Subject: International Transdisciplinary Conference on Development and Conservation of Karst Regions - TransKarst2004, Hanoi, Vietnam Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2003 15:15:56 +0700 From: "tran tan van" trantv@hn.vnn.vn

Trans-KARST 2004

International Transdisciplinary Conference On Development and Conservation of Karst Regions

Hanoi, Vietnam

13 – 18 September 2004 Under the auspices of UNESCO (IGCP Project 448 and IHP) Under the patronage of the UIS (Union Internationale de Spéléologie)

With the support of:

Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR), Belgium

Katholic University Leuven (KUL), Belgium

Free University Brussels (VUB), Belgium

Geological Survey of Belgium (GSB), Belgium

Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Vietnam

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Organization:

- Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources (RIGMR) (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment), Vietnam

- Institute of Ethnology (IE), (National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities), Vietnam

- Forest Protection Department (FPD), (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), Vietnam

Rationale:

The policies and practice of sustainable development often meet considerable difficulty in implementation due to the many interests at stake. Political, social, cultural, environmental and economic considerations must all be met. This is particularly the case in karst areas where communities are often poor. Despite their magnificent scenery and cultural and natural diversity their development is defined primarly in economic terms, generally to the detriment of the karst environment.

The findings of two transdisciplinary research projects in karst areas in Vietnam confirm that sustainable development is not simply a question of controlling natural conditions and designing technical interventions. The cultural context, social organization and learning processes of the socio-cultural systems and communities must be understood and taken into account. The tensions between socio-economic development and conservation require integrated natural and social science approaches.

Aims of the conference:

Natural and social scientists all over the world interested in the development and conservation of karst regions are invited to Hanoi to present and discuss the findings of their projects through papers and posters.

Trans-KARST 2004 will:

- Offer a forum to discuss basic and applied research findings and research methodologies which can contribute to the management and development of karst areas;

- Help strengthen interest in the preservation of geodiversity, biodiversity and cultural diversity through promotion of sustainable relationships between them;

- Stimulate communication between researchers, practitioners and policy makers working in karst landscapes;

- Explore ways to integrate natural and social sciences approaches in the management of karst systems.

Themes and topics:

Conference sessions will be organized around 4 major themes. Each theme will refer to a set of issues of particular relevance to or concern for the development and conservation of karst regions.

I. Policy and management of land and water resources

Topics: Balancing public and private responsibilities; reconciling economic development and nature conservation in land-use planning; the technical and social requirements for water supply, soil conservation and flood protection.

II. Development of infrastructure and assessment of environmental risks and hazards

Topics: Karst dissolution and collapse; the effects of climate change; flooding, flood controls and dam construction; environmental mitigation of infrastructure development; managing pollution of water resources in karst systems; monitoring karst water resources; karst structure, groundwater modeling and hydrological cycles; water tracing and vulnerability mapping; cave exploration and structural geology.

III. Conservation of eco-systems

Topics: Managing tourism in sensitive areas; developing and protecting show caves; cave exploration; conserving karst specific biodiversity; bio-diversity quantification and monitoring; sustainable forest management; impacts of land-use changes on cultural heritage and landscape; environmental impact and mitigation assessment.

IV. Integration of natural and social science approaches

Topics: Transdisciplinary research collaborations; multi-stakeholder collaboration in policy and practice; education and social learning; participatory research methodologies; social and geoscientific applications of GIS and remote sensing.

Conference sessions will be organized to stimulate a transdisciplinary reflection and discussion. The conference language will be English.

There will be a pre-conference workshop on new developments in karst research methodologies. There will also be a training workshop on karst ecosystem management and a post-conference fieldtrip to famous karst areas of Cuc Phuong National Park and Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site. A program for accompanying persons will also be organized.

Venue:

Hanoi National University is located in the historical center of Vietnam’s capital city, within walking distance of hotels, restaurants and museums.

Organizing committee:

- Dr. Nguyen Xuan Khien, RIGMR

- Dr. Pham Cong Hoan, IE

- Dr. Do Tuyet, RIGMR

- Dr. Tran Tan Van, RIGMR

- Prof. Dr. Jan Masschelein, KUL

- Prof. Dr. Danny Wildemeersch, KUL

- Fadi Nader, UIS

- Dr. Michiel Dusar, GSB

- Drs. Okke Batelaan, VUB

- Drs. Olivier Tessier, IE

- Dr. Mark Infield, FFI

International scientific committee:

- Prof. Dr. Phan Cu Tien, RIGMR

- Prof. Dr. Duong Duc Kiem, RIGMR

- Prof. Dr. Khong Dien, IE

- Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang My, Vietnam’s Karst/Cave Association, Hanoi National University

- Prof. Dr. Camille Ek, Liege Univ., Belgium

- Prof. Dr. Chris Groves, Kentucky Univ., USA

- Prof. Dr. Alain Dassargues, Liege Univ.,

- Prof. Dr. Cees Leeuwis, Wageningen Univ., Netherlands

- Prof. Dr. Rudy Swennen, KUL

- Prof. Dr. Hilaire De Smedt, VUB

- Prof. Dr. Song, Linhua, Beijing Academy of Sciences, China

- Prof. Dr. Pavel Bosak, Prague Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

- Prof. Dr. Elery Hamilton-Smith, Chair IUCN/ WCPA Task Force on Cave/Karst Protection

- Prof. Dr. F. Zwahlen, Neuchâtel Univ, Switzerland

Calendar with deadlines:

- 1st circular March 2003

- 2nd circular Sept. 2003

- Submission of abstracts for papers and posters Dec. 2003

- Notification of acceptance Feb. 2004

- Submission of full papers and booking of excursions June 2004

Abstracts for Papers/Posters

Abstracts for a paper/poster must include authors’ names, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, title of the abstract and a summary of the proposed paper/poster (maximum 250 words).

Papers will be published in proceedings. Excellent papers will be published in a referenced journal.

The registration fee for the conference will be 200 US$. A reduced fee of 50% will apply for students and local participants. The fee will cover the proceedings, all conference sessions, daily lunches and tea and coffee breaks.

All correspondence to conference secretariat:

Dr. Tran Tan Van, RIGMR

Tel: 84-4-854-3107 / Fax: 84-4-854-2125

Email: trantv@hn.vnn.vn

http://www.vub.ac.be/trans-karst2004

http://www.trans-karst2004.org

_________________________________

Tran Tan Van, D.Eng. Geologist-Geotechnical Engineer Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources (RIGMR) Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: 84-4-854-3107 Fax: 84-4-854-2125 Mob: 0913-37-19-27 Email: trantv@hn.vnn.vn __________________________________