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4th EDITION OF CERES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (HES2015)
Human and Environmental Security in the Era of Global Risks
November 25-27, 2015 | Anezi Tower Hotel, Agadir, Morocco
HES2015 Organizers
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Environment & Human Security Program (EHSP), CERES (previously North-South Center for Social Sciences-NRCS), Morocco
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UMR ESPACE-DEV, French Institute of Research for Development (IRD), France
HES2015 Partners
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Project 4C/IKI, GIZ Morocco/Germany
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Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Environmental, Urban Planning and Development Law (CRIDEAU), University of Limoges, France
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Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Brazil
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Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Brazil
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CLIMED Project (ANR: 2012-2015/CIRAD), France
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Project GIREPSE (Moroccan Association of Regional Science - AMSR), Morocco
HES2015 Publications
Partners
Concept Note & Tracks
Background
Lives and livelihoods of millions of people worldwide, especially in the Global South, are being severely threatened by numerous global environmental/climate, economic, geopolitical, societal and technological risks whose impacts reveal our shared vulnerabilities and heighten the recognition that insecurities are widespread, cross-cutting, and increasingly associated to intractable and interrelated crises. Also, it’s being gradually perceived that these impacts will be felt not just in the immediate region and by affected generations, but also across the international community and by future generations.
The impacts of such complex, interconnected and multidimensional risks are revealing our shared vulnerabilities and heighten the recognition that threats to security are widespread, cross-cutting, and increasingly associated to intractable and interrelated crises. Also, it’s being gradually perceived that these impacts will be felt not just in the immediate region and by affected generations, but also across the international community and by future generations. Additionally, the viability of human systems, as well as their reproductive capacity, are consequently questioned because of the significant and unprecedented global impact that humans have on the Earth's climate and ecosystems. This viability, depending on an ecological interconnection, is increasingly challenged by environmental abuses and pressures exerted by anthropogenic actions for the sole goal of reaching resources.
The continuous evolution of current risks is considerably altering our understanding and perception of "security". Many scientists and agencies are starting to perceive the concept of "security" more broadly, moving away from the inadequate state-centered concept of national security towards the concept of soft security. This shift is justified by the fact that emerging global risks are raising new, unavoidable questions of human and environmental insecurities. Undeniably, perceiving the current risks as a human-environmental security challenge connects these risks to human rights, poverty, vulnerability, equity, redistribution, accountability, geopolitical stability, etc.
The links between emerging risks and the security of humans and nature have been the object of considerable research and deliberations during the last decades, but it is only recently becoming an important focus of policy making. Our ability — or lack thereof — to make innovative conceptual frameworks, institutional/policy arrangements and/or technological advances for managing the emerging risks we face, will increase or decrease global environmental security, and consequently determine the future human security. Moreover, considering the links between environmental/climate security, human security and sustainability will help framing a new research agenda, and the potential development of a broad range of answers to many delicate questions.
HES2015 Objectives & Approach
HES2015 — as the 4th edition of a science-policy forum organized by the Environment & Security Program (EHSP) of the North-South Center for Social Sciences (NRCS) along with Moroccan and international partners — is an opportunity to deepen the debate about global risks and security implications. The approach consists of questioning the ability of existing concepts, technologies and decision making mechanisms to accurately deal with emerging risks to human and environmental security and help acting in the direction of effectively managing their impacts. Speakers from different perspectives will be provided with the opportunity to present their relevant research, insights, and successful practices, and furthermore explore innovative options to guide future processes of change. The Conference topics are multidisciplinary (enabling fruitful interactions between numerous scientific fields) and relevant to policy making processes (enabling interactions among experts and decision makers from different levels and spheres).
The structure of the HES2015 consists of the following four key themes:
KEY THEME 1 l UNDERSTANDING THE VULNERABILITY OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY TO EMERGING GLOBAL RISKS
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Vulnerability of physical, biological, human and managed systems to global risks
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Climate change as an environmental, societal, economic, and geopolitical risk
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Impacts of environmental/climate risks on human security relevant to health, food, livelihood, water, energy, etc.
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Links between environmental/climate risks, conflicts, competition over resources, forced migration, national and collective security, etc.
KEY THEME 2 l IDENTIFICATION OF CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ADDRESSING GLOBAL RISKS' IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND HUMAN SECURITY
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Global inequalities and fractures, North-South divide, etc.
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Corporate lobbying
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Geo-strategic and geopolitical considerations
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Cultural and Social barriers to action
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Scientific and political uncertainty
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Mainstreaming environmental and human securities in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
KEY THEME 3 l SHIFTS TO BE MADE TO DEAL WITH GLOBAL RISKS FROM A SECURITY PERSPECTIVE WHILE FOSTERING THE CO-VIABILITY OF HUMAN-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
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Enhancing soft security implications of environmental/climate change in science-policy debates
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Potential of low carbon-based economies, climate finance, smart agricultural and food systems, smart transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, Climate-friendly soil and natural resource management, etc. as approaches in transforming current growth models
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Adapting to and mitigating of environmental/climate risks from a human/environmental security perspective
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Enhancing the co-viability of human and ecological systems as a condition for the global and local sustainability
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Mainstreaming environmental/climate risks management in development processes
KEY THEME 4 l GOVERNANCE AND POLICY INNOVATIONS TO MANAGE GLOBAL RISKS FROM A HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY PERSPECTIVE
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Enhancing the security implications of environmental/climate risks in science-policy debates
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Mainstreaming environmental and human securities in policy making processes at all levels
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Potential implications of merging human security and sustainable development processes
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Human and environmental security as referential for environmental/climate governance
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Integrating security and development in the climate regimes
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Co-production of Knowledge, transforming science for an informed decision making processes
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Enhancing the involvement of business actors in change processes
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Public participation and environmental/climate policy and governance