The “International Conference on Biodiversity Conservation and Education for Sustainable Development: Learning to Conserve Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World” is being organized by the Earth Charter Affiliate Centre for Environment Education (CEE) on 13 - 14 October, 2012, in Hyderabad, India.

The Conference is the fourth in the Series of International Conferences organised by India as part of its contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD 2005-2014).  It will be held in partnership with UNESCO, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India.

The DESD and more recently the announcement of the Decade of Biodiversity (2011 2020) provides an opportunity to include Biodiversity in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). India is hosting the eleventh meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad from 1 - 19 October 2012. Governments from around the world and international experts on biodiversity are expected to participate in the deliberations. The ESD conference proposed to be held alongside the COP 11 provides an opportunity to use this expertise in strengthening ESD.

The recommendations of the Conference will be shared and discussed with members of COP 11 in a side event followed by the conference.

Conference Objectives
  • Reflect upon scope, issues and challenges of education for biodiversity conservation in the context of ESD
  • Share experiences and best practices in biodiversity conservation education
  • Provide inputs to point 3.2 of the agenda of COP 11 "Review of progress in providing capacity building support to Parties, promoting communication, education and public awareness and strengthening of the clearing house mechanism and technology transfer and cooperation"
  • Provide inputs and serve as a Prep Com for the UNDESD End of Decade Conference, Japan 2014 with a focus on mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation into ESD
Who can attend?
Educators, teachers, students, policy makers, practitioners, UN agencies, non governmental organizations and community groups, academics and religious thinkers that work in the field of Biodiversity and in Education for Sustainable Development can attend this Conference.

Find more information about the programme and registration here