UNCCD 2nd scientific conference - call for abstracts extended

Call for Abstracts

You are cordially invited to submit an abstract for a contribution to be included in the conference programme. Abstracts can be submitted for the following types of contribution:

• Oral presentation
• Poster presentation
• Special session (you are fully responsible for topic, speakers, etc.)
• Workshop (you are fully responsible for topic, speakers, participants).

Accepted oral contributions will be presented within a series of parallel sessions. Each of these 90 minutes sessions will contain 4 to 5 oral presentations and provide opportunities for discussions at the end. Due to the limited amount of time slots available for talks, contributions submitted as an oral presentation may be accepted as a poster instead.

Specific time slots will be allocated for the presentation of accepted posters contributions. For these time periods - referred to as poster sessions - authors are asked to be available for discussion of their contribution. The poster will be on display for the whole duration of the conference.

The UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference also offers the opportunity for interested institutions or organizations to design and organize a whole 90 minute special session or a workshop on a topic closely linked to the overall conference theme. These sessions/ workshops will be held in parallel to other thematic oral sessions. The organizer(s) of a special session/ workshop are responsible for the design of the content, the invitation of the speakers, the elaboration and printing of the material to be distributed and the overall organization and moderation of the session/ workshop.
Abstract Submission

Short abstracts, comprising a maximum of 250 words (rsp. 600 for sessions/ workshops), should include the goals, the research methods and the findings of the paper to be presented or the workshop/ session proposed and need to be submitted via the online conference management tool before the submission deadline of 30. September 2012.

Topics for Call

The thematic framework of the call for abstracts is kept broader than the overall conference topic to ensure that all aspects of DLDD receive the necessary scientific attention. The submission of abstracts presenting the findings of case studies from the various geographic regions is especially encouraged. The following key and sub-topics are suggested to be addressed:

Economic, environmental and social assessment of desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD)

• Macro-economic policy drivers of land management
• Economic and social impacts of DLDD
• Identification and valuation of ecosystem services
• Indicators for DLDD / sustainable land management
• Water and land, water related ecosystem services
• Soil functions and related ecosystem services
• Economics of land use changes
• Traditional knowledge related to DLDD / sustainable land management

Valuation of sustainable land management (SLM)

• Incentives for sustainable land management
• Application of a green economy and impacts on sustainable land management
• Policy analysis, good policy examples
• Investment opportunities in drylands, public private partnerships
• Awareness raising, research and education on the economics of DLDD
• Good practice in sustainable land management and lessons learned
• Land and habitat planning

Drivers of change and resilience increase

• Economics of the commons, community land management
• Land prices, markets, foreign investment in land
• Land rights, land reforms, and governance
• Implications of demographic changes (including rural-urban shift)
• Land degradation in industrialized countries
• Water scarcity and land (the nexus aspects)
• Climate change, related risks, and impacts on DLDD
• Financial drivers of land degradation and resilience

Languages

Limited interpretation services for oral presentations held in French and Spanish will be provided. For the abstract submission the following rules apply:

• Short abstracts have to be submitted in English.
• Extended abstract may be submitted in English, Spanish or French.

Review Process

The submitted abstracts will undergo a review process to be led by the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The review will be based on the following set of criteria:

• significance of content
• originality and innovation
• capacity-building potential
• relevance for the overall conference topic
• presentation and formal appearance
• relevance for policy making

Awards

Three presentation awards will be granted during the conference:

• Best oral presentation
• Best poster presentation
• Best oral presentation of a young scientist (under the age of 35)