Event on global reflection on the integration of culture and nature

The initiative Cultural Ecosystem Services and Biocultural Heritage: Connecting Nature and Culture for a Sustainable Future takes place in two key moments: a webinar dedicated to exploring fundamental concepts, open questions and interdisciplinary perspectives on the links between ecosystems, culture and sustainability, which will take place on March 10th, and a workshop at the University of Coimbra, focused on practical applications, methodologies and case studies linking the cultural and ecological dimensions, which will take place on May 20 and 21.

This initiative is co-organized by the Climate and Cultural Heritage Joint Programming Initiatives, the Centre for Functional Ecology at the University of Coimbra, and has the support of the Oceans Joint Programming Initiative and UNESCO's MaB Programme.

This event will bring together researchers, policy-makers and experts from the natural, social and human sciences at a crucial moment for global reflection on the integration of culture and nature. The meeting coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the recent UN Pact for the Future.

The aim of this initiative is to discuss emerging concepts and frameworks on Cultural Ecosystem Services and Biocultural Heritage, as well as to explore the integration of local knowledge, traditional practices and nature-based solutions in biodiversity conservation. Cutting-edge tools, including georeferencing, digital humanities and artificial intelligence, for mapping and analyzing cultural-ecological interactions will also be discussed. In the end, the contributions will form part of a strategic white paper, which will inform policies, research agendas and global strategies for sustainability.

Registration for the March 10 webinar should be done at www.bioculturalheritage.com, where regular updates with details of the event will be available.