Conference on Sustainable Land and Watershed Management (SLWM): Experiences and Lessons

The Conference on Sustainable Land and Watershed Management (SLWM): Experiences and Lessons will be held on May 26-27, 2014 in Mekelle. The call for abstracts deadline is 15 February 2014.

Rationale

Issues raised about SLWM are manifold and characterized by a variety of socio-economic, ecological and spatially related interdependencies. Generating the knowledge needed for decision making and developing of technologies, system solutions and policy strategies are important. An inter- and trans-disciplinary approach needs to be the order of the day to overcome barriers between disciplines, to include international, national, regional and local stakeholders and to develop and elaborate action-oriented approaches and research strategies. Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy strategy also envisages protecting natural resources and re-establishing forests for their economic and ecosystem services, for example, as carbon sink. This conference could contribute towards identifying strategic research agenda for filling the knowledge gaps associated with the ongoing SLWM efforts, designing of a review-mechanism for rural land administration frameworks, strengthening institutional capacities and knowledge support for SLWM for food-energy security and climate-smart landscapes.

Overall Goals

1. Provide fora for dialogue among various stakeholders in SLWM including academia (research), practitioners, and policy makers
2. Enhance evidence based policy making
3. Draw lessons for furthering and improving of the achievements so far in terms SLWM in the country

Objectives

• Unravel the current state of knowledge on SLWM at the global, national, and regional scales
• Understand the dynamics and indicate ways forward for redesigning SLWM in line with emerging issues including climate change  and its possible linkages to existing Sub-Saharan Africa and Global SLM strategies
• Look into the adoption dimensions and barriers to implementation and up-scaling of SLWM including crop-water requirements for irrigated agriculture
• Assess the status and role of SLWM for protection of hydropower dams, lakes, wildlife and other heritages, etc and energy security
• Assess impacts of land certification on improving people’s livelihood and sustaining ecosystem services
• Assess the existing capacities and look forward for possible institutionalization of SLWM at local levels

Sub-themes

1. Biological, structural, and integrated SLWM approaches, practices and climate-smart landscapes
2. Institutional, socio-economic and policy aspects of SLWM
3. Impacts, processes and lessons in SLWM and land certification
4. SLWM and Livestock Management
5. SLWM and Energy Security
6. SLWM and Climate Change 

Keynote Speakers (to be confirmed):

• Dr. Tewoldebirhan Gebreegziabher
• Prof. Mitiku Haile

Important Deadlines:

• Submission of Abstracts: 15 February 2014
• Notification of Selected Abstract: 28 February 2014
• Submission of Full Papers: 31 March 2014

Submissions for poster presentation are very much encouraged

Selected papers will be considered for publication in special issue of Journal of the Drylands

Submissions shall be made electronically to: Dr. Zenebe Gebreegziabher - zenebeg2002@yahoo.com, Mobile:+251(0)91 470 0195 and Dr. Gebreyohannes Girmay - gebreyohannes.girmay@gmail.com , Mobile: +251(0)91 470 5003