Agropolis Scientific Conference, Montpellier – Call for Papers

From November 28, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. to November 29, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.

LabEx CEMEB is organizing two scientific conferences on November 28 and 29, 2022, focusing on Ecosystem Services / Nature’s Contribution to Humankind (Session 1 – November 28) and Nature-Based Solutions (Session 2 – November 29), at Agropolis in Montpellier.

Session 2 – Nature-based Solutions – November 29, 2022

The organizing committee invites you to submit project proposals (research or initiatives) that align with the concept of Nature-Based Solutions and can be led by research laboratories, companies, local governments, institutions, or natural area managers in the Occitanie region.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as:“actions aimed at protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring natural or modified ecosystems to directly address societal challenges in an effective and adaptive manner, while ensuring human well-being and delivering benefits for biodiversity.” Projects and initiatives are therefore designed to seek a net benefit for biodiversity, while addressing societal challenges identified in the region: climate change mitigation and adaptation, prevention and reduction of natural hazards, preservation and improvement of health, food security (through agroecology, for example), water supply, and/or socioeconomic development (through the circular economy, for example).

Since the approach to developing projects on this topic is still emerging, the purpose of this call for papers is to identify projects and initiatives carried out in Occitanie that include a component of work and application clearly aligned with the philosophy outlined above, without necessarily meeting all the criteria defined in the IUCN global standard.

The event (program to be announced) will feature introductory presentations on the concept of SFN (history, definitions, and research challenges; the IUCN’s global standard and its methodological approach), as well as examples of research projects, emerging research initiatives, and initiatives led by stakeholders in Occitanie (local governments, institutions, businesses, and natural area managers).

Organizing Committee: Xavier Le Roux, Martine Hossaert, Philippe Jarne, Alan Vergnes, Ophélie Ronce, Sophie Boutin, Gaëlle Mathieu-Hernande.

Presentation of your project

The call for poster presentations is now open, and the selection process will proceed as follows:

1. Please submit your proposals in the formof a one-page description of your project inFrench(Word format) by June 8, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. (see instructions below).
2. After review by the organizing committee, you will be notified (in late June 2022) whether your project has been selected for:

• ashort oral presentation lasting 5–7 minutes during the poster session(afternoon of November 29, 2022);
• be featured in thebrochure on Nature-Based Solutions stakeholders and projects in Occitanie, which will be published and distributed by the organizers and their partners.

Note: Projects selected for presentation during the poster session will automatically be included in the program booklet.

1. Please submit your poster by September 23, 2022, following the submission guidelines that will be sent to you in late June.

Instructions for your project description page

Please send a project overview (one page maximum) to thisemail address, including the following information:

• Title (no abbreviations)
• Type of SFN, to be categorized by:
  • Type of application addressing societal challenges;
  • Type of environment (coastal / rural / marine / urban, etc.).
• Type of carrier(s):
  • A research project led by a research laboratory or consortium;
  • A project or solution initiated or proposed by a company (Note: In the case of companies, they may be national but have a regional presence and be promoting a regional solution or project);
  • A project led by an institution or a local government.
• Authors and partners:
  • Primary sponsor: Name of organization and name of sponsor (contact person and presenter);
  • Contact information: phone number / email / website;
• Funding
• Project duration (start–end)
• Project description:
  • Issues and challenges;
  • Objectives;
  • Method.

• The Nature-Based Solutions session is organized in partnership withBIODIVOC.
• Contact Session 1:Rutger de Wit
• Session 2:Sophie Boutin
• Website