meteorological activities of the country, including river hydrology, climate, agrometeorology, sediment, air quality, water quality, snow hydrology, glaciology, and wind and solar energy. The department also provides regular general and aviation weather forecasts.

Nepal's Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology overseas functions relating to science and technology in the process of national development and aims to create a conducive environment for the proper development of science and technology. Its main goals are to promote sustainable development, preserve the quality of environment — including air, water and soil — identify new technologies through environmental research, and promote indigenous technologies.

SPRERI, based in Anand, India, was established in 1979. The institute aims to be a centre of excellence for renewable energies development, and promotes the use of renewables across the country.

Sentinel Asia, a project led by the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum, provides a platform for promoting remote sensing data for disaster management and for sharing information on disasters in the Asia-Pacific region.

The project draws on data from a range of satellite sensors, including MODIS and AMSR-E among others, to distribute imagery and publish information on wildfires and floods as they occur. Sentinel Asia also offers training and coordinates emergency observation requests for a number of satellites.

This electronic forum, managed by Practical Action South Asia, provides a space for stakeholders to share their knowledge and experiences of community-based renewable energy options for South Asia.

The forum includes online discussions about topical energy-related subjects; quarterly e-discussions on energy issues in the region; a bi-annual e-magazine; links to research papers on energy policy; and a notice board for energy related events and news.

SSI was set up in 2001 to facilitate sharing of resources among research groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America in order to increase competitiveness and optimise scientific opportunities. It provides assistance for proposal development through annual workshops and helps organise annual training courses on leading-edge technology for tropical disease research application in disease endemic countries.