The 15th Annual BIOECON Conference "Conservation and Development: Exploring Conflicts and Challenges" will be held on 18-20 September 2013 at Kings College, Cambridge United Kingdom, hosted by the London School of Economics and the Graduate Institute-Genève Supported by the Founding Partners of the BIOECON Network: UNEP, IUCN, EIB, FEEM and IHEID, in association with CSIRO, Australia

The Scientific Partners of BIOECON are pleased to announce the Fifteenth Annual International BIOECON conference on the theme of “Conservation and Development: Exploring Conflicts and Challenges”. The conference will be held once again on the premises of Kings College Cambridge, England on 19-20 September 2013. The conference will be of interest to both researchers and policy makers working on issues broadly in the area of biodiversity and land use policy, especially in regard to the management of natural resources in developing countries.

The conference takes a broad interest in the area of resource management, development and conservation, including but not limited to: land use planning and management, plant genetic resources and food security issues, deforestation and development, fisheries and institutional adaptation, development and conservation, wildlife conservation, and international trade and regulation. The conference will have sessions on economic development, growth and biodiversity conservation, and on institutions and institutional change pertaining to the management of living resources.

Papers are specially invited on the themes of:

  • Different institutional frameworks for resource conservation (property rights, etc)
  • Developing countries and issues of governance and management of natural resources
  • Development, growth and resource constraints, especially in relation to food security
  • Resources management, distribution, development, poverty alleviation
  • Land use management, population, and food security
  • Valuation methodology and its application to biodiversity conservation
  • Natural capital and inclusive wealth accounting
  • Institution building for provision of global public goods
  • Policy evaluation of biodiversity related policies.

This year’s meeting is inviting attention to the relationship between biodiversity and land use management, population and food security, and papers and sessions are invited on these themes. In addition, two policy panels will focus on the themes of "Biodiversity Offsets: Problems, Policies, Opportunities?" and “Food Security and Biodiversity: Conflicts, Challenges, Policies”.

Keynote speakers for the 15th BIOECON Conference are:

The Scientific Partners of BIOECON invite submission of scientific papers for presentation at the conference, and only complete papers will be considered by the scientific programme committee. Electronic copies should be sent to Kristine Kjeldsen (at [email protected]) no later than 15th May 2013. The paper must include Abstract, JEL Codes and Keywords with your submission. Acceptance of papers will be notified by email by the 1st June 2013.

It is also possible to submit 3-4 papers together as a suggested “session” under one of the themes indicated above. The Scientific Partners reserve the right to accept papers on an individual basis, so it is possible that even when a session is not accepted, individual papers within the session might not be.

The conference will open with a reception at Kings College on early evening of 18th of September. Conference sessions will commence on the morning of the 19th of September and conclude on the afternoon of the 20th of September. The conference banquet will take place at the main Dining Hall of Kings College on the evening of the 19th of September.

Invited presenters will be invited to register one presenter for the conference at the “invited presenter” rate. The invited presenter rate consists of a 100 Euro registration fee that will cover the costs of 2 nights single accommodation, reception, lunches, and conference banquet. (Anything other than single accommodation must be provided outside of Kings College, and is at the expense of the participant. Additional guests may be registered for the Conference Banquet at the cost of 50 Euros per guest.) There is a 200 Euro registration fee for all other participants that will include the banquet, lunches and refreshments, but not accommodation. There is a 100 Euro registration fee for day-participants (that includes lunches and refreshments but not lodging or the conference banquet). All other questions regarding fees, registrations and accommodation should be sent to [email protected].

Registration will open on 1st June 2013. Registrations for conference presenters are due by 20th June 2013. Registration for all other participants closes on the 20th August 2013.

Further registration details and all other conference information will be provided on the BIOECON web-site at www.bioecon-network.org.