Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Berne

CDE’s mission is to contribute to sustainable development in countries of the North, South, and East, through: - research partnerships - education and training - development of concepts and tools - raising awareness, - policy advice. CDE focuses on: - management of natural resources, - integrated regional development, and - interventions that mitigate syndromes of global change. CDE places special emphasis on: - highland-lowland interactions, and on - high-potential – low-potential - centre – periphery relationships. CDE employs disciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Linking analysis and synthesis, and combining high-end and low-end methods, such as GIS-based earth observation and participatory field-based approaches, are typical of our programmes. CDE supports the principles of subsidiarity, empowerment and partnership, while acknowledging the importance of research, planning and decision-making at regional, national and international levels.