Planted Forests on the Globe: Renewable Rersources for the Future

Demand toward forest sector is expected to increase in the next decades not only for traditional sector but also for bio-energy, biochemical and by-products. Lessening the pressure for wood production, tree planting has released natural forests to be managed for other purposes -carbon sinks, soil and water protection, conservation of biological diversity, recreation and amenity. Representing a complement, but not an alternative, to natural forests, planted forests have become increasingly important for reducing worldwide deforestation, loss of forest ecosystems and forest degradation (FAO, 2009).

Planted forests are composed of trees established through planting and/or through deliberate seeding of native or introduced species. Establishment is either through afforestation on land that until then was not classified as forest, or by reforestation of land classified as forest, for instance after a fire or a storm or following clear felling (FAO 2010).

Planted forests yield a diverse range of wood, fibre, fuel and non-wood forest products for corporate and smallholder investors pursuing commercial or subsistence purposes. They can also provide a number of social and environmental services, ranging from rehabilitation of degraded lands, combating desertification, soil and water protection, sequestering and storing carbon, recreation and landscape amenity. Planted forests conserve genetic resources and provide shelter, shade and fodder for livestock . They deliver valuable services to urban populations, particularly in arid zones, by mitigating sand-storms, preventing sand-drift and recycling waste water. Responsible management of planted forests can reduce pressures on indigenous forests for forest products and allow them to be designated for other protective and conservation purposes. They can also complement and supplement the REDD and REDD + initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. As such, planted forests have multiple values, many of which cannot be provided by other types of land use.

Planted forests are long-term investments that require awareness and diligence in policy and planning, but particularly in management practices in order to avoid negative impacts. This relates to the selection of germplasm, nursery production, site preparation, establishment, tending, weeding, silviculture, protection and harvesting interventions. Unfortunately, planted forests have not always lived up to their potential. The causes for failures of planted forests in the past include inappropriate governance frameworks and insufficient application of established knowledge, technology and techniques. The lack of capacity and capability in providing enabling policies, laws, regulations, plans and technical support systems have lead to controversy and poor management of planted forests. Some planted forest investments have produced land-use, social, cultural and environmental conflicts, as well as unsustainable management practices.

Two international conferences on planted forests have been held previously, in Chile in 1999 ( http://www.globalregister.co.nz/evergreen/reports/roleofforests.pdf) and New Zealand in 2003 ( www.un.org/esa/forests/pdf/cli/report-nz-plantedforests-sfm.pdf) . Both of these conferences highlighted the need to promote the multiple dimensions of Sustainable Forest management (SFM) in view of the social and environmental challenges of the 21 st century. Since then, new research, global assessments of planted forest resources and outlook studies for wood from planted forests, best practice guidelines and many interesting cases of country applications from around the world have documented and further emphasized the global significance of planted forests. In parallel, international processes and financing mechanisms have increasingly recognized the central role of planted forests for mitigating climate changes, conserving biodiversity and combating land degradation. In contrast to these positive developments, negative social and environmental impacts of planted forests have given rise to concern.

It is therefore timely to investigate the contribution of planted forests to sustainable development in the context of global changes and to organize a Third International Congress on Planted Forests. Central topics would include the sustainability of planted forests in the context of changing climates and the future role of planted forests in envi ronmental protection and REDD+. The aim is to address issues surrounding planted forests today, their productive, environmental and social functions and the challenges they present. The target audience includes forest scientists, policy makers, the private forestry sector and forest managers.

 Registration will open in November

For more information, click here.

ACES and Ecosystem Markets 2012

ACES and Ecosystem Markets 2012 is an international collaboration of three dynamic communities – A Community on Ecosystem Services (ACES), the Ecosystem Markets Conference, and the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP). The conference will provide an open forum to share experiences and state-of-the-art methods, tools, and processes for assessing and incorporating ecosystem services into public and private decisions. The focus of the conference will be to link science, practice, institutions and resource sustainable decision making by bringing together ecosystem services communities from around the United States and the globe.

 
ACES and Ecosystem Markets 2012 will bring together leaders in government, NGOs, academia, tribal organizations, and the private sector to advance the use of ecosystem services science and practice in conservation, restoration, resource management, and development decisions. To facilitate discussion, a variety of presentation methods including, organized sessions, world café discussions, town hall meetings, oral and poster presentations, and hands-on workshops will be incorporated into the conference structure. Topics and themes from previous ACES, Ecosystem Markets, and ESP events will be integrated to provide the most comprehensive event on the ecosystem services.

 

More information here.

IV International Congress for Payments for Environmental Services

IV International Conference for Payments for Ecosystem Services: Impact Assessment and Socioeconomic and Environmental Monitoring

 
Due to its strategic importance in the development of initiatives and public policies related to PES in the region and the country, the State of Sí£o Paulo (Brazil) was chosen to host the IV International Conference on Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) which will be held from November 26 – 29, 2012 in the city of Sí£o Paulo.
 
The central theme of the IV International Conference is “Impact assessment and socioeconomic and environmental monitoring.” The scientific program includes lectures, talks, thematic sessions (with time for oral presentations) and poster presentations based on five thematic areas: (i) institutional arrangements; (ii) impact monitoring; (iii) legal aspects; (iv) financing initiatives; and (v) mobilization of actors.  
 
Site: Convention Center at the Centro Universitario Senac – Santo Amaro Campus – Sao Paulo
Dates: 26 – 29 November 2012
 
Registration is open!
 
 

The Forest Management Auditor of Tomorrow

Forest management auditing is evolving very quickly and auditors are required to be endowed with multiple capacities capacities and expertise. An intensive course to prepare forest management auditors and a unique access to new skills, professional knowledge and job opportunities. Competent and experienced auditors and lecturers will drive you through a deeper understanding of standards, methodologies and auditing techniques. By means of exercises and simulations you will be directly involved as a protagonist.

For more information, click here  

Ecosystem Marketplace’s 2012 State of the Forest Carbon Markets Report Launch – London

Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace is pleased to announce that on November 1, 2012, we launch the most recent edition of the annual State of the Forest Carbon Markets report. The report, which details our latest findings on the state of forest carbon projects’ structure, standards, and finance, will be freely available on both the Ecosystem Marketplace and Forest Carbon Portal websites on and after this date.

We will also launch our findings at events celebrating the report’s release! RSVP to the event below to learn first-hand the results of our research that takes a look back at forest carbon offset transactions in 2011 – in the context of today’s market trends, presented by a panel of report authors and reputable market experts.
 
WHAT: State of the Forest Carbon Markets 2012 LONDON launch event  
 
WHEN: November 13th, 2012 – 4:30-6:00 PM GMT; Panel presentation, followed by reception.
 
WHERE: Hosted by Face the Future and Climate Change Capital at the London offices of Climate Change Capital: 3 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AQ.  
 
RSVP: via email to [email protected] or call +1 202 298 3009. RSVP no later than COB November 9th to secure your seat.
 
WHO:
Moderator: Michael Jenkins, President, Forest Trends
Panelists:
Molly Peters-Stanley, Carbon Programs Manager, Forest Trends’ Ecosystem Marketplace
Justin Whalen, Project Manager, Face the Future
Pat Snowdon, Head of Economics and Climate Change, UK Forestry Commission
Alfred Evans, CEO, Climate Change Capital
Christian del Valle, Managing Partner, Althelia Ecosphere
 
 
 

We would like to acknowledge and thank the organizations that enable us to make this report and our ongoing research available at no cost to readers worldwide. This year’s report received support from our Premium Sponsor, the Code REDD Campaign; sponsors Face the Future, Kinship Conservation Fellows, the Law Offices of Baker & McKenzie and the UK Forestry Commission, and additional support from Conservation International and Astrium Services.

Forest Landscape Ecology Conference: Sustaining Humans and Forests in Changing Landscapes

 Main theme of this Biannual conference is “Sustaining humans and forests in changing landscapes”. Other proposed topics include:

  • Ecosystem functions and services in changing landscapes
  • Forest landscape restoration
  • Climate change impacts and mitigation
  • Biodiversity conservation and management in forest landscapes
  • Spatial patterns and ecological proceses
  • Agents, socioeconomic connections and policy making proceses
  • Urban landscapes and land use planning

 

For more information on this event, click  here  

Carbon Forum Asia 2012

Jointly organized by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and Koelnmesse, Carbon Forum Asia is Asia Pacific’s premier Trade Fair and Conference for Climate and Carbon Finance, Emissions Trading and Low Carbon Technologies. It offers the Asia and global carbon, energy and financial community a unique opportunity to network, develop new business opportunities and stay updated on the most current issues and trends.

For more information, click here.

Low Carbon Earth Summit 2012

 LCES-2012 will continue to provide an alternative platform to other global conferences in related to climate change and environment protection. The event will focus more on practical perspectives on green economy, promotion of sustainable or renewable energy, and exhibit technical resolutions to solve and predict the existing issues. Through the massive operations on comprehensive topics related low carbon economy and industries, organizers hope the summit can provide best information to exchange channels for all endeavors on low carbon fields who are working on controlling global climate changes from policy makers, NGO leaders, economists, investors, engineers, scientists, industrial leaders, carbon traders, brokers, clean emerge producers, energy consumers, toward daily low carbon life practitioners and advocators etc. Thus, LCES-2012 can provide help the society and humanity with unprecedented impacts on the world sustainable development, new economy growth and renewable energy innovation to commercialization.

For more information on this event, click here  

Low Carbon Earth Summit 2012

The event will focus more on practical perspectives on green economy, promotion of sustainable or renewable energy, and exhibit technical resolutions to solve and predict the existing issues. Through the massive operations on comprehensive topics related low carbon economy and industries, organizers hope the summit can provide best information to exchange channels for all endeavors on low carbon fields who are working on controlling global climate changes from policy makers, NGO leaders, economists, investors, engineers, scientists, industrial leaders, carbon traders, brokers, clean emerge producers, energy consumers, toward daily low carbon life practitioners and advocators etc. Thus, LCES-2012 can provide help the society and humanity with unprecedented impacts on the world sustainable development, new economy growth and renewable energy innovation to commercialization.

For more information, click here.  

International Conference on Sustainable Forest Management Adapting to Climate Change

In order to promote knowledge exchanges of the latest scientific findings in sustainable forest management and to strengthen international collaborations in implementing forest management adapting to climate change, Chinese Society of Forestry(CSF), International Union for Forest Research Organizations(IUFRO) and International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) will co-sponsor the Second Forest Science Forum — International Conference on Sustainable Forest Management Adapting to Climate Change. The conference will be organized by the Chinese Society of Forestry and Beijing Forestry University in Beijing.

For more information on this event, click here

EcoSummit 2012 – Ecological Sustainability

EcoSummit 2012 will bring together the world’s most respected minds in ecological science to discuss restoring the planet’s ecosystems. Come hear Pulitzer Prize winners E.O. Wilson and Jared Diamond, Kyoto Prize winner Simon Levin, Stockholm Water Prize laureates Sven Jí¸rgensen and William Mitsch, and many others in the first conference ever linking the Ecological Society of America (ESA), The International Association for Ecology (INTECOL) and the Society for Ecological Restoration International (SER).
 
We expect 1500 to 1600 delegates from 75 countries to come to Columbus, Ohio, USA, for EcoSummit 2012 to hear 10 plenary presentations from the world’s premier ecologists and environmental scientists and practitioners, and 600 invited presentations in 65 symposia from around the world, and to participate in 21 forums and workshops on practical issues related to improving our environment. In addition, there are another 850 general sessions and poster presentations during EcoSummit 2012.
 
The symposia, general sessions, posters, and workshops cover a wide variety of ecological topics, over the entire week of the conference in parallel sessions including:
  • ecological restoration and ecological engineering
  • estimating ecosystem services
  • global change issues including climate change effects and the future of food security
  • lake, wetland, river, forest and agro-ecosystem management
  • corporate involvement in the environment
  • sustainable economics and business practices
 
Ecosystems such as streams, rivers, inland and coastal wetlands, grasslands, and forests provide numerous services that fundamentally support human health and well-being. This international conference will explore innovative science-based strategies that are socially and culturally acceptable to create, manage, and restore these ecosystems, ensuring that society has access to all these ecosystem services. Our aim is to provide a high-profile platform for dialogue among researchers, planners and decision-makers to develop a better understanding of the complex nature of ecological systems and the means to protect and enhance their services.

Read more about the event here

IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition

Every two years 5000 of the world’s leading water professionals gather at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition to discuss the world’s leading water issues. There is no better or easier opportunity to meet with key contacts in the international water community.

 
Over the six days of the congress, meet current colleagues, make new contacts, expand your client base, meet new research partners, exchange knowledge and experiences, and create new solutions to the world’s water questions.
 
The International Water Association delivers high quality scientific and technical programmes full of topics that are current, while focusing on the specialty areas and also the ‘bigger picture’.
 
Lee Myung-bak, the President of South Korea, says that the congress “is an opportunity for both Korea and the whole world to spread the importance of water widely. The Korean government will continuously strive to make the congress a great success.”

 

More information here.

IUCN World Conservation Congress

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is the world’s largest and most important conservation event. Held every four years, it aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development.

The 2012 World Conservation Congress will be held from 6 to 15 September 2012 in Jeju, Republic of Korea. Leaders from government, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, business, UN agencies and social organizations will discuss, debate and decide solutions for the world’s most pressing environment and development issues.
 
The Congress starts with a Forum where IUCN Members and partners discuss cutting-edge ideas, thinking and practice. The Forum leads into the Members’ Assembly, a unique global environmental parliament of governments and NGOs.

The Congress has two main components:
  • the Forum is a hub of public debate bringing together people from all walks of life to discuss the world’s most pressing conservation issues. There are many different types of events you can get involved in to explore the depths of conservation and innovations
  • the Members’ Assembly is IUCN’s highest decision-making body. A unique global environmental parliament, it involves governments and NGOs – large and small, national and international – taking joint decisions.
     
For 2012, the IUCN World Conservation Congress has adopted a new format, aiming for greater coherence and cross-fertilization between the two parts. Main messages of each day of the Forum are presented to the Assembly the following morning. Forum sessions related to motions presented at the Assembly are also identified.
 

Read more about the conference here

National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration 2013 / Call for Abstracts

ANNOUNCING Call for Abstracts – Due November 1st, 2012  

 
Call for Abstracts – Due Nov.1st, 2012  
All individuals interested in ecosystem restoration on both the large-scale and small-scale level are invited to submit an abstract for oral or poster presentation at NCER ’13. Abstracts will be published electronically online in the conference book of abstracts, as we strive to keep NCER as environmentally responsible as possible.
 
NCER 2013 Programmatic Themes and Topics are outlined on the conference web site. However, don’t feel limited to these areas – we want to capture emerging topics and new ideas critical to Ecosystem Restoration.For more information on formatting your abstract, submission instructions and topics for consideration,  visit the Call for Abstracts section of the NCER ’13 web site.
 
Important Deadlines to Remember:  
11-1-12    Deadline to Submit Abstracts  
3-1-13     Presenter Selections Announced
4-2-13     Early Bird Registration Deadline
4-2-13     Deadline for Presenters to Register  
6-1-13     Regular Registration Deadline
Abstract Submission Deadline: November 1st      
   
 
What is NCER?
NCER is a national conference on ecosystem restoration presenting state-of-the art science and engineering, planning and policy in a partnership environment.
One of the country’s largest meetings on Ecosystem Restoration, NCER is only held every two years, and meets near large scale restoration programs including but not limited to the Missouri and Mississippi River Basins, the Louisiana Coastal Area, the Everglades, San Francisco Bay/Delta, Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and Puget Sound, to name a few.
 
NCER 2013 will be held July 29 – August 2 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center just outside Chicago, IL. Owned by the City/Villages of Schaumburg, the Renaissance has ample space to accommodate all of our meeting, poster and exhibit requirements quite comfortably. We hope you will make plans to attend this innovative and interactive conference which will attract more than 500 participants and feature presentations on every aspect of Ecosystem Restoration.  

Who Should Attend NCER
A premier gathering of ecosystem restoration professionals from across the country, NCER is a collaborative effort and we invite you to join us and be part of the discussion!
NCER brings together scientists, engineers, managers, and policy makers who are actively involved in and/or affected by all aspects of ecosystem restoration. This includes:  
federal, state, and local agency personnel
tribal governments
water resource engineers & managers  
environmental consultants  
environmental policy managers  
ecologists and hydrologists
modelers    
NGO’s  
students and academic researchers  
environmental interest groups    
 
Benefits of Attending
Attendees will hear from a diverse group of experts on numerous critical restoration subjects. Here’s a glimpse at a handful of the hundreds of topics covered at NCER:  
 
– Planning and Designing for Climate Change Impact
– Benefit Analysis and Project Justification
– Integrating Conservation Planning Methods
– Planning and Valuating Ecosystem Services
– Invasive Species Management
– Nutrient Reduction in Urban Estuaries
– Comparing Ecological Benefit Methods
– Adaptive Management and much, much more!  
 
NCER also features optional Technical Training Field trips where attendees visit restoration programs underway or already completed in the Great Lakes Region. They’ll see first-hand how to plan ecologically and economically for future restoration projects.
Licensed engineers may also earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) toward their license re-certification.  
Be sure to put NCER 2013 in your TRAVEL BUDGET for 2013 and make plans to join us!    
 
Executive Steering Committee
Conference Co-Chairs:  
Andy Buchsbaum, Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Office
Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the Administrator (Great Lakes), US EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
Don Scavia, Graham Family Professor of Environmental Sustainability, University of Michigan
Conference Committee Chairs:
Robert Daoust, ARCADIS US, Inc., Chair, Program Committee  
Cassondra Thomas, Cardno ENTRIX, Inc., Chair, Sponsorship Committee
Miki Fujitsubo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chair, Field Trip Committee
Cheryl Ulrich, Weston Solutions, Past Program Chair and SER Liaision
 
 
QUESTIONS?  
 
Beth Miller-Tipton, CMP, CGMP    
Conference Coordinator
University of Florida | IFAS
Office of Conferences & Institutes  
PO Box 110750
Bldg. 639 Mowry Rd.  
Gainesville, FL 32611-0750| USA  
PH 352-392-5930
FAX  352-392-9734  
 

World Water Week

World Water Week is hosted and organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and takes place each year in Stockholm. The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues since 1991. Join us!

 
Each year the World Water Week addresses a particular theme to enable a deeper examination of a specific water-related topic. While not all events during the week relate to the overall theme, the workshops driven by the Scientific Programme Committee and many seminars and side events do focus on various aspects of the theme. The themes change each year, but each fits within a broader “niche” that covers several years. The grouping of
themes within a niche is designed to develop a long-term perspective on a broad yet significant water and development issue. It also ensures that each year builds upon the previous years’ outcomes and findings.
 
The current niche for 2009-2012 is “Responding to Global Changes”, which looks at the potential and necessary responses in water policy, management and development to address pervasive and increasingly impacting global changes.  

 

More information here.

5th Annual International ESP Conference

The Ecosystem Services Partnership invites you to the 5th annual ESP conference. Don’t miss your chance to interact and exchange ideas with practitioners, educators, policy-makers, researchers, and many others. Be part of working-groups producing outcomes ranging from journal articles, white papers, book chapters (if enough we can put together a book out of this conference), grant proposals, database structures, websites, and much more. This Portland conference is being organised jointly with the International Association of Landscape Ecology (IALE) and A Community on Ecosystem Services (ACES).

More information here.

Singapore International Water Week

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform for water solutions. It brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.

 
The event’s flagship programmes comprise:
 
• Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize
• Water Leaders Summit
• Water Convention
• Water Expo
• Business Forums
 
In the face of global urbanisation and climate challenges, the 2012 theme “Water Solutions for Liveable and Sustainable Cities” reinforces the pressing need to integrate sustainable water management strategies into the urban planning process.
 
Singapore International Water Week 2012 provides the platform to address these challenges and explore opportunities in the integration of water solutions and urban planning in cities around the world. Opportunities abound for global water leaders and practitioners from the public and private sectors to debate in water dialogues, network with key industry players, showcase leading-edge technologies and best practices and identify viable solutions to address this common challenge.
 
Held in conjunction with the 3rd World Cities Summit and the inaugural CleanEnviro Singapore, delegates, trade visitors and exhibitors will have more opportunities to promote practical and sustainable water solutions and tap into a vast network of public and private sector players in urban solutions.
 
Singapore International Water Week 2011 Surges to New High
 
Singapore International Water Week 2011, held from 4 – 8 July and themed “Sustainable Solutions for a Changing Urban Environment” notched new highs, with a bigger slate of exhibiting companies and an encouraging growth in participant numbers.
 
This global platform for water solutions attracted a record of some 13,500 participants from 99 countries/regions. This marks a growth in attendance figures of almost 60% since the inaugural event in 2008. The Water Expo saw close to 70% growth in exhibition space and a 70% increase in the number of exhibiting companies over the inaugural year of 2008. Over 600 companies took part in this year’s Water Expo, which attracted six new international pavilions from Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Milwaukee Water Council (USA), the Water Environment Federation (USA), and the Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership (USA); taking the total number of pavilions to 15. The total value of announcements for projects awarded, tenders, investments and R&D MOUs reached S$2.9 billion.

VCS Webminar: Wetlands Restoration and Conservation Requirements

VCS will host a webinar to discuss newly released draft requirements for crediting Wetlands Restoration and Conservation (WRC) activities.
 
Wednesday, 13 June  
 
11 a.m. EST (1600 GMT)
 
The WRC draft requirements are the first ever for methodologies that credit the greenhouse gases removed by wetlands, including mangroves, freshwater tidal coastal wetlands, salt marshes, sea grasses and floodplains.
The draft requirements, incorporated directly into the VCS AFOLU Requirements document, are open for public comment until 23 June 2012.
 
 
Comments or questions may be submitted to [email protected].
 

 

The Offsets Component of California Cap-and-Trade for the Electric Power Industry

The Climate Action Reserve invites you to attend a half-day workshop on using carbon offsets by companies in the electric power sector for compliance with California’s cap-and-trade program. The workshop will feature an introduction to the Reserve program and the role of offsets under the California cap-and-trade regulation. It will include presentations by the Climate Action Reserve, Pacific Gas & Electric, as well as Evolution Markets, a broker of offset credits, to provide insight into the market for compliance offsets and allowances. It will be useful for regulated entities, specifically from the electric power sector, to learn about how to most cost-effectively meet their compliance obligations under the cap and trade rule. This workshop is free, and open to the public, however you must register in advance.  
 

To register, please go to http://events.climateactionreserve.org  

IWA World Conference on Water, Climate, and Energy

Water and energy are critical for our current society and will be of increasing importance in the future. Climate change is forcing us to reassess our energy usage and will have real and substantial impacts on the water cycle. Solving the interlinked challenges of water, climate and energy in a sustainable manner is one of the fundamental goals of this generation. Following on from conferences on Climate Change Adaptation and Water and Energy, the International Water Association is proud to announce the inaugural World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy in 2012.

 

The Congress will explore the topics of resilient and sustainable cities with a focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The challenges of climate change adaptation and incorporating uncertainty into the city vision and infrastructure will be discussed together with the impacts and responses of climate change on water resources. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, operating in a carbon constrained world and a focus on renewable energy including practical applications and integration in to the energy mix will be covered.

 

Solutions to these challenges, including the role of technologies and smart networks will also be a central theme. Recognising that technology is only part of the solution the conference will also address the economic, political and regulatory aspects of water, climate and energy.

 

The congress will attract up to 2,000 international participants for this global event and will feature a large industry presence and trade exhibition.

More information here.

Planet Under Pressure

Key Aims

The key aims of the conference include:

  • 2500 participants combining global-change science and policy, business and development communities
  • Scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Rio +20 conference
  • Building trans-disciplinary research communities
  • Identifying opportunities for enhanced partnerships between global change science and policy, industry and the public
  • A new vision for international research

Building on a comprehensive update of knowledge of the Earth system and the pressure it is under, the Planet Under Pressure conference will present and debate new insights into potential opportunities and constraints for innovative development pathways based on novel partnerships.

See more details here

Planet Under Pressure

Key Aims

The key aims of the conference include:

  • 2500 participants combining global-change science and policy, business and development communities
  • Scientific leadership towards the 2012 UN Rio +20 conference
  • Building trans-disciplinary research communities
  • Identifying opportunities for enhanced partnerships between global change science and policy, industry and the public
  • A new vision for international research

Building on a comprehensive update of knowledge of the Earth system and the pressure it is under, the Planet Under Pressure conference will present and debate new insights into potential opportunities and constraints for innovative development pathways based on novel partnerships.

See more details here

AWRA Spring Specialty Conference on GIS and Water Resources

We are living through a remarkable period of advancement in information technology — in just a few years we have learned to take for granted the massive computing resources for geospatial searches provided by the major internet search engines. Every type of work in Water Resources is impacted by these new developments as new sources of data and new tools come online; but, standards for data quality, statistical reliability (uncertainty), and metadata standards are still trying to catch up. We look forward to sharing experiences in New Orleans; meeting others who deal with the same challenges at every level of detail on the wide array of information and technologies that will help us meet the water resources challenges of the new century.

More information here.

Forest Day 5

Forest Day, now moving into its fifth year, has become one of the most intensive and influential annual global events on forests. At its heart, it is a platform for anyone with an interest in forests and climate change to meet once a year to ensure that forests remain high on the agenda of global and national climate strategies, and that those strategies are informed by the most up-to-date knowledge and experience. Forest Day presents an opportunity for stakeholders from different backgrounds and regions to network, share their experiences and debate the pressing issues facing forests around the world.

“For some countries, Forest Day provides a rare chance to interact internationally, exchange knowledge and lessons learned on forests and climate change,” said Felician Kilahama, director of the forest division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania.

Each Forest Day, which takes place annually on the sidelines of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, is designed to inform and engage world leaders, researchers, donors, policymakers, climate change negotiators, media, nongovernmental and intergovernmental organisations, indigenous peoples’ groups and other forest-dependent people.

Ecosystem Services

Simply put, ecosystem services are the benefits that human beings receive from the ecosystems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). Some of these benefits are easily quantified and can be assessed in economic terms (e.g., timber, food), whereas other services are more difficult to define and quantify (e.g. soil formation, toxin filtering, nutrient cycling or recreational benefits).  Around the world, scientists, philanthropists, governments and communities are grappling with how we can support human well-being while considering the needs of our planet. Too often progress is hampered by false dichotomies such as development versus conservation.  
 
A recent report by the Bridgespan Group determined that while the still fledgling field of ecosystem services faces challenges, the momentum around the field continues to build and has tremendous potential to achieve substantial benefits to conservation and human well-being.     Those working in the area come from disciplines as diverse as ecology, remote sensing, agricultural engineering, civil engineering, water resources, international development, economics, public policy, computational modeling, demography and public health.  Jeffery Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute believes that “almost all environmental challenges, from greenhouse gas emissions to the depletion of groundwater resources, demand technological transformation” (p. 29, Nature, 2010).
 
Areas the conference might explore include

Linking Human and Environmental Needs
·                 How can the diversity, productivity and services of intact ecosystems be conserved, and degraded ecosystems be
restored, in ways compatible with efforts to improve the human condition?
·                 How do we develop a common understanding of the science needed to inform policy decision-making?
·                 How can we better structure and measure local and regional projects to build upon a collective body of scientific evidence that can be shared across disciplines?
·                 What approaches will best allow conservation projects to take advantage of the growing understanding of the link between landscape change and human health?
·                 How can we cohesively include conservation and human development and incorporate material and intangible benefits of ecosystems in economic development initiatives?
 
Measurement
·                 How do we create metrics that adequately capture the complexities of biological and socioeconomic change and examine the causal relationships responsible for the outcomes observed?
·                 What valuation, sensing, measuring, analyzing, modeling, and integrating tools are required to track the processes and impacts of conservation and development efforts across multiple ecosystems simultaneously?
·                 How do we better quantify ecosystem services to reduce the transactional costs of policies based on ecosystem services?
·                 How do we improve understanding of the feedback effects resulting from economic, health, social, and environmental change?
 
Agriculture and Aquaculture
·                 How do we measure and manage the environmental impact of food production?
·                 What research and other actions are necessary to make evidence-based decisions about diversified (multi-functional) farming systems?
·                 How do we most efficiently apply biotechnology and engineering approaches to address limited water supply?
·                 What tools are needed to create functional agriculture and aquaculture systems to reduce environmental stress, enhance human well being and enhance stability in the developing world?
 

WRI-UNEP Launch: Building the Climate Change Regime

Entitled Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches, the paper shows that a menu of options is available for scaling up action on the part of national governments and designing a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action.     The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) cordially invite you to launch events in Dublin and Washington D.C.  

Washington D.C. launch: World Resources Institute, 10 G St. NE, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20002

 

Monday October 24, 2011

1:00 pm —3:00 pm ET

 

PANELISTS:

·                 Amy Fraenkel, Regional Director, UNEP Regional Office for North America

·                 Noel Casserly, Climate Change Policy, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Government of Ireland

·                 Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute

·                 Remi Moncel, Associate, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute

·                 Other commentators invited

 

RSVP to: Kevin McCall at [email protected] by noon on Friday, October 21 2011.  

 

Details to join the event remotely will be provided next week

Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches

Entitled Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches, the paper shows that a menu of options is available for scaling up action on the part of national governments and designing a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action.    The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) cordially invite you to launch events in Dublin and Washington D.C.  

Dublin launch: Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Custom House, Dublin 1  

 

Monday October 24, 2011

2:30 pm—4:00 pm GMT

 

PANELISTS:

·                 John McCarthy, Assistant Secretary General, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

·                 Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson, Office of the Executive Director, UNEP Nairobi

·                 Remi Moncel, Associate,Climate & Energy Programme, WRI

·                 Prof. John Sweeney, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

·                 Feargal Duff, Irish Doctors for the Environment & FEASTA

 

RSVP to: [email protected] by noon on Friday, October 21 2011

The National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

The first NCER, held in Orlando, FL (2004) with over 900 restoration practitioners participating, lead to successful conferences in Kansas City, MO (2007) and Los Angeles, CA (2009). NCER brings together nearly 1,000 scientists, engineers, policy makers, planners, and partners from across the country actively involved in ecosystem restoration.

Initiated by the University of Florida, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, NCER typically entails five days of presentations in six program tracks, multiple workshops, poster sessions, field trips and coffee-house discussions dedicated to both small and large scale ecosystem restoration programs including but not limited to the Missouri and Mississippi River Basins, the Louisiana Coastal Area, Columbia River, the Everglades, the San Francisco Bay/Delta, the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes and Puget Sound, just to name a few.

Help shape the next stage

Whether you have been involved in the earlier discipline-based/interdisciplinary workshops or not, you are welcome to come to hear about progress in shaping the work streams and take part in discussions to influence the likely content of the calls for proposals for research funds.  

Participation will also offer you the opportunity of meeting others interested in specific issues and joining putative trans-disciplinary research teams which will bid for funds.

The meeting will take place at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD.

Please note that registration does not guarantee you a place at the meeting. We will confirm places between the 14th and 16th June 2011.