World Conference on Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration is organizing the 8th World Conference on Ecological Restoration. It will be held in Cape Town from 24 - 28 September 2019.

SER2019 connects researchers, practitioners, policymakers, industry professionals, and students with backgrounds in natural and social sciences, environmental engineering, urban and regional planning, natural resource management, public policy, and more.

Conference sessions will foster knowledge sharing and debate around big-picture issues and trends, as well as specific tools, techniques, challenges, and strategies for ecological restoration around the world.

Where science, practice and policy meet

The conference theme for SER2019 is “Restoring Land, Water & Community Resilience”. Inspired in part by the South African experience with Working for Water and related initiatives – which are among the best examples anywhere in the world of integrating ecological, economic, and social goals under one framework – the theme is intended to help keep discussion about developments in restoration research, practice, and policy focused on the big picture.

Projects large and small are typically most successful and have the greatest impact when goals are set from a landscape-level perspective and when socioeconomic and cultural dimensions are incorporated from the start. South Africa provides ample opportunity to see and hear inspiring stories of restoration work that combines outcomes for land, water, and community development simultaneously.

Conference sessions will be organized around a number of regionally and globally important sub-themes, and will include symposia, workshops, and open sessions, as well as plenary sessions and a dedicated poster session.

One of the principal sub-themes of the program will focus on how ecological restoration can help improve water supply and water security – not only in a severely drought-impacted region like the Western Cape, but in ecosystems and landscapes all over the world as climate change and degradation increasingly threaten water resources.

Mid-week field trips and longer pre- and post-conference field trips will allow you to get out and see some of the restoration activities happening in the region, and of course behold some of South Africa’s world-famous landscapes.

Cape Town offers incredible opportunities to visit a wide variety of natural and cultural sites, including Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Robben Island, and the Winelands. It’s also the perfect starting point for a safari at Kruger National Park or a trip through Namaqualand.

• Check out the official website for registration and more info.