Welcome to UGEC

Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. It is clear that the development of urban areas holds the key to many of the challenges we face in our interactions with the environment. The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) exhibiting its increased focus on urban areas initiated recently the Urbanization and Global Environmental Change core project.

This IHDP core project seeks to provide a better understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between global environmental change and urbanization at the local, regional, and global scales through an innovative conceptual and methodological framework. To capture the benefits of urbanization and mitigate as well as adapt to negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts, a stronger collaboration between academics, political decision-makers and practitioners is encouraged. As urbanization represents a critical topic of special policy relevance in today's world, the UGEC core project represents an unrivalled opportunity for addressing critical issues of worldwide importance that have not received adequate attention so far.

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UGEC News

Post-doctoral Research Opportunity | Analysis and modeling of urban sustainability challenges

At least two new post-doctoral positions are to open up, starting August 2012, at Northeastern University to expand capabilities in analysis and modeling of urban sustainability challenges. Specific topics for research may include, but will not be limited to urban resilience; urban adaptation to global change; urban material and energy use; and urban climate, public health and environmental justice.

Qualified applicants must have completed by August 2012 a PhD in geography, urban studies, civil and environmental engineering, ecological economics, industrial ecology or a related field, and possess strong analytical skills and relevant modeling experiences (e.g. dynamic modeling, econometrics, GIS) as demonstrated by prior coursework, dissertation, and publication record. Solid understanding of one or more of the following is highly desirable: complex system dynamics; climate change economics and policy; regional science; and urban systems analysis.

For more information and to apply, see the following link.

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Study Suggests Local Land Use Linked to Global Urbanization

New Haven, Conn.—As more and more people live in cities, local land-use and urban sustainability policies must be analyzed for their social and environmental tradeoffs in faraway places, asserts a Yale-led National Academy of Sciences study published today.

Urban and land-use sustainability are integrally connected, but often spatially disconnected. The paper, “Urban Land Teleconnections and Sustainability,” introduces the concept of teleconnections, borrowed from climate science analysis, as a conceptual framework for examining land change by explicitly linking it to urbanization.

Teleconnections refers to climate anomalies that are correlated over large geographic areas. For instance, when the waters of the North Atlantic go through a warming phase, the incidence of wildfires increases in the western United States.

“If we continue thinking of urban sustainability or land-use sustainability as a very localized issue and don’t link it to underlying drivers located far away, we’re not going to come up with policies or solutions that have meaningful systemic impact,” said Karen Seto, the paper’s lead author and associate professor in the urban environment at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

The urban population is projected to increase by almost 3 billion worldwide by 2050, and global urban land area is expected to increase by more than 1.5 million square kilometers—an area three times the size of Spain—by 2030.

The researchers assert that in an increasingly urban world, characterized by global flows of commodities, capital, information and people, and where land that provides goods and ecosystem services is becoming more segregated from consumers, teleconnections takes a global view of the consequences of urbanization and land changes that would otherwise go unrecognized.

For example, a holistic analysis of the projected increase in U.S. population of 100 million by the end of the century would consider the configuration of the landscape for housing, the amount of timber required and where it would come from, and the land-use impacts in the area where the wood originated.

“It forces us to talk about sustainability in terms of tradeoffs,” said Seto. “It’s not as simple as saying that you’re going to lower your carbon footprint, plant trees or recycle, because there are many other impacts on the land and resources, and we need to calculate what those are.”

The researchers acknowledge that social and ecological benefits accrue from the use of local resources and ecosystems, however decisions and behaviors that are local or even regional in scope do not account for the consequences of teleconnections that may undermine sustainability efforts elsewhere.

“Eating locally might undermine the livelihoods of distant farmers, who may be using less energy-intensive methods to produce food than local growers,” said Seto. “Put another way, sustainability initiatives often focus on the importance of place while ignoring the processes of urbanization.”

Besides Yale University, the institutions involved in the research are the University of Copenhagen, Arizona State University, Humboldt University and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Science, Hunter College, Ohio State University, European Environmental Agency and Technical University of Zvolen, and University of London.

The paper can be read HERE.

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'World's cities to expand by more than twice the size of Texas by 2030' - an MSNBC report

Cities are becoming more widely recognized in discussions of global sustainability, as is evident from the recent Planet under Pressure conference held at the end of March in London. There, UGEC convened and co-convened the majority of urban-themed sessions, attracting the attention not only of conference participants but the media as well. Read both the full MSNBC report and Planet under Pressure statement on cities, featuring Karen Seto, UGEC SSC co-chair and Michail Fragkias, UGEC Executive Officer.

Planet under Pressure statement: 'Cities expand by area equal to France, Germany and Spain combined in less than 20 years'

World News Report on MSNBC: 'World's cities to expand by more than twice the size of Texas by 2030'

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'Catalyzing Urban Climate Resilience: Applying Resilience Concepts to Planning Practice in the ACCCRN Program (2009-2011)'

"Catalyzing Urban Climate Resilience' describes how 10 cities within the Asian Cities Climate Resilience Network (ACCCRN) assess climate vulnerability and apply emerging concepts of urban resilience. The ACCCRN experience offers an innovative framework for iterative shared learning that has been tested by practitioners over a 2-year period. It provides a set of tools for building resilience in cities around the world, and documents the strategies developed by ACCCRN city partners. This is an informative guide for urban practitioners and climate scientists alike. Downloadable pdf.

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Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance

UGEC project co-chair Roberto Sanchez-Rodriguez is one of the leading experts who argues for a fundamental overhaul of global environmental governance in the article "Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance" published in Science Magazine on March 16.

The authors state that in order to reduce the risk of potential global environmental disaster, a "constitutional moment" is required, comparable in scale and importance to the reform of international governance that followed World War II.

In particular, the group argues for the creation of a UN Sustainable Development Council to better integrate sustainable development concerns across the UN system, with a strong role for the twenty largest economies (G20).

The article also suggests upgrading of the UN Environment Programme to a full-fledged UN agency - a step that would give it greater authority, more secure funding, and facilitate the creation and enforcement of international regulations and standards.

The assessment underlying this article has been mandated by the organizers of the science conference "Planet under Pressure", to be held 26-29 March 2012 in London. It is also a key contribution of the science community to the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development ("Rio+20").

Download here the full pdf of the article.

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The Rise and Rise of Urban Expansion

UGEC project co-chair, Dr. Karen Seto and Executive Officer, Michail Fragkias are co-authors to the article "The Rise and Rise of Urban Expansion" which was recently published in the March issue of the IGBP Global Change Magazine No. 78, "Anthropocene: The Geology of Humanity". Along with articles addressing resource consumption and the economic consequences of natural catastrophes, this short piece offers a glimpse into global patterns of urbanization over the last few decades and the implications this holds for future plans towards sustainability.

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UGEC Activities at the Planet Under Pressure

UGEC Project Convened and Co-convened Sessions (click on the session title to be taken to the detailed description on the PUP website)
Monday 26th
State of the world's cities: an overview of interactions between cities and global environmental change - 16:00 / Room 4
Tuesday 27th
Urbanisation as an opportunity for a sustainable future - 14:00 / Room 11
Risk and opportunity in urban coasts - 10:30 / Room 4
Wednesday 28th
Urban governance challenges for sustainability and global environmental change - 16:00 / Room 12
Thursday 29th
Improving collaborations in global environmental change research: perspectives from the IHDP core projects (Panel Discussion) - 15:00 / Room 17

Other Sessions of Interest
Wednesday 28th 16:00 / Room 6
Building Climate Resilience in an Urban World: experiences from the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network

UGEC Project Networking Event | Tuesday, 27th | 18:30 – 20:00
UGEC will host a networking event at the Docklands Bar and Grill which is a short five minute walk from the conference venue. We invite UGEC researchers and practitioners to get to know us and each other over some appetizers at what we hope will be a fun social event! Click HERE to view the Google Map for directions.

IHDP Booth
IHDP is sharing an exhibition booth with other Global Change Programmes and ESSP. The UGEC project will of course be represented here and will have a variety of materials for display. Corrie Griffith, UGEC project coordinator will be staffing the booth on Wednesday the 28th from 10:30 – 12:30, so please stop by for a chat!

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Post-Doctoral Position with the Stockholm Resilience Centre

The Stockholm Resilience Centre is an international transdisciplinary centre for research on the environment and development. Their goal is to contribute with new insights and tools that enable a long-term sustainable production of ecosystem services and strengthened resilience for human welfare. The SRC also offers a number of educations within environment and sustainable development but the focus is on research that integrates the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences.

The selected individual should have excellent skills in internal- as well as external communications; hands-on skills in database handling; remote sensing applications; GIS; and statistical models. Fluency in English is required and additional languages, especially such occurring in India, is an advantage. Click the link for more information about the position.

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Earth System Governance Tokyo Conference | Call for Papers

The ESG Tokyo Conference will be held January 28-31, 2013 at the United Nations University Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. This conference will be the fourth in a global series organized by the Earth System Governance Project, a ten-year research programme under the auspices of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change(IHDP). The Earth System Governance Tokyo Conference will be jointly hosted by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNUIAS), the International Environmental Governance Architecture Research Group and the Tokyo Institute of Technology on behalf of the Earth System Governance Project. Deadline for paper abstracts: July 01, 2012

Read the pdf for more details about the conference and call for papers.

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UGEC SESSIONS | AAG ANNUAL MEETING

The Association of American Geographers annual meeting is taking place very soon in New York City between February 24th and 28th. Colleagues within our network including UGEC Scientific Steering Committee members have various roles in each of the urban-themed sessions listed below either as organizers, panelists, or presenters. We encourage you to attend! You can find more information about these individual sessions at the AAG meeting website. Or you may certainly email us directly with any questions.

SESSIONS
1454 Urbanization, Climate Change and Hydrology 1: Intersections & Management for more Sustainable Cities is scheduled on Friday, 2/24/2012, from 12:40 PM - 2:20 PM in Conference Room L, Sheraton Hotel, Lower Level
1654 Urbanization, Climate Change and Hydrology 3: Landcover is scheduled on Friday, 2/24/2012, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Conference Room L, Sheraton Hotel, Lower Level
2107 Transition Theory, Coupled Human-Natural Systems, and Geography: Cross-Connections and Opportunities for Analysis is scheduled on Saturday, 2/25/2012, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Concourse G, Hilton NY, Concourse Level
2401 Urban Areas: Impact of Extreme Weather Events is scheduled on Saturday, 2/25/2012, from 12:40 PM - 2:20 PM in Concourse A, Hilton NY, Concourse Level
2572 Energy Mapping and Modeling is scheduled on Saturday, 2/25/2012, from 2:40 PM - 4:20 PM in Madison Suite 2, Sheraton Hotel, Fifth Floor
2580 State of the Art: Social-Ecological Systems Theories, Methods, and Models is scheduled on Saturday, 2/25/2012, from 2:40 PM - 4:20 PM in Park Suite 4, Sheraton Hotel, Fifth Floor
2614 Historical Geography of the Environment: Urban is scheduled on Saturday, 2/25/2012, from 4:40 PM - 6:20 PM in Lincoln Suite, Hilton NY, Second Floor
3136 The Future of Historical U.S. Census Data: Charting the Course of the New NHGIS is scheduled on Sunday, 2/26/2012, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Green Room, Hilton NY, Fourth Floor
4424 Transformational Adaptation to Climate Change in New York City: If Incremental Adaptation Might Not Be Enough is scheduled on Monday, 2/27/2012, from 12:40 PM - 2:20 PM in Sutton Parlor North, Hilton NY, Second Floor
4466 Trees in the City 1: The Extent, Drivers, and Benefits of Urban Forests is scheduled on Monday, 2/27/2012, from 12:40 PM - 2:20 PM in Liberty 4, Sheraton Hotel, Third Floor
4550 Monitoring and Forecasting Urban Growth: Lessons Learned and Moving Forward From Two Workshops is scheduled on Monday, 2/27/2012, from 2:40 PM - 4:20 PM in Conference Room H, Sheraton Hotel, Lower Level
5156 Frontiers in Spatial Demography and Population Geography is scheduled on Tuesday, 2/28/2012, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Central Park East, Sheraton Hotel, Second Floor
5171 Cities and Climate Change Experimentation I: Drivers, Dynamics and Consequences is scheduled on Tuesday, 2/28/2012, from 8:00 AM - 9:40 AM in Riverside Suite, Sheraton Hotel, Third Floor
5271 Cities and Climate Change Experimentation II: Drivers, Dynamics and Consequences
is scheduled on Tuesday, 2/28/2012, from 10:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Riverside Suite, Sheraton Hotel, Third Floor
5403 Cities as First Responders: The Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities (ARC3) and How to Become Part of Urban Climate Change Research Network and Its Ongoing Work is scheduled on Tuesday, 2/28/2012, from 2:00 PM - 3:40 PM in Concourse C, Hilton NY, Concourse Level
5471 Cities and Climate Change Experimentation III: Drivers, Dynamics and Consequences
is scheduled on Tuesday, 2/28/2012, from 2:00 PM - 3:40 PM in Riverside Suite, Sheraton Hotel, Third Floor

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UGEC SCIENTIFIC STEERING COMMITTEE (SSC) - OPEN CALL

The nomination process for new UGEC Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) members is currently underway!

UGEC activities are overseen and organized by an international SSC who represent a broad spectrum of disciplines and geographic regions, and are comprised of both mid-career and senior researchers. Researchers who serve on the UGEC SSC will do so for a period of 3 years, with the potential for renewal of one additional term.

The continuing success of UGEC relies on dynamic participation, energy, and ideas for new activities from its SSC members. By becoming a member, you must agree to co-develop and promote the UGEC Scientific Agenda through concrete actions described in the following terms of reference (ToR):

1. Lead or co-lead at least one UGEC initiative every other year, if not every year (e.g., workshops, conference sessions, special issues in journals, other publication activities). This will help to further our goals of advancing UGEC science and research.

2. Connect and liaise with cognate groups to establish UGEC’s standing in broader communities and help make links with other external networks; build bridges to other organizations and projects and act as a liaison for the UGEC project in international meetings.

3. Help develop regional networks of researchers and practitioners.

4. Promote the UGEC scientific agenda through your own research.

5. Actively participate in UGEC SSC meetings and initiatives; prioritize one annual 3-day UGEC SSC meeting (funded through the project) and monthly teleconferences. Any SSC member who misses 2 consecutive annual SSC meetings will be asked to rotate off.

6. Each year every SSC member is asked to report on his/her contribution to UGEC and to describe his/her contributions into the future.

7. Take initiative in communicating with the UGEC International Project Office (IPO) and respond to the IPO in a prompt manner.

We are asking the wider UGEC community for applications for SSC membership as well as nominations of qualified candidates. We particular encourage applications from women and researchers who reside in or can represent South Asia, Middle East-North Africa, Central Asia, and Small Island States. The application materials will be reviewed by the current SSC members and the IPO. The selected candidates will then be recommended to the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) for final approval. In seeking nominations, we are looking for mid-career to senior level researchers, scientific excellence, a high level of commitment to UGEC goals, in addition to seeking diversity in disciplines, geographic regions and gender.

Additionally, we are also seeking applications from researchers, practitioners, and early-career scientists to become part of our network as UGEC Project Associates. For more information and how to apply, please visit our our web page.

To apply or nominate someone for UGEC SSC membership:
Please send a completed UGEC SSC Application Form including a short CV (max. 5 pages) by email to the UGEC IPO - Michail Fragkias (Michail.Fragkias@asu.edu) or Corrie Griffith (Corrie.Griffith@asu.edu). To nominate someone other than yourself, please send us a short paragraph stating why you think this person would be a great addition to our SCC including his/her contact information. Nominated candidates will be contacted by the IPO and asked to complete this application form. Current SSC members or the IPO may call applicants during the selection process for a discussion of the submitted application.

This round of applications and nominations for new SSC members starts immediately. The application/nomination deadline is February 17, 2012. Applications received after February 17, 2012 will be kept in our files for use in future rounds of applications and nominations.

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U.S. Scientists call for integrated study of carbon cycle

The carbon cycle science community in the United States has recently finished its planning process for carbon cycle research for the upcoming decade. This reassessment of the U.S. carbon cycle science priorities was initiated by the U.S. Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) and Carbon Cycle Science Steering Group (CCSSG) in 2008. This planning process is culminating in the publication of the new U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan. The new Plan is intended to provide guidance for U.S. research efforts on the global carbon cycle for the next decade.
The Plan outlines priorities for research in carbon cycle science, including a substantial expansion in the scope of the field. In addition to reaffirming the need for basic research and for continuing the current areas of research in carbon cycle science, the Plan outlines specific recommendations for new priorities. First, with greenhouse gas concentrations rising rapidly, active management of the global carbon cycle is increasingly urgent. The plan outlines the need for carbon-cycle research on the efficacy and environmental consequences of carbon management policies, strategies, and technologies. Second, because humans are an integral part of the carbon cycle, both through influences on “natural” systems and through direct emissions of greenhouse gases, study of the human elements of the carbon cycle must be more thoroughly integrated into the future research agenda. Third, the Plan recommends increased exploration of the direct impact of rising greenhouse gas concentrations and carbon-management decisions on ecosystems, species, and natural resources. Finally, because decisions about the carbon cycle will inevitably be made with imperfect knowledge, the Plan emphasizes the need for a better understanding of uncertainly in all aspects of the global carbon cycle, and improved ways of conveying those uncertainties to policy and decision makers, as well as society at large.
The focus of the new U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan on understanding coupled human-natural systems, especially quantifying the socioeconomic drivers of carbon emissions and determining different carbon management pathways, provides a number of entry points for scientific contributions from the IHDP research community.

Electronic copies of “A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan” are available at http://www.carboncyclescience.gov/carbonplanning.php. Printed copies or copies on CD can be requested from the U.S Carbon Cycle Science Program Office; contact Director Roger Hanson (rhanson@usgcrp.gov) or Program Coordinator Gyami Shrestha (gshrestha@usgcrp.gov).

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11th Urban Environment Symposium - Call for Abstracts

The 11th Urban Environment Symposium will be held in Karlsruhe, Germany on September 16-19 2012. The symposium is organised by Chalmers University of Technology and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The Urban Environment Symposium is a forum for recent research on all aspects of the urban environment. The first symposium was held in London in 1983 as a meeting place for researchers with a focus on urban pollution. Since then, there has been a growing interest for including other aspects of the urban environment to provide a more extensive cover of this research area. Topics at recent symposia in Madrid in 2008 and in Gothenburg in 2010 included air quality, urban water, climate change, contaminated sites, transportation and mobility. Continuing this tradition the upcoming 11th Urban Environment Symposium will cover a broad range of topics related to the urban environment.

Abstract submissions for oral or poster presentations are welcomed on any of the following topics:
- Environmental Pollution
- Modelling of Urban Dynamics
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem services
- Climate Change and Adaptation
- Health and Well-Being
- Urban Infrastructure Management
- Vulnerability to Natural Hazards
- LCA & Ecological Footprint

Authors wishing to present papers are invited to submit an abstract by March 31, 2012. Please note that abstracts must be short (less than 300 words, no figures or tables) and should be submitted via the conference website (submission will be available soon). The official language is English. Detailed information is available on the conference website. For additional information, please contact Sebastien Rauch (sebastien.rauch@chalmers.se).

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2012 Advanced Institute on Forensic Investigation of Disasters (FORIN) - Southeast Asia, Call for Applications

The IRDR International Centre of Excellence (ICoE) in Taipei, together with START, IRDR and the International Council for Science (ICSU), is pleased to announce a Call for Applications for the 2012 Advanced Institute on Forensic Investigation of Disasters (FORIN) - Southeast Asia. The Institute, to be held 12-18 March 2012 at the IRDR ICoE in Taipei, will provide approximately 15-20 young to middle-career researchers and practitioners from Southeast Asia with the enhanced understanding, skills and resources to design, organize and carry out FORIN related studies in their own countries. Institute sessions will include educational modules, hands-on interactive exercises and field visits. Special attention will be given to disasters that have impacted cities in Southeast Asia.

The deadline for applications for the Advanced Institute is very soon - 16 February 2012. For more information about FORIN and the Institute, please see the Call for Applications.

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UN HABITAT WUF6 - Call for proposals and event applications

The Sixth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF6) will take place in the ancient southern Italian city of Naples – Italy, from 1 to 7 September 2012 under the theme The Urban Future.

The WUF6 theme The Urban Future will be deliberated under six domains, which will form the dialogue sessions of the Forum as follows:

Dialogue 1 – Productive Cities: Urban job creation
Dialogue 2 – Livable cities and Quality of life
Dialogue 3 – Urban Planning: Institutions and Regulations
Dialogue 4 – Equity and Prosperity of cities
Dialogue 5 – Culture and Prosperity of cities
Dialogue 6 – Urban mobility, Energy and Environment

Dates to note:
•The call for online application for Networking events is ongoing and will close on 10 March 2012.
•In addition, the call for application for Training proposals is as well ongoing and will close on 1 March 2012.

E-debates:
On site debate and discussions on these themes will be preceded by an on-line debate to be launched towards the end of February 2012. You are invited to join this debate and be part of a vibrant virtual global community whose contributions go to shape the final output of the Forum.

More information can be accessed at the Forum website: www.unhabitat.org/wuf and in the First Announcement Brochure.

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Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society (with Institute of British Geographers)- Call for Session Abstracts

Adapting to Climate/Environmental Change: the Urban Challenge Edinburgh, September 3-5, 2012
Conveners: David Simon and Hayley Leck (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Mark Pelling (King’s College London)

This session seeks to focus attention on the challenges of adaptation to changing climates and environments in urban areas. Amid the burgeoning urban research literature, considerable attention is now being focused on mitigation, governance and future urban growth scenarios. Although we do not accept the UNFCCC position that mitigation is exclusively the duty of OECD countries because many Southern countries have heavy urban emissions concentrations, mitigation measures and emissions trading schemes are now relatively well understood. There is much talk about adaptation and a recent growth in adaptation based studies but we still lack nuanced and detailed research-based evidence on how to promote and achieve it in different contexts. This is not merely some distant future concern: clear evidence is already emerging of climate/environmental change impacts on some people in towns and cities around the world. Accordingly, we are seeking conceptually informed studies addressing adaptation policies and practices at household, community and urban levels in one or more urban areas in any part of the world, and on future directions for adaptation research. We specifically look forward to exploring the scope for mutual learning across urban areas of different sizes and in diverse geographical regions.

Offers of papers or short interactive presentations, with title and an abstract of not more than 200 words, should be sent to Hayley Leck (Hayley.Leck.2008@live.rhul.ac.uk) by January 9, 2012.

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IUCN WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines - Survey

IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the Global Protected Areas Programme (GPAP) want your advice on how to make the IUCN WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines as useful and relevant as possible. In addition, in terms of the request by the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan, October 2010, IUCN is mandated to advise state parties on how best to implement the CBD Strategic Plan and the Programme of Work on Protected Areas. An updated series of Best Practice Guidelines endorsed by both IUCN and the CBD will be an important contribution to this task.

Links to the survey are below. The results will help determine how to best update the BP Protected Area Guidelines to meet your needs in such areas as new Guideline topics and Guideline translation priorities.

SURVEY
In English
In French
In Spanish

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IHDP Scientific Committee Membership - Call for Applications/Nominations

The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) is an international, interdisciplinary science programme, dedicated to promoting, catalysing and coordinating research, capacity development and networking on the human dimensions of global environmental change. Its mandate is to provide international leadership in framing, developing, and integrating social science research on global environmental change and to promote the application of its key findings. The full article with details on how to apply can be accessed at the IHDP website

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International Journal of Geographical Information Science Special Issue on Land Change Modelling: Moving Beyond Projections - Call for Papers

Papers are sought concerning land change modelling from applied perspectives concerning geography, ecology, planning, and related environmental studies, as well as from technical perspectives concerning process stationarity and model validation that are relevant to the above mentioned features. Of special interest are unique and new ways of conceptualizing, processing, and modelling land change. The deadline for submission of papers is May 31, 2012.

Download the full pdf announcement here.

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New Publications from within the UGEC network

Parnell, S. and Walawege, R. (2011). Sub-Saharan African urbanisation and global environmental change. Global Environmental Change, 21S, S12–S20.

Bai, X., Chen J., Shi, P. (2011). Landscape urbanization and economic growth in China: Positive feedback and sustainability dilemmas. Environmental Science & Technology, just accepted. doi: 10.1021/es202329f

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PhD Vacancies, VU University Amsterdam

The Institute for Environmental Studies of VU University Amsterdam has 3 vacancies for PhD students in the field of Urban Development, Landscape Management, Land Use Change and Climate Adaptation.

PhD Coastal Cities and Flood Risk
PhD Values of Landscape and Landscape Management
PhD Supporting Sustainable Urban Development

For more information:
Prof. Dr. Ir. Peter H. Verburg
Head of Department Spatial Analysis and Decision Support

Institute for Environmental Studies - Instituut voor Milieuvraagstukken (IVM) Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FALW), VU University Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31(0)205983594; Fax: +31(0)205989553; Email: peter.verburg@ivm.vu.nl

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Call for Contributions, "Resilient Cities 2012 3rd World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change"

The Resilient Cities 2012 3rd World Congress on Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change which is sponsored by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the World Mayors Council on Climate Change and the City of Bonn will take place May 12-15, 2012 in Bonn, Germany along with the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Talks (May 14-26, 2012).

Proposals are welcome for presentations, panels, workshops, posters and co-events.

Adaptation and resilience-building experts willing to contribute shaping the Resilient Cities 2012 program are invited to submit their contributions using the online submission system available on the congress website.

The themes for the call for contributions are:
•Urban risk assessment and management
•Socio-economic dimensions of climate change adaptation
•Institutional dimensions
•Strategy, policy integration and mainstreaming
•Urban adaptation planning and practice: Experiences and solutions (including urban design)
•Resilient infrastructure (including urban logistics)
•Financing the resilient city

The submission deadline is December 31, 2011. Send your contribution now.

For additional information, visit the Resilient Cities 2012 website or contact: resilient.cities@iclei.org

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Call for Abstracts, "Community Adaptation to Climate Change" | Hanoi, Vietnam, April 16-22, 2012

Based in Hanoi, the conference includes three days of field visits to projects to see how communities living in different ecosystems have adapted to climate change, and three and a half days of interactive discussions on different thematic areas in Hanoi.

The conference aims to:
•bring together stakeholders and practitioners to share and discuss knowledge of community-based adaptation (CBA) planning and practices from different parts of the developing world, particularly from Vietnam,
•capture the latest learning and good practices in CBA from developing countries,
•integrate lessons learned into national and international development programmes in order to ultimately enhance the capacity and improve the livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable groups in developing countries,
•disseminate lessons learned at the Conference through daily communications, proceedings and an immediate conference summary.

The abstract submission deadline is November 30, 2011. For further details please download the conference brochure here.

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Call for Abstracts, "Climate Change Mitigation with Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples: Practices, Lessons Learned and Prospects" | Cairns, Australia, March 26-28, 2012

United Nations University (UNU), in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) seeks submissions for a workshop on “Climate Change Mitigation with Indigenous Peoples: Practices, Lessons Learned and Prospects”.

The workshop aims to reflect the wide and diverse range of perspectives concerning indigenous peoples, local communities and climate change responses (including mitigation); support the build-up of understanding and peer-reviewed literature and to compile regional and local data and grey literature that are relevant for understanding climate change mitigation at the local level. It will also support indigenous peoples’, local communities’ and developing country scientists’ engagement and research in international climate dialogues. The workshop also intends to provide policy-makers with information on mitigation issues relevant for indigenous peoples and local communities. Selected papers will be published in a Special Issue of a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The workshop will be held from 26-28 March 2012 in Cairns, Australia and is the second workshop of the series. The first workshop on Adaptation and Vulernability was held in Mexico City in July 2011.

Abstract deadline: November 30, 2011 | Download the Call for Abstracts
Download the Workshop Description

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Urban Environmental Pollution: Creating Healthy, Liveable Cities | Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 17-20, 2012

People all over the world are migrating to cities in search of jobs and cultural advantages, especially in Asia. This has resulted in the formation of huge megapolitan areas and surrounding periurban environs.

The effects of cities on people are not well-understood. Cities require huge amounts of energy, resulting in large quantities of waste products, causing unsustainable environments. Cities are sources of air, water and soil pollution. Light and noise pollution are now known to adversely affect urban people. The role of urban heat islands and air pollution, Pm 2.5 and ozone, on human health is beginning to emerge. Lack of green space may have psychological effects for urban dwellers.

The nature of the urban environment and pollution on human health and well-being was explored at UEP2010 in Boston in June of 2010. UEP2012 aims to pick up where UEP2010 left off and continue the exploration of the urban environment and how to create healthy and liveable environments in cities.

Abstract submission deadline: January 16, 2012. Leaern more at the conference website.

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REAL CORP 2012: RE-MIXING THE CITY – Towards Sustainability and Resilience? | Schwechat, Austria, May 14-16, 2012

Cities worldwide are facing rapid social, economic, environmental, technological and cultural changes such as: rapid urbanisation, aging of society, security issues, housing emergency, new solutions on mobility, integration of immigrants, food and water shortage, etc.

Especially in times of economic crisis and demographic changes in cities, it is necessary to think about how to best handle what we have, and therefore “RE-MIXING THE CITY” is a challenge to manage and re-combine the elements which make our modern cities in order to better respond to change. REAL CORP 2012 in Schwechat will offer the possibility to collectively discuss a wide range of topics in different panel groups and workshops.

Abstract deadline: December 23, 2011. View the conference website for more information.

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UGEC Viewpoints VI - Addressing Grand Challenges for Global Sustainability: Monitoring, Forecasting, and Governance of Urban Systems

This sixth issue of UGEC Viewpoints highlights how the dimension of urbanization and global change fits into the envisaged objectives and scientific agenda of the new ICSU-supported Earth System Sustainability Initiative (ESSI). The five Grand Challenges posed by ESSI (forecasting, observing, confining, responding, and innovating) are areas to which UGEC project researchers and practitioners are increasingly turning their attention and this current issue showcases several examples. In particular, we include articles that are representative of the work occurring within the UGEC network, address three of the five major challenges posed by the ESSI, and apply them to urban systems.

The authors address questions of monitoring/observing (Javed Mallick, Atiqur Rahman, Maik Netzband and Sunil Bhaskaran; Lucy Hutyra, Steve Raciti, Nathan Phillips and J. William Munger; Xiangrong Wang, Shixiong Wang, Yuan Wang, Huanran Ling and Zhengqiu Fan), forecasting (Burak Güneralp; Helber López Covaleda and Tyler Frazier) and governance/responding (Anna Brown and Sam Kernaghan; JoAnn Carmin, David Dodman and Eric Chu; Mauricio Domínguez-Aguilar and Federico Dickinson Bannack; Peter Elias; B.K Singh and Shiraz Wajih). The overview article by Libby Wentz, Karen Seto, Soe Myint, Maik Netzband and Michail Fragkias, which introduces a special section of articles authored by workshop participants, summarizes the findings of the two recent jointly-held UGEC-sponsored workshops and addresses the issue of the synthesis of research on monitoring, forecasting and governance in urban systems. We hope you enjoy!

Download pdf

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Mediating Climate Change in the City: Experimenting with Urban Responses - Workshop for Early Career Researchers | Durham University, March 19-23 2012

The aim of the Mediating Climate Change in the City workshop is to provide a focal point for dialogue and collaboration for early career researchers working in the broad area of urban responses to climate change and to develop capacity for advancing scholarship in this field. Researchers undertaking doctoral or postdoctoral research with interests in a broad range of theoretical perspectives that seek to engage with the ways in which climate change is being governed, addressed, and encountered in the urban arena, including those focused on institutional theory, policy studies, political economy, governmentality, practice theory, actor-network theory and science and technology studies, are invited to participate.

Prospective participants should submit a short abstract (300 words) detailing their current research in the broad field of urban climate change governance by December 15th 2011 to Gareth Edwards (Gareth.Edwards@durham.ac.uk).

Click here to read the full workshop announcement.

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New publication from the 2010 GLP Open Science Meeting: “Paying for Ecosystem Services - Promise and Peril" in Science Magazine

The authors which include Ann Kinzig, Charles Perrings, Terry Chapin III, Steve Polasky, V. Kerry Smith, Dave Tilman and B.L. Turner II take a critical look at the opportunities and possible pitfalls related to existing environmental markets and market-like mechanisms. The authors touch on issues including lessons learned from existing payment schemes, uncertainties in the science underpinning the various schemes in question, and the dangers of perverse incentives. The authors also look at the tradeoffs resulting from the interdependence between various ecosystem services produced on public lands or seas beyond national jurisdiction, as well as requirements for observations and measures of the importance and condition of ecosystem services.

Download the pdf of the full article here.

Read the IHDP press release.

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Kjosavik, D.C., & Vedeld, P. (2011). The political economy of environment and development in a globalised world: Exploring the frontiers. Trondheim: Tapir Academic Press.

"This book is a critical exploration of the theoretical and thematic frontiers of environment and development studies in the context of globalisation." Chapter 9, "Reconciling development with the challenges of climate change: Business as usual or a new paradigm?" authored by UGEC SSC member David Simon provides insight into whether or not it is possible to address the current climate and other environmental challenges under existing paradigms and whether we can continue implementing development models and policies even with modifications.

To read the full chapter click here.

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Univeristy of Waterloo | Job opportunity

"The School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, invites applications for a tenure-track position in planning, specializing in environment and health. We seek an exceptional colleague, teacher, and applied researcher with a strong connection to planning practice. The ideal candidate will apply their knowledge of relevant biophysical/ecological and socio economic processes in any of the following areas related to the above specialization: built environment (including natural elements) and public health, sustainable, healthy, liveable, communities, rural and resource planning, and infrastructure development. The position requires an excellent knowledge of both urban and natural ecologies and a strong theoretical and practical understanding of planning."

For further details view the pdf of the full job description.

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University of Georgia Department of Geography | Faculty Position Open

"The Department of Geography at the University of Georgia seeks applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in GIScience with specialization in Remote Sensing to start August 2012. Ph.D. required at time of appointment. We seek applications from scholars with expertise in remote sensing and image processing, including but not limited to active remote sensing (e.g., LiDAR and RADAR), hyperspectral imaging and emerging areas of geovisualization and geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA). Application areas for a successful candidate could include urban systems, biogeography, conservation, landscape evolution, environmental change and public health, at local to global scales. The successful candidate should have a promising or established program of research and a record of, or potential for, securing funding from external sources. Excellence in teaching and graduate mentoring is expected."

For more information about the position and how to apply read the full announcement here.

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Understanding the Drivers and Consequences of Global Urbanization using Emerging Remote Sensing Technologies

By Dell'Acqua et al., posted on September 30th, 2011 in Articles, Earth Observation, Urban Monitoring

Eariler this year in April, two complementary workshops were held in tandem: NSF funded Urban Remote Sensing (URS), organized by Dr. Libby Wentz and Dr. Maik Netzband, and the NASA funded Forecasting Urban Growth (FORE) workshop, organized by Dr. Michail Fragkias and Dr. Karen Seto.

This recently published article in Earthzine, a contribution of the IEEE Committee on Earth Observation (ICEO) in support of the Group on Earth Observations and its mission, is an on-line source for news, articles, information and educational materials about Earth Science, Earth observations and users of Earth information for the international Earth-observing community. The article which is written by workshop participants provides an overview of the event and also a disucssion of outcomes and what's needed for future work. Read the full article here.

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TEEB Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability has created the TEEB Manual for Cities: Ecosystem Services in Urban Management, in partnership with the TEEB for Local and Regional Policy Makers team. This is an excellent publication that builds upon the TEEB reports and tailors the information specifically for an urban context. It highlights how a focus on ecosystem services and their valuation can create direct benefits for urban areas and can be performed even with limited resources. This handbook is an essential tool for local and regional policy makers everywhere.

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32nd International Geographical Congress (IGC)| August 26-30, 2012 | Call for Abstracts

Under the motto "down to earth", the IGC 2012 will have Four Key Topics providing the framework for discussing geography’s contribution to central challenges of humanity: Global Change & Globalisation; Society & Environment; Risks & Conflicts; Urbanisation & Demographic Change. Approximately 35 sessions will focus on each of these core themes.

Call 1: Paper Sessions by the Commissions and Task Forces
Submission of papers is possible for some of the sessions organised by the IGU Commissions and Task Forces between July 1, 2011 and December 15, 2011. An overview of those sessions with an open call for papers is available on the IGC 2012 website.

Call 2: Paper Sessions on the Four Key Topics
Papers for the 144 sessions organised under the four key topics can be submitted between July 1, 2011 and December 15, 2011.

Call for Posters
Posters can be submitted under one of the four key topics from June 1, 2011 until January 15, 2012 via the IGC website.

Students' Presentations
Students from Cologne will organise a special event where students from around the world will have the chance to present their project ideas or research results in two different formats: Either a "speed presentation" or a poster presentation. The submission of proposals and the procedures are explained on the website of the Cologne students’ organisation, links to which are on the IGC 2012 website.
More information can also be found in the online pdf.

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2011 START Grants for Global Environmental Change Research in Africa Announced!

START’s Global Environmental Change Research Program in Africa awards one-year grants for global environmental change research projects to 3 or more natural science and social science research investigators. The 2011 theme is climate change, agriculture, and food security with an emphasis on the sustainability of ecosystem services.

This year the Program is supporting 16 research teams with investigators coming from 16 African Nations and 3 Developed Nations. The 2011 research projects focused on 4 main areas: forests, water, climate, and agriculture.

The high quality interdisciplinary GEC research contributes to international collaborative research partnerships and strengthens African research networks. The project outcomes contribute to knowledge sharing and inform decision-making among communities of science, policy and practice within Africa.

The START Grants for GEC Research in Africa are provided only to research teams with investigators who are associated with an African institution of higher learning or with an African non-governmental organization.

Funding for the grants is provided by: the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research program and the US Climate Change Science Program, administered by the US National Science Foundation.

Click here to find a list of funded projects and their investigators including “The Role of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Enhancing Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in East and West African Cities” - led by UGEC SSC member Shuaib Lwasa with co-PIs: Michail Fragkias, UGEC project Executive Officer and David Simon, UGEC project SSC member.

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South Dakota State University Department of Geography | Faculty Position Open

The Department of Geography at South Dakota State University seeks applications for a full-time, tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level to begin August 22, 2012, in the area of sustainability and cultural adaptability in a globalized context. We invite candidates with an active research program that engages in such areas as urbanization and world city systems, urban-rural dynamics, and/or transnational labor, capital, and resource systems and flows. Applications of geospatial information technologies as an analytical tool is desirable. Special consideration will be given to candidates who focus on any of these areas with a concern for the sustainability of and cultural adaption within a continually globalizing world.

To Apply: For a list of qualifications and directions for online application, visit https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu, position #0003799. For questions on the electronic employments process, contact SDSU Human Resources at (605) 688- 4128. Position is open until filled. Screening will begin October 17, 2011. SDSU is an AA/EEO employer and encourages applications from women and minorities.

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Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies | Job Opportunity: Faculty Position in Political Science or Sociology

Yale’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies has an open-rank, tenure-track opening for a social scientist trained within political science, sociology, or a related discipline, whose research and teaching address the human dimensions of environmental and resource stewardship. Ideal candidates will have an outstanding scholarly record and will also demonstrate potential for collaborating with natural and physical scientists within the School and more broadly at Yale.

Candidates should have strong expertise in such fields as: the policy-making process; science policy relations; international or comparative environmental governance; environmental institutions and movements; and public administration. Candidates are sought who apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to significant environmental challenges such as: conservation and protected area management; food security
and agriculture; urban/rural relations; land use change; environmental justice; climate change; energy; water; North-South issues; environmental security; or societal responses to risk, hazard,
and pollution.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop an internationally recognized research program that involves graduate students, to work across disciplinary boundaries in a collegial environment, and to teach both graduate and undergraduate classes.

Deadline: October 31, 2011
To Apply: Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a statement of research and teaching interests, and the names and contact information of four references via email with the subject line “Environment Faculty Searches – Social Scientist” to fesdeansoffice@yale.edu or via surface mail to:

Environment Faculty Searches – Social Scientist
c/o Pilar Montalvo, Dean’s Office
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
195 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Prior to applying, candidates should explore the School’s website.
and consider how their expertise can strengthen or complement the strengths of the existing faculty of the School.

Applications received by October 31, 2011 will receive full consideration.
Senior faculty applications considered under exceptional circumstances.
For more information about the position, contact Assistant Dean Pilar Montalvo at pilar.montalvo@yale.edu.

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UGEC flagship research paper on risks of global urban growth published in PLoS One

Researchers from the UGEC project just co-published a meta-analysis in the scientific journal PLoS One, revealing the risks that the explosive growth of cities poses to people and the environment. The paper predicts that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles to accommodate the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas. According to Karen Seto, the study’s lead author and UGEC co-chair, these cities will likely be developing and expanding into most biologically diverse, sensitive areas, such as forests, savannas and coastlines – the latter being the most vulnerable, exposing people and infrastructure to environmental disasters such as flooding or tsunamis.

The meta-analysis provides the first estimates of how fast global urban areas are currently growing, and how that growth may develop in the future. It is drawn from peer-reviewed studies that used satellite data to map urban expansion, and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world's urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles.

The authors also discovered that fewer than half of the world’s largest 100 urban areas have been studied in-depth, with findings published in peer reviewed journals. Furthermore, the analysis found that coastal cities have higher rates of urban land expansion than non-coastal urban areas. The projected four-fold increase in global urban extent by 2030, with urban extent growth rates surpassing the rate of urban population growth consistently across regions for the next two decades, poses significant global environment risks.

Click here to read the full article.

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Urban Growth in High Mountains: Understanding the Process and Options for Management under Global Change - A Synthesis Workshop (Nainital, India 1-5 November 2011)

The Mountain Research Initiative and Kumaon University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India will bring together a small number of development-oriented scientists from different regions of the world with experience in urbanization in mountain environments to participate in a synthesis workshop in Nainital, India between November 1st and 5th, 2011.

The main objectives are to specify the drivers and trajectories of urbanization in the world's mountains, assess the impacts of urbanization on both social and ecological systems, and examine the options for more sustainable management of urbanization in different mountain ecosystems of the world with possible recommendations for the research and
the donor communities. The main vehicle for this review and synthesis will be a peer-reviewed paper (or papers) to be published in a high-ranking international scientific, but development-oriented journal. Please read the full concept note for more information. For inquires email Dr. Prakash Tiwari: pctiwari@yahoo.com

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Adaptation Futures: Second International Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2012 | May 29–May 31, 2012 | University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Co-hosted and convened by the University of Arizona (www.arizona.edu) and by UNEP’s Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA www.provia-climatechange.org), the conference focuses on adaptation to climate variability and change. The conference will bring together researchers, policy makers, and practitioners from developed and developing countries to share insights into the challenges and opportunities that adaptation presents. It will showcase cutting-edge research from around the world, focusing on themes of equity and risk, learning, capacity building, methodology, and adaptation finance and investment. It will explore practical adaptation policies and approaches, and share strategies for decision making from the international to the local scale.

All updates will be posted to the conference website.
Call for papers and posters will be posted on web site and circulated by email July 2011. Click here to learn more about the conference, themes, and important dates.

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2012 Planet under Pressure Conference Call for Abstracts Open / UGEC Sessions accepted

The UGEC project in collaboration with other IHDP projects recently submitted sessions during the call for the 2012 Planet under Pressure Conference. We’ve learned so far that a number of them have been accepted to which you may submit abstracts online at the conference website. The sessions and days to which they are assigned are:

Day 1: State of the world’s cities: An overview of interactions between cities and global environmental change
Day 2: Urbanization as an opportunity for a sustainable future
Day 2: Transforming our way of living: Risk and opportunity in urban coasts
Day 3: Urban governance challenges for sustainability and global environmental change

Session descriptions and further information, available here.

The abstract submission process for the conference has begun - it is an open call for participants and for abstracts for presentations and posters to be submitted against the session topics described on the conference website under the following outline:

Day 1: State of the planet: the latest knowledge about the pressures on the planet
Day 2: Options and opportunities: exchanging knowledg e about ways of reducing the pressures on the planet, promoting transformative changes for a sustaina