ISSN 1022-6559 The tontents of this magazine have been extracted from the CORDIS RTD-Results Servite, updated weekly. RTD Results gags ɧgi¡ PLANET EARTH: An environment special edition wÊËm European Commission mm The lakes north of Milan with the city in blue/grey colours and the vegetation in the Po valley and the Alps an intensive red. Credit: © ANTRIX/SIE/euromap, 1997. Image processing by GAF Norwegian fjord landscape with the Sognefjord visible in black and glaciers as well as snow cover showing up white. Credit: © EOS AT, 1985. Image processing by GAF and its supplements ure published by: EUROPEAN COMMISSION Communication and Dissemination of Knowledge Unit (DG XIII/D.4) Directorate-General for Information Society: Telecommunications, Markets, Technologies Innovation and Exploitation of Research L-2920 Luxembourg • Fax: +352 4301 32084 http://wwrw.cordis.lu/ CORDIS focus RTD-Results is a supplement to CORDIS focus, a fortnightly news bulletin published by the European Commission's Innovation and SMEs programme covering European research. n n • Fighting Natural Disasters 1 • Global Change 7 '. Sustainability 15 ; Enabling Technologies 23 ; Commercial Opportunities 31 • Forward with the 5th Framework Programme 37 • Technology Offers Reference Guide 39 About t h i u As our global population grows, and communications shrink the distances between us, we have begun to realise what a precious and limited resource our planet is.