Upcoming Meetings
Water, Oceans and Wetlands
May 2013
65th Session of the WMO Executive Council SessionThe 65th Session of the Executive Council (EC-65) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) will meet from 15-23 May 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Session is expected to discuss reports, the Global Framework for Climate Services, implementation of the WMO Strategic Plan 2012-2015, resource management, communications and public affairs, and legal matters, among other things. On partnerships, the EC will hear reports on, inter alia: GFCS partnerships; WMO participation in the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Convention on Biodiversity (CBD); WMO involvement in UN Water, in particular in the framework of the International Year of Water Cooperation; developments in establishing new working arrangements with the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme; Report of the Chair of the IPCC; Report on GEO cooperation with WMO; Future Earth Research initiative (ICSU); and MoUs between WMO and relevant international organizations established since EC-64.
dates: 15-23 May 2013 location: Geneva, Switzerland contact: Secretariat e-mail: cnf@wmo.int www: http://ec-65.wmo.int
2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) and Technical WorkshopsThe 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit (APWS) will convene in Chang Mai, Thailand, on the theme “Water Security and Water-Related Disaster Challenges: Leadership and Commitment”. It will take place from 19-20 May, back-to-back with the Technical Workshops and Exhibitions, from 16-20 May. It is organized by the Thai Government in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Water Forum. The Summit aims to promote dialogue and facilitate regional cooperation on water security in Asia and the Pacific, with the participation of public and private sectors, technical experts, academics, and civil society groups. The Office of the Water and Flood Management Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand are leading preparations, together with partners including the Global Water Partnership of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia (ESCAP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO).
dates: 16-20 May 2013 venue: International Convention and Exhibition Center location: Chiang Mai, Thailand contact: Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand phone: +66 (0) 2298 6604 fax: +66 (0) 2298 6604 e-mail: apws@apwatersummit2.org www: http://www.apwatersummit2.org/
International Day for Biological Diversity 2013The theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2013 will be "Water and Biodiversity;" the theme was chosen to coincide with the UN designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.
date: 22 May 2013 location: worldwide contact: CBD Secretariat phone: +1 514 288 2220 fax: +1 514 288 6588 e-mail: secretariat@cbd.int www: http://www.cbd.int/idb/2013
Third Meeting of the Open Working Group on SDGsThe third session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Open Working Group (OWG 3) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is scheduled to take place from 22-24 May 2013. The session is expected to discuss issues of food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, drought, desertification, and land degradation for 1.5 days, and water and sanitation for the other 1.5 days.
dates: 22-24 May 2013 venue: UN Headquarters location: New York, United States of America e-mail: dsd@un.org www: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1549
International Conference for International Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Land and Sea Managers NetworkThis conference will explore land and sea management themes such as the blue economy, sustainable livelihoods, women engaged in sustainable development and traditional ecological knowledge.
dates: 27-31 May 2013 location: Darwin, Australia contact: Australian Government Land and Coasts phone: +1-800-552-008 fax: +61-02-6272-4526 e-mail: communications@nrm.gov.au www: http://www.nrm.gov.au/about/key-investments/indigenous-netwo...
AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) MeetingThe African Ministers' Council on Water's (AMCOW) Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), meeting prior to the AMCOW Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting, will be held from 27-28 May 2013. The TAC provides technical support to the ExCo and the Governing Council for: formulating policies and strategies for the ExCo's consideration; coordinating with other institutions and partners; and following-up on issues and decisions of AMCOW.
dates: 27-28 May 2013 location: Egypt additional: Sharm El Sheikh contact: Oseloka Zikora phone: +234-9870-3749 e-mail: ozikora@amcow-online.org www: http://www.amcow-online.org
5th Delft Symposium on Water Capacity DevelopmentThis symposium is being organized by, inter alia, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-Institute for Water Education (IHE), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Cap-Net UN development programme (UNDP). Participants will examine the theme “Developing Capacity from Rio to Reality – Who's Taking the Lead?” through discussions on three sub-topics: challenges for water sector capacity development; landscape of experiences with capacity development; and innovation in water sector capacity development.
dates: 29-31 May 2013 venue: UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7 location: Delft, Netherlands e-mail: CDsymposium@unesco-ihe.org www: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/CD-Symposium
LatinoSan 2013The third LatinoSan is organized by the Panamanian Government with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, the Swiss Cooperation and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). It will examine the current state and future prospects for sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), focusing on emerging challenges and opportunities, and consider the creation of a mechanism to follow-up the commitments made at LatinoSan 2007 and 2010 conferences. On this last point, conference organizers hope to win endorsement in a Declaration of Panama for the idea of creating a Pro-tempore Regional Secretariat for Sanitation.
dates: 29-31 May 2013 venue: Hotel El Panamá Convention Center location: Panama City, Panama contact: Lourdes Lopez phone: +507-527-4883 e-mail: latinosanpanama@gmail.com www: http://latinosanpanama2013.com/
Expert Group Meeting on Climate-Land-Energy-Water-Development Case StudiesThis meeting is one of a series of expert group meetings to support the preparation of the Global Sustainable Development Report 2013. The meetings are being organized to review and complete draft chapters of the report, which is expected to be finalized by September 2013. This meeting will discuss the themed chapter on the climate-land-energy-water-development (CLEW) nexus. The chapter will include sections on: rationale and nexus examples; national case studies highlighting the utility of the nexus perspective in implementing sustainable development; regional case studies, including identified policy solutions and alternatives ones; a global case study, including policy recommendations from sectoral and thematic assessments; and towards coherent policy menus, which will identify criteria for policy menus across the nexus.
dates: 29-30 May 2013 location: Stockholm, Sweden www: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&typ...
AMCOW Executive Committee MeetingThe African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW) Executive Committee will meet on 30 May 2013. It will, amongst others: deliberate on decisions and recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and forward these to the Governing Council for consideration; ensure implementation of AMCOW decisions; endorse programmes and budgets for approval by AMCOW; decide on arrangements for AMCOW sessions; and decide on strategic direction of the constituent organs of AMCOW.
date: 30 May 2013 location: Egypt additional: Sharm el Sheikh contact: Oseloka Zikora phone: +234-9870-3749 e-mail: ozikora@amcow-online.org www: http://www.amcow-online.org
June 2013
International Expert and Stakeholder Workshop on the Contribution of Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems to IPBESThe International Expert and Stakeholder Workshop on the Contribution of Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems to IPBES: Building Synergies with Science will be convened by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Multidisciplinary Expert Panel and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Japan. It is being co-organised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN University (UNU). The objectives of the workshop are to examine and identify procedures and approaches for working with indigenous and local knowledge systems in the framework of IPBES; and to review and assess possible conceptual frameworks for the work of IPBES that are based on or accommodate indigenous and local knowledge systems and worldviews. The workshop is part of the on-going intersessional process leading up to the second session of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-2), where the outcomes of this workshop will be presented for further consideration.
dates: 9-11 June 2013 location: Tokyo, Japan contact: Makiko Yashiro e-mail: makiko.yashiro@unep.org www: http://www.ipbes.net/news-centre11/341-expert-workshop-on-in...
International Interdisciplinary Conference on Land Use and Water Quality (LuWQ 2013)This conference will address the integration of science, management and policy to reduce the effects of agriculture and land use change on groundwater and surface water quality. Conference themes include: increasing system knowledge; impact of climate change and weather variability; assessment of national policy; field research and data interpretation; management of protected areas; and decision-making and implementation.
dates: 10-13 June 2013 venue: Bel-Air Hotel location: The Hague, Netherlands contact: Dico Fraters phone: +31 (0)43-36 27 008 www: http://www.luwq2013.nl/
FT/IFC Investing in Climate Business ForumOrganized by the Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), this event focuses on the role of the private sector in addressing climate change through opportunities in green energy, clean technology and water in the emerging Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
dates: 10-11 June 2013 venue: Swissotel location: Istanbul, Turkey contact: Patrick Avato phone: +90(212)385-2575 fax: +90(212)385-3001 e-mail: pavato@ifc.org www: https://www.etouches.com/ehome/57486/event-home/
Third International Conference Waters in Sensitive and Protected AreasThis Conference organized by the Croatian Water Pollution Control Society (CWPCS) and the European Water Association (EWA) will address themes including: implementation of legal obligations related to water and environmental protection in sensitive areas; new concepts and technical solutions applicable in sensitive and protected areas (PAs); protection of surface and groundwater resources and of strategic drinking water reserves; and water in sensitive transboundary areas. The conference will also include a round table on tourism in sensitive and PAs.
dates: 13-15 June 2013 venue: Hotel Westin, Izidora Kršnjavoga 2, 10000 location: Zagreb, Croatia contact: WSPA Conference Organizer phone: +385 (0)1 6307-405 fax: +385 (0)1 6151-793 e-mail: hdzv@voda.hr www: www.WSPAconference.com
Expert Consultation on Water-related Sustainable Development GoalsThe UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) is organizing an Expert Consultation on Water-related SDGs to discuss and finalize a methodological framework for a study to define the scope of water-related SDGs, together with an assessment of means of implementation required to achieve the SDGs. The study is being undertaken by the UNOSD in collaboration with the UN University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). The study will inform work already initiated by the UN Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (UNTT) and the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs, and support UN-Water, which is developing specific targets for water-related SDGs.
dates: 13-14 June 2013 location: Incheon, Republic of Korea contact: Shelley Choi, Team Assistant phone: +82-32-822-9088 e-mail: choi9@un.org www: http://www.unosd.org/index.php?page=view&type=12&nr=354&menu...
14th Session of the Informal Consultative Process (ICP 14)The 14th meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP) is to carry out an in-depth review of the oceans-related outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and how those outcomes would impact and benefit international coordination and cooperation. The consideration of issues relating to sea-level rises and their impact on security and survival, particularly on low-lying coastal areas and island nations, against the background of sustainable development was also suggested by many delegations at ICP 13. They also proposed another theme for consideration, on aspects of marine scientific research related to sustainable development.
dates: 17-20 June 2013 venue: UN Headquarters location: New York, United States of America contact: UN DOALOS phone: +1-212-963-5915 fax: +1-212-963-5847 e-mail: doalos@un.org www: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/consultative_process/consultativ...
World Day to Combat Desertification 2013The 2013 annual World Day to Combat Desertification will focus on the slogan “Don't let our future dry up.” The day is celebrated on 17 June, to mark the conclusion of negotiations on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This year's theme of drought and water scarcity takes into account that 2013 is also the International Year of Water Cooperation. World Day to Combat Desertification 2013 will seek to create awareness about the risks of drought and water scarcity in the drylands and beyond, and to call attention to the importance of sustaining healthy soils as part of the post-Rio+20 agenda and post-2015 development agenda.
date: 17 June 2013 location: worldwide contact: UNCCD Secretariat, Awareness Raising, Education and Communication Unit phone: +49-228 815-2800 fax: +49-228 815-2898 e-mail: arce@unccd.int www: http://www.unccd.int/en/programmes/Event-and-campaigns/WDCD/...
GEF 44th Council MeetingThe Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Council meets twice per year to approve new projects with global environmental benefits in the GEF's focal areas, and provide guidance to the GEF Secretariat and Agencies. Among other matters, the 44th session of the Council is expected to discuss the GEF's role vis-à-vis the global mercury agreement. A consulation with CSOs will take place on 17 June.
dates: 18-20 June 2013 location: Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America contact: GEF Secretariat phone: +1-202-473-0508 fax: +1-202-522-3240 e-mail: secretariat@thegef.org www: http://www.thegef.org/gef/events/gef-44th-council-meeting
International Conference on Policies for Water and Food Security in the Dry AreasThis conference's sponsors include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Water Management Institute, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, and the Agriculture Research Center, Egypt. Sound policies for food security and agricultural water management are critical for national economies – and particularly for dryland areas, where water resources are already scarce, and declining rapidly. The development of such policies requires an assessment of the current state of knowledge; the lessons learned from research and development programs in different countries; and a better understanding of the inter-relationships between water policies, food security, employment and the environment. This meeting will be organized around the following themes: incentives for sustainable and efficient water allocation and management; interactions between water management, food production and employment opportunities; and policies for enhancing food security. Various countries will present lessons learned on these three themes. The conference will examine the effectiveness of current and alternative water and food policy options, and identify strategies to enhance land and water productivity, food security, employment generation on and livelihoods. Paper abstracts should be submitted by 20 April 2013.
dates: 24-26 June 2013 location: Cairo, Egypt e-mail: CWFDA@cgiar.org www: http://www.icarda.org/water-and-food-security-conference
Near East Land and Water DaysRecognizing that land and water are crucial for sustainable agriculture and food security, the Near East Land and Water Days will seek to highlight achievements and impacts of FAO, IFAD, WFP and GIZ land and water programmes and projects implemented by Member Countries in the region, and to draw conclusions and recommendations for follow-up actions to improve the impact and effectiveness of land and water projects , initiatives and programmes in the region.
dates: 24-28 June 2013 location: Cairo, Egypt contact: Yasser Elwan phone: +202-22563791 fax: +202-22563790 e-mail: y.elwan@afdb.org www: http://neareast.fao.org/Pages/Events.aspx?id=988&lang=EN&I=0...
27th Session of the IOC AssemblyThis session of the Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will take place at UNESCO headquarters.
dates: 26 June - 9 July 2013 venue: UNESCO headquarters location: Paris, France contact: UNESCO IOC phone: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 00 www: http://ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewEvent...
July 2013
Forum on Wetlands for LivelihoodsThis Forum is co-organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)- Institute for Water Education (IHE) and Rwanda's Environmental Management Authority to discuss current challenges and solutions to wetland management, and pave a way forward, both regionally and beyond.
dates: 8-12 July 2013 location: Kigali, Rwanda contact: Ken Irvine, UNESCO-IHE, Aquatic Ecosystems Group e-mail: k.irvine@unesco-ihe.org www: http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/FORUM_Wetlands_for_Livelihoods_201...
Joint Assembly of IAHS, IAPSO and IASPEIThis scientific conference will include symposia on, inter alia: ocean mixing; regional seas; ocean observations and climate change; climate and land surface changes in hydrology; cold and mountain region hydrological systems under climate change; characterizing water quantity and quality; understanding freshwater quality problems in a changing world; interactions between sediment and aquatic ecology; adaptive water resources management; and hydrology education and capacity building in developing countries. It is co-organized by: the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS); the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO); and the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI). These international associations are constituent associations of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).
dates: 22-26 July 2013 venue: Göteborg Convention Centre, Mässansgata 20, SE-402 26 location: Gothenburg, Sweden contact: Congress Secretariat phone: +46 31 708 60 00 fax: +46 31 708 60 25 e-mail: iahs.iapso.iaspei2013@congrex.com www: http://www.iahs-iapso-iaspei2013.com/index.asp
August 2013
Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to Study Issues Relating to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of National JurisdictionThe Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (Informal Working Group on Marine Biodiversity) will meet in August 2013, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. It will be preceded by two intersessional workshops that will be convened in New York from 2-3 May and 6-7 May 2013.
dates: 19-23 August 2013 venue: UN Headquarters location: New York, United States of America contact: Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea phone: +1 212-963-3962 fax: +1 212-963-5847 e-mail: doalos@un.org www: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/biodiversityworkinggroup/biodive...
High-Level International Conference on Water CooperationThe High-Level International Conference on Water Cooperation (HLIC) aims to contribute to improving water cooperation, especially at the transboundary level and encourage cooperation to achieve internationally agreed goals on water. The meeting will include high-level plenary sessions, parallel side events and thematic sessions on: water cooperation is key to poverty reduction, social equity and gender equality; water cooperation creates economic benefits; water cooperation helps preserve water resources and protect the environment; and water cooperation builds peace. The conference will also contribute to discussions on water in the post-2015 development agenda. The Conference will be organized by the Government of Tajikistan jointly with UN institutions.
dates: 20-21 August 2013 location: Dushanbe, Tajikistan contact: HLIC Secretariat phone: (+992 37) 236-06-79 fax: (+992 37) 236-06-79 e-mail: secretariat@hlicwc.org www: http://www.hlicwc.org/
IV Mesoamerican Congress of Protected AreasLaunched by the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) in 2003, the triennial Mesoamerican Congress of Protected Areas brings together experts from Mexico and the eight Central American Integration System (SICA) countries (Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) and interested regional and international actors to dialogue, share experiences and propose initiatives involving protected areas, including marine protected areas, and their role in sustainable development. The IV Congress, organized by Costa Rica's National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) with CCAD support, is expected to discuss, inter alia: governance; research within protected areas and access to biodiversity; protected areas and climate change; protected areas as social and economic instruments; and regional cooperation.
dates: 27-30 August 2013 venue: Centro de Conferencias Ramada Plaza Herradura location: San Jose, Costa Rica contact: Ricardo Meneses-Orellana, SINAC phone: +506-2291-1215 fax: +506-2231-8491 e-mail: ricardo.meneses@sinac.go.cr
September 2013
12th International Symposium on River SedimentationThe theme of this symposium is “Integrated Sediment Management for River Basin Sustainability – Challenges and Prospects towards Mid-21st Century”. Topics addressing this theme include: reservoir sedimentation and management; environmental and ecological aspects of sediment management; sediment issues in estuarine and coastal areas; sediment related disasters; and social, economic and political problems related to sediment management.
dates: 2-5 September 2013 venue: Kyoto TERRSA, Shinmachi Kujo Minami-ku location: Kyoto, Japan contact: Ujigawa Open Laboratory, Kyoto University phone: +81-75-611-4397 fax: +81-75-611-4397 e-mail: isrs2013@uh31.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp www: http://www.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~ISRS2013/default.html
European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference 2013The tenth European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC) will bring together policy makers and technical and scientific experts to discuss wave and marine current energy conversion technologies, research and development, and demonstration projects.
dates: 2-5 September 2013 venue: Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre, Europa Plads 4 location: Aalborg, Denmark contact: Vivi Søndergaard phone: +45 9940 7230 e-mail: ewtec2013@ewtec.org www: http://www.ewtec.org/ewtec2013
44th Pacific Islands ForumThis is the annual meeting of Pacific Islands Forum Countries. Dates will be confirmed in early 2013.
dates: 16-20 September 2013 [tentative] location: Majuro, Marshall Islands phone: +679-3312-600 www: http://www.forumsec.org/index.cfm
International Conference on Flood Resilience (ICFR)Organized by the University of Exeter, UK, this conference convenes on the theme “Experiences in Asia and Europe”. Sessions will address issues including: urban development and flood risk – coupling of climate change with economic growth and urban growth scenarios; weather radar technology in flood forecasting and analysis – real-time urban flood information systems and flash floods; data collection and model calibration – advances in urban flood modeling; flood hazard mapping – strategies to enhance community preparedness and communication of uncertainties in flood risk management; flood impacts on human health and assessment of tangible and intangible losses in integrated risk analysis; resilient cities – evaluation of resilience measures and adaptive flood risk management plans; flood risk perception – minimizing social impacts of urban floods; and shared lessons from Asia and Europe – problems of coastal cities and mega-cities.
dates: 5-7 September 2013 venue: University of Exeter, North Park Rd, Exeter, EX4 4QF location: Exeter, United Kingdom contact: ICFR 2013 Conference Secretariat phone: (+44) 1392 724075 e-mail: icfr@exeter.ac.uk www: http://icfr2013.ex.ac.uk/
35th IAHR World CongressThis Congress is co-hosted by the Ministry of Water Resources of P. R. China (MWR) and the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR). Themes to be addressed include: water engineering and civilization; hydro-environment; fluvial hydraulics and river management; maritime hydraulics and coastal engineering; water resources and hydroinformatics; and climate change and hazard mitigation. Issues addressed in sub-themes, include: irrigation, navigation and urbanization; industrial hydraulics and renewable energy; urban water environment engineering; water storage; natural hazards and extreme events; and floods and flood management.
dates: 8-13 September 2013 venue: InterContinental Century City Chengdu, 88 Century City Boulevard location: Chengdu, China contact: Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research phone: +86-10-6878-1672 fax: +86-10-6841-2316 e-mail: iahr2013@vip.163.com www: http://www.iahr2013.org/index.htm
Global Ocean Action SummitThe Global Ocean Action Summit, organized by the Government of the Netherlands and the World Bank, is meant to "seal major deals for worldwide action" addressing the threats to the health and productivity of oceans. The meeting aims to mobilize financial and technical support for attaining established goals under the Global Partnership for Oceans (GPO). It will also host the first official assembly of GPO partners, and will mark the implementation phase of the GPO. In addition, a report indicating priority areas and regions for action will be launched by the GPO Blue Ribbon Panel, an independent group of ocean experts. Attendance is by invitation only.
dates: 9-13 September 2013 location: The Hague, Netherlands contact: Elisabeth Mealey phone: +1 202 458 4475 e-mail: emealey@worldbank.org www: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/03/27/gl...
First CIGR Inter-Regional Conference on Land and Water ChallengesThe International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR) and the CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari are organizing the first CIGR Inter-Regional Conference on Land and Water Challenges, which will take place under the theme “Water, environment and agriculture: challenges for sustainable development”. The conference will present and discuss sustainable use of natural resources at different scales with the aim of promoting better development of agriculture. Preliminary themes include: conservation agriculture; water use performance and water productivity; irrigation technologies; climate change adaptation and mitigation; drought risk management; decision support systems and modeling tools; information and communication technologies (ICT); and policies and governance.
dates: 10-14 September 2013 location: Bari, Italy contact: Conference Secretariat e-mail: igr@iamb.it www: http://www.landandwater2013.iamb.it/
Ninth Meeting of the AEWA Standing CommitteeThe Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation of migratory waterbirds and their habitats across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Greenland and the Canadian Archipelago. The ninth meeting of the Standing Committee for AEWA will take place from 18-20 September in Trondheim, Norway, and will be hosted by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management. AEWA was developed under the framework of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which is administered by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
dates: 18-19 September 2013 location: Trondheim, Norway contact: AEWA Secretariat phone: +49-228-815-2413 fax: +49-228-815-2450 e-mail: aewa@unep.de www: http://www.unep-aewa.org/meetings/en/stc_meetings/stc9docs/s...
International Symposium on Sustainable Cities: Empowering Local Governments through Capacity BuildingThe UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) will host this international symposium to strengthen dissemination and sharing of good practices and lessons learned on fostering sustainable cities, in recognition of the role of cities in protecting the environment, improving disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience and reducing poverty. The symposium aims to identify strategies to strengthen local government institutional and technical capacity to address poverty reduction and slum upgrading, urban development, urban economic growth, urban transport and water and sanitation. The symposium also aims to identify areas for further capacity building and knowledge sharing and to identify innovative financing models to support urban infrastructure. The event will bring together representatives of governments, including and local government and planning officials, UN agencies, multilateral and regional development banks, the private sector and civil society in plenary sessions, working group sessions and panel discussions. The symposium is planned to overlap with the ‘Incheon Sister and Friendly Cities Conference,' which will be held in Incheon on 28 September 2013, and include mayors from cities around the world. The two events will have a joint closing session that will discuss advancing and implementing the sustainable urbanization agenda.
dates: 26-28 September 2013 venue: Convention Center, SongdoDong location: Incheon, Republic of Korea www: http://www.unosd.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=17&menu=...
First World Irrigation ForumThis event, organized by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), will address the following themes: irrigation management under drought conditions; environmental impacts of irrigation and drainage projects; modernization and infrastructure services; and conflicting water use in different sectors.
dates: 29 September - 5 October 2013 location: Turkey additional: Mardin contact: Serpil Koylu, Turkish National Committee, ICID , E-mail : tucid@dsi.gov.tr phone: + 90 312 425 4614 fax: + 90 312 425 4614 e-mail: tucid@dsi.gov.tr www: http://www.icid.org/conf.html#6
October 2013
Second World Heritage Marine Site Managers ConferenceThe second World Heritage marine site managers conference will be co-hosted by the World Heritage Centre (WHC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the French Marine Protected Area Agency (AAMP).
dates: 5-7 October 2013 [tentative] location: Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Cote D'Azur), France contact: UNESCO phone: +33 (0)1 45 68 10 00 www: http://www.marineworldheritage-unesco.org/calendar/
2013 Budapest Water SummitThe Budapest Water Summit will take place sometime in October 2013 the context of the International Year of Water Cooperation, and will seek to contribute to the elaboration of water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to discuss solutions to water-related challenges. It will convene under the theme "The Role of Water and Sanitation in the Global Sustainable Development Agenda". The Summit is organised by the Government of Hungary in cooperation with the United Nations systems and the World Water Council.
dates: 8-11 October 2013 [tentative] location: Budapest, Hungary contact: Budapest Water Summit Secretariat e-mail: BudapestWaterSummit@mfa.gov.hu www: http://budapestwatersummit.hu/
CBD SBSTTA 17At its seventeenth meeting, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is expected to address, among others, issues related to marine and coastal biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, and collaboration with IPBES.
dates: 14-18 October 2013 location: Montreal, Canada contact: CBD Secretariat phone: +1 514 288 2220 fax: +1 514 288 6588 e-mail: secretariat@cbd.int www: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-17
IPCC 37The 37th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 37) will consider for approval two methodology reports: the "2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands”; and the good practice guidance on estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) under the Kyoto Protocol.
dates: 14-18 October 2013 location: Georgia [tentative] contact: IPCC Secretariat phone: +41-22-730-8208 fax: +41-22-730-8025 e-mail: IPCC-Sec@wmo.int www: http://www.ipcc.ch/scripts/_calendar_template.php?wg=8
28th General Meeting of the International Coral Reef InitiativeThe International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) will hold its 28th General Meeting (GM28) in Belize. Launched at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994, ICRI brings together governments, the CBD and the Ramsar Convention Secretariats, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), development banks such as the World Bank, regional organizations such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and international organizations such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). ICRI members use annual General Meetings to interact, discuss past and upcoming ICRI-related activities and adopt resolutions or recommendations that bring international attention to specific issues affecting coral reefs.
dates: 14-17 October 2013 venue: Radisson Fort Hotel and Marina location: Belize City, Belize contact: ICRI Secretariat e-mail: icri@gbrmpa.gov.au www: http://www.icriforum.org/ICRIGM28
Joining Forces to Develop Smart, Cost-Effective Urban Water UtilitiesThis international conference on water will consider the theme “Joining Forces to Develop Smart, Cost-Effective Urban Water Utilities: Policy, Economics, Environment, Regulation and Technologies”. It is co-organized by the Government of Israel and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Participants will discuss lessons learned from Israel's water industry and its water-related technologies, as well as their applicability to other countries. The conference also aims to contribute to discussions on the OECD's “Water policies for future cities” project. Following the one-day conference, participants will be offered to take part in a tour to visit water sites.
date: 23 October 2013 location: Tel Aviv, Israel contact: OECD and the Government of Israel www: http://www.oecd.org/env/resources/savethedateinternationalco...
November 2013
International Conference on Climate Change, Water and Disaster in Mountainous AreasThis conference is organized by the Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists, SOHAM-Nepal. It will focus on climate change, water and disaster in mountainous areas, and address the following topics: climate change and implications on society, hydrological regimes and water in mountainous countries; hydrometeorological response to mountainous ecosystems; water and renewable energy; disaster risk reduction (DRR); traditional and modern knowledge for water resources management; transboundary issues on water resources; and adaptation strategies.
dates: 27-29 November 2013 location: Kathmandu, Nepal contact: SOHAM Nepal e-mail: info@soham.org.np www: http://www.soham.org.np/news/international-sem-2013.pdf
December 2013
9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected AreasThe Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, a network of nongovernmental organizations, donors and regional organizations working in nature conservation in the Pacific, organizes this conference every five years to set activities and strategies for the next five year period. This ninth conference's theme is "Natural Solutions: Building Resilience for a Changing Pacific."
dates: 2-6 December 2013 venue: University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus location: Suva, Fiji e-mail: pacificconference2013@sprep.org www: http://www.sprep.org/pacificnatureconference
January 2014
65th Meeting of the International Whaling CommissionThe 64th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the associated meetings of its Scientific Committee and other sub-groups will take place in 2014.
date: 1 January 2014 [tentative] location: TBA contact: IWC Secretariat phone: +44 (0) 1223 233 971 fax: +44 (0) 1223 232 876 e-mail: secretariat@iwcoffice.org www: http://iwcoffice.org/
February 2014
7th Global FRIEND-Water ConferenceThe Flow Regime from International Experimental and Network Data (FRIEND)-Water Conference 2014 will focus on the theme “Hydrology in a Changing World: Environmental and Human Dimensions.” FRIEND-Water aims to facilitate understanding about how climate, human and river basin factors influence the spatial and temporal distribution of water. The 2014 conference will share knowledge on changes in hydrological processes and their impacts, including ecological flows, erosion and sedimentation, and will discuss how to develop adaptable water management and water policies to account for these impacts. The conference will focus on six topics: hydrological databases; trends in hydrological regimes and extremes; changes in ecological flows and coastal ecohydrology; erosion and sediment transport processes and trends; regional observational-hydrological modeling frameworks; and water resources and prospective scenarios. The conference is co-organized by, inter alia: the International Hydrological Programme of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-IHP); the German IHP Hydrological Committee; the UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific; and the UNESCO Office Hanoi.
dates: 24-28 February 2014 location: Hanoi, Viet Nam contact: UNESCO Secretariat e-mail: b.lwanga@unesco.org www: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/pdf/FRI...
June 2014
31st Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 31)This session will be held in June 2014. Based on its terms of reference, COFI: reviews the work programmes of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the field of fisheries, and their implementation; conducts periodic general reviews of international fishery problems and examine possible solutions through national, FAO and intergovernmental programmes; reviews specific matters relating to fisheries referred to the Committee by the Council or the Director-General, or placed by the Committee on its Agenda at the request of Member Nations in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Committee, and to make recommendations as may be appropriate; considers the desirability of preparing and submitting to Member Nations an international convention under Article XIV of the Constitution to ensure effective international cooperation and consultation in fisheries on a world scale; and reports to the Council or tender advice to the Director-General, as appropriate, on matters considered by the Committee.
dates: 9-13 June 2014 venue: FAO headquarters location: Rome, Italy contact: FAO Fisheries e-mail: FAO-COFI@fao.org www: http://www.fao.org/unfao/govbodies/gsbhome/committee-fi/en/
CBD SBSTTA 18At its eighteenth meeting, the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is expected to address, among others, issues related to marine and coastal biodiversity, biodiversity and climate change, and the relationship with IPBES.
dates: 16-20 June 2014 [tentative] location: Montreal, Canada [tentative] contact: CBD Secretariat phone: +1 514 288 2220 fax: +1 514 288 6588 e-mail: secretariat@cbd.int www: http://www.cbd.int/meetings/
November 2014
IUCN World Parks Congress 2014The sixth International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress will serve as a vital link to achieving IUCN's overall vision of a “just world that values and conserves nature” and deliver the IUCN Programme 2013-2106.
dates: 12-19 November 2014 location: Sydney, Australia contact: Trevor Sandwith e-mail: trevor.sandwith@iucn.org www: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/?11730/I...
January 2015
Ramsar COP 12The 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP 12) will take place in the first half of 2015, in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
date: 1 January 2015 [tentative] venue: Conrad Resort and Casino location: Uruguay additional: Punta del Este contact: Ramsar Secretariat phone: +41-22-999-0170 fax: +41-22-999-0169 e-mail: ramsar@ramsar.org www: http://www.sprep.org/biodiversity-ecosystems-management/urug...
