Nature and People: Challenges, Coexistence and Conservation
Inviting abstracts for an interdisciplinary, two-day annual conference to explore the continuing dichotomy between conservation and socio-economic development.
In 1972, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm first attempted to connect nature with people – by initiating a conversation on ecological conservation with economic development – albeit with mixed success. The debate on ecological conservation and economic development has become more pronounced since then, especially in developing economies.
The “Nature and People” theme of this conference explores the continuing dichotomy between conservation and socio-economic development. Either they are pitted against one another where development occurs at the cost of environmental degradation, and ecological ‘services’ are harnessed for economic benefits, or, the sole focus is centred around conservation, with the discourse being devoid of people’s dependence on nature for their development and well-being, and their role as effective agents of conservation and restoration.
This dichotomy between nature and its people has resulted in multiple environmental and socio-economic problems. Considering nature as a consumable has directly or indirectly caused many of the ongoing ecological catastrophes, such as deforestation, mass extinction of species, and climate change, among others, characterising the Anthropocene, where human activities have a significant global impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
Concurrently, we are observing the limitations of the current developmental paradigm and the adverse repercussions of overexploiting nature for human well-being. It is necessary to develop a holistic understanding of nature in which the interconnectedness between human and planetary well-being is highlighted. Parallelly, we must devise alternative solutions for sustainable development, especially in the Global South.
This interdisciplinary, two-day annual conference seeks to address some of these questions and propose alternate ways of thinking that are beyond the dichotomy between conservation and development.
Some overarching themes in the conference will focus on the nature of biases that have crept into our understanding of development and environment from the 1970s onwards; learning from caveats in past discourses on environment and development and inform future discourses around conservation; thinking about social equity in relation to conservation; and influencing policy changes that transcend the material and economic understandings of development and the environment in a way that places a sustainable future at the center of policy goals.
Possible topics to be discussed as a part of the conference’s thematic focus on “Nature and People” include, but are not limited to:
- Biodiversity conservation and people
- Use, governance, and conservation of commons/common property resources
- People’s movements and community-based governance models that challenge the existing environment-development dichotomy
- Innovative methodologies of data-based interdisciplinary research
- Environmental justice: Debates and concerns
- Pursuit of economic growth, usage of natural resources, and environmental degradation
Key dates
Submission of Abstracts
Notification to selected participants
Submission of extended abstracts
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Conference
We invite academicians, policymakers, practitioners, and independent researchers to submit proposals for individual papers, panel sessions, provocations, roundtables, poster presentations, and other innovative formats that respond to the conference themes.
This conference will take place at Azim Premji University, Bhopal. Partial accommodation and travel expenses will be provided to selected participants.
To participate, kindly send a 300-word abstract including your name, institution, and affiliation on or before 30 November 2024 (23:59 IST) here.
The extended abstracts are not a criterion for selection to present. The submission of extended abstracts on 30 December 2024, however, is mandatory for all presenters.
In case of queries, write to us at people.nature.conf2025@apu.edu.in
Organising committee
- Achyut Kumar Banerjee, Faculty of Biology, Azim Premji University
- Alok Bang, Faculty of Biology, Azim Premji University
- Anupama Ramakrishnan, Faculty of Social Science, Azim Premji University
- Ayushi Dhawan, Faculty of History, Azim Premji University
- Mansi Mungee, Faculty of Biology, Azim Premji University
- Sharib Zeya, Faculty of Social Sciences, Azim Premji University
- Shiuli Vanaja, Faculty of Economics, Azim Premji University
