M. H. A. Hassan – författare

Held in Kuwait, the Fourth General Conference of the Third World Academy of Sciences brought together participants from 64 countries of both the South and the North. The objectives of the conference were, first, to review the status and future prospects of basic and applied science and technology in the Arab region and to exhibit the wealth of science in the region for the benefit of South-South and North-South cooperation. Second, to discuss the pressing environmental problems facing the region with the aim of developing a comprehensive scientific action plan for resolving these problems. Finally, to devise and adopt action plans for building science and technology capacity and scentific excellence for sustainable development in the South, and to recognize scientists from the South who have made significant contributions. Among the issues dealt with here are technology and industry develoment in the South and the role of the private sector, international co-operation for promoting basic research in the South and the role of academies in promoting scientific excellence. A special feature is a number of papers on the effects of the Gulf War on the environment.Presented in the form of a two volume set, the 56 papers deal with a range of topics including land degradation and desertification, the Kuwait oil crisis and carcinogenesis, environmental damage from the viewpoint of Islam and species ranges and their spatial distribution at continental scale.

This conference was organised by the Third World Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency. For the 250 female scientist participants from distant lands and diverse cultures from the Caribbean to the Far East, the conference proved a stimulating experience to recognize their strength in terms of numbers and achievements, to forge new links, nationally and internationally, and to demonstrate that science is independent of gender and is no longer an exclusively male-dominated preserve. The first part of the proceedings deals with the global, Third World and national perspectives of the theme “Women and Science” and the second highlights the scientific contributions by Third World women scientists, their personal experiences and scientific reports. The publication of these proceedings would serve as a potentially effective strategy aimed at enhancing the status of women scientists, not only in the Third World but worldwide.