The University Once Again Hosts UNESCO Conference on Drylands, Deserts and Desertification
The University Once Again Hosts UNESCO Conference on Drylands, Deserts and Desertification
October 13, 2010
Sde Boker, ISRAEL, October 12, 2010 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will once again host an international conference on desertification. More than 500 people from 50 countries, including more than 20 presenters from American universities and U.S. government agencies will attend next month’s conference. A number of Palestinian and Jordanian delegates are also expected to participate.
The Third Annual International Conference on “Drylands, Deserts and Desertification: The Route to Restoration” is organized by BGU’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The conference highlights BGU’s and Israel’s role as a leader in this critical field. It will take place November 8 – 11, 2010 on the University’s Sde Boker Campus in the Negev desert.
The penultimate discussion will focus on the feasibility and synergisms associated with the three Rio Conventions, namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Convention to Protect Biodiversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
For the first time, the public health aspects of desertification will be addressed with panels that explore the interface between ecological and health sciences. A number of unique workshops will focus on sustainable building in desert environments; remote sensing; grazing and the Bedouin community; the future of the Dead Sea; environmental education and dryland agriculture; as well as soil and water restoration. The Second Jeffrey Cook Workshop on Desert Architecture and Urban Planning will also be held and will include the presentation of the Cook Award for Desert Architecture.
According to conference organizer, BGU Prof. Alon Tal, “We believe that by bringing a diverse group of academics, professionals and policy makers together to confront the myriad critical issues of desertification, the BGU conference can serve as a meaningful catalyst for cooperative and collaborative projects in the future at the global level.
“Israel is one of the only countries in the world that has successfully restored marginal lands and is recognized worldwide as a leader in protecting its drylands from further deterioration,” Tal explains. “The unique local experience and our extensive associated research contribute to making this the premiere international conference about combating desertification that attracts significant participation from around the world.”
U.S. government attendees speaking at the conference include representatives from the USDA, US Forest Service and NASA. Additionally, multiple researchers will be speaking at this prestigious event, including those from Columbia University, Colorado State University, Ohio State University, University of Arizona, Utah State University, University of California, Texas State University, and Philadelphia University.
The conference will be held in English with simultaneous translation in four languages – French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian – for all plenary sessions. Significant delegations are expected from Italy, Australia and China. Five MASHAV (Israel’s Agency for International Development) groups, coordinated through the Israeli Foreign Ministry, will also be attending.
For more information, visit the conference website at www.desertification.bgu.ac.il or contact Dorit Korine, conference coordinator at 001-972-8-659-6781, [email protected]
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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