Introducing PECS II

In 2015, the first open science PECS (Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society) conference was held in South Africa. Now, PECS-II is moving to Latin America - Oaxaca, Mexico - and in the words of Prof. Patricia Balvanera, the co-chair of the PECS Science Committee, “We are ready to welcome you!”

PECS-II will gather 350 participants, and aims to gather researchers and stakeholders, from within and beyond the PECS network, to shared cutting-edge research insights on social-ecological dynamics in the Anthropocene. As in PECS-I in 2015, this conference also wants to highlight PECS achievements and ambitions, and to synthesize and integrate PECS-related research to provide a basis for a future social-ecological research agenda. The focus will be on how ongoing social-ecological research from different parts of the planet can come together to inform global sustainability, given the massive challenges of the Anthropocene.

The conference programme will include both conventional and unconventional meetings, which will be tailored to the conference objectives, particularly the need for transdisciplinary dialogue across and beyond academic disciplines. The four general themes that this conference will address are:

1. Context-specific pathways for working towards sustainability,
2. Challenges and opportunities for informing global sustainability through place-based research,
3. Social-ecological dynamics of ecosystem services: Synergies, trade-offs and links to human wellbeing,
4. Cross-scale connections and feedbacks that impact the structure and dynamics of social-ecological systems.

As in the previous conference, PECS-II will engage scientists, decision makers, NGO representatives and other stakeholders concerned with sustainable development, and interested in developing new solutions and strategies. The conference format will enable vibrant conversations and ensure a maximum exposure to different perspectives, allowing for innovative ideas and new collaborations to emerge. The design will allow for deeper conversations around participants’ areas of expertise, and will hold numerous side events complementing the conference scientific agenda.

A number of workshops will be conducted around IPBES topics, different social-ecological methods, and other topics. It will also include a two-day multi-actor dialogue on biocultural diversity and resilience of social-ecological systems. This dialogue will bring together practitioners from indigenous and non-indigenous communities, scientists and policy makers to explore the links between cultural and biological diversity, as well as how these interact to bolster good governance of social-ecological systems.

Check out the PECS-II website for more conference information. You can follow @PECS_Project and @sthlmresilience on Twitter, and Stockholm Resilience Centre on Facebook and Instagram for updates during the conference.