Global Change and the World’s Mountains

International conference
GLOBAL CHANGE AND THE WORLD’S MOUNTAINS

Categoria: Congressi
Inviato da: liechti@giub.unibe.ch

Data evento: 26 – 30 Set 2010

Web: http://www.perth.uhi.ac.uk/mountainstudies/2010

Contenuti:
Final call for papers: Deadline 1 March 2010

Global change, including a wide range of inter-connected processes ranging
from global climate change to economic globalisation, disproportionately
affects mountain areas and the billions of people who depend on them for
their livelihoods and for various goods and services. Mountain systems are
particularly fragile, and subject to both natural and anthropogenic drivers
of change. These range from volcanic and seismic events and flooding to
global climate change and the loss of vegetation and soils because of
inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices and extractive industries.
Thus, many mountain ecosystems are moving along trajectories that couple
high rates of environmental change with strong economic changes. The
collective effect may be to alter the ability of these ecosystems to provide
critical goods and services to both mountain and lowland people.

In October 2005, many of these issues were addressed in the Open Science
Conference of the GLOCHAMORE (Global Change and Mountain Regions) project,
funded principally by the EU 6th Framework Programme, with further support
from UNESCO¹s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme, which took place in
Perth, Scotland. The event was organised by the Centre for Mountain Studies
at Perth College UHI in collaboration with the other GLOCHAMORE project
partners, and was attended by 210 people from 41 countries. Published
outcomes included the GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy, the proceedings, and a
number of special issues of peer-reviewed journals.

Five years later, Global Change and the World’s Mountains is being organised
by:
– the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Mountain Development at the Centre for
Mountain Studies at Perth College UHI, in collaboration with
– the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), a joint project of the
International Human Dimensions of Global Change Programme (IHDP) and the
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), funded by the Swiss
National Science Foundation.
The conference is also endorsed by the Global Land Project of the IGBP and
IHDP, UNESCO¹s MAB programme, and the Commission on Mountain Response to
Global Change of the International Geographical Union.

Conference aims

To bring together leading scientists and others working in, and concerned
with, mountain areas around the world in order to:
– present, evaluate and synthesise progress in our understanding of global
change in mountain regions since 2005;
– evaluate progress with regard to the implementation and impacts of the
GLOCHAMORE Research Strategy;
– work proactively on a global agenda for research and action relating to
global change and mountain regions, taking into consideration global
assessment and policy processes, such as those relating to the
Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the
consideration of mountains by the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
in 2012, 20 years after the Rio Earth Summit.

Abstracts

Abstracts for papers for any of the 32 session themes will be accepted until
1 March 2010. Please visit the conference website at
http://www.perth.uhi.ac.uk/mountainstudies/2010 to see the themes and
download an abstract form.

Side meetings

There will be possibilities to arrange side meetings, especially over
lunch-hours. If you would like to organise such a meeting, please contact
Angela Paterson at the conference secretariat: mountain.conf@perth.uhi.ac.uk

Registration/Funding

The conference organisers are still identifying additional funding for the
conference. Consequently, registration fees have not yet been set; this
will be done no later than March 2010.
For further information and updates about the conference, please visit the
conference website at http://www.perth.uhi.ac.uk/mountainstudies/2010