Indicators of research relevance to ecologically sustainable development and their integration with other R&D indicators in the Asia-Pacific Region

Governments throughout the Asia-Pacific region during the 1990s are increasingly seeking ways to develop research policies that target national socio-economic objectives, within an overall framework of ‘sustainable development’. However, the concept of sustainable development varies from country to country and so do indicators for accounting for economic, research and development data. Research indicators in most countries remain disconnected from national strategies for sustainable development. Given the importance of research investment for social, economic and technological development, it is important to develop a model for connecting this particular investment to strategies for sustainable development. During the past five years the Centre for Research Policy (CRP) has been involved with many countries throughout the Asian region in developing indicators and information systems for monitoring and driving national research policies. This work has been carried out under the auspices of the UNESCO Science and Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN), for which CRP provides the regional focal point. The Australian government has recently commissioned CRP to carry out a study in order to develop a working definition of research relevant to ecologically sustainable development (ESD) and to develop a methodology to determine and assess indicators of the nature and level of research relevant to ESD. Practical aspects of the development of these indicators in Australia are outlined and the possible integration of these with other R&D indicators is discussed in the context of developments in the Asia-Pacific region.