Call for papers - Biodiversity and people in the context of climate change
International Symposium First announcement School of Agronomy, University of Antananarivo December 10-11, 2013
Abstract submission deadline: August 25, 2013 12pm, full details at: http://symposium2013essaforets.wordpress.com/appel-a-proposition/
Since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, biodiversity and climate change have been at the center of attention regarding environmental issues and subject to research in natural as well as social science disciplines in both the global North and South.
Madagascar is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots (CEPF and World Bank, 2005) and one of the country's most vulnerable to climate change (World Bank, 2012). Despite the improvement of knowledge and practical experiences regarding these challenges, up to date many important questions remain unanswered.
While in situ conservation is facing threats of deforestation and degradation, the development of ex-situ conservation initiatives is hindered mainly by a lack of financial investment. Despite the widespread interest in the REDD+ concept and although the link between deforestation / reforestation and climate change has been widely accepted (Bali, 2007) up to date REDD+ projects remain limited in African countries.
This holds true for the case of Madagascar which is one of the world regions with the highest vulnerability to climate change. Biodiversity (in a large sense) is more sensitive to this threat and more likely to decrease in Madagascar than in other countries. However, biodiversity occupies very crucial functions for human life and its loss will increase the vulnerability of populations through impacting on different aspects of life (food, social, economic, health, etc.).
The proposed symposium aims to answer a series of questions related to issues of biodiversity valorisation for the benefit of the Malagasy people in the context of climate change, based mostly on practical experiences in Madagascar and around the world.
This symposium will be held on December 10-11, 2013 at the School of Agronomy, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is organized within the framework of the 50th anniversary of the School of Agronomy.
For more information visit the symposium website