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Project
ALTER-Net Conference - May 2017, Ghent: Nature and Society: synergies, conflicts, trade-offs
Humanity faces new challenges due to the changing patterns of nature-society interactions, such as climate change, demographic change, biological invasions or the overexploitation of natural resources. The complexity of social-ecological systems implies trade-offs between benefits and potential conflicts among stakeholders, but at the same time also offers synergies and potentials for innovative approaches and solutions.
Much work has been done in connection with these challenges including natural and social scientific, as well as interdisciplinary endeavors. As addressing the challenges represent a fundamentally problem-oriented and stakeholder-driven scientific perspective, engaging non-scientist experts (citizens, practitioners and stakeholders) in research is also getting more and more frequent. Key questions that are in the forefront of transdisciplinary socio-ecological research include the followings: Where do synergies occur?, Why?, Are synergies always relevant and necessary? How can trade-offs be made, moderated and managed in fair and equal ways?, How do human-nature or societal conflicts on nature arise?, How to develop solutions?, How to obtain synergies?, How to increase uptake of solutions by society and communities?
The 2017 ALTER-Net conference will address these questions with a special emphasis on what interdisciplinary biodiversity research can add to this agenda. It will provide new perspectives to research and policy/practice, highlight information needs and develop partnerships in order to turn trade-offs into synergies. ALTER-Net builds bridges between disciplines, and connects science and policy with societal sustainability challenges.
Much work has been done in connection with these challenges including natural and social scientific, as well as interdisciplinary endeavors. As addressing the challenges represent a fundamentally problem-oriented and stakeholder-driven scientific perspective, engaging non-scientist experts (citizens, practitioners and stakeholders) in research is also getting more and more frequent. Key questions that are in the forefront of transdisciplinary socio-ecological research include the followings: Where do synergies occur?, Why?, Are synergies always relevant and necessary? How can trade-offs be made, moderated and managed in fair and equal ways?, How do human-nature or societal conflicts on nature arise?, How to develop solutions?, How to obtain synergies?, How to increase uptake of solutions by society and communities?
The 2017 ALTER-Net conference will address these questions with a special emphasis on what interdisciplinary biodiversity research can add to this agenda. It will provide new perspectives to research and policy/practice, highlight information needs and develop partnerships in order to turn trade-offs into synergies. ALTER-Net builds bridges between disciplines, and connects science and policy with societal sustainability challenges.
Date:1 Jan 2017 → 31 Dec 2017