The literature that is attracted by the conceptual magnet of climate change comes from a staggering range of Scientific Journals and a host of expanding web pages. It is way beyond the scope of these Proceedings to even begin to encompass this literature here. Against this background, the contributions embedded within these ICCBE Conference Proceedings, provide a new relevance and importance. A key aspect of the work reported here is the fact that they are products of scientific endeavor in (so-called) “developing” countries. They herald a welcome contribution to genuine global efforts on climate change and all it brings in its wake. As this synthesis outlines the scope and topic diversity of the papers encapsulated in our book of Proceedings, some mention may be made to indicate how these clearly Asian endeavours can enrich those of Euro-American sources which, at present, tend to dominate the debate and content of discourse on climate change. Wisely, the Conference attempted to organize the 36 papers selected for publication into five broad categories, viz – 1. Management 2. Policy } Within Biodiversity 3. Practice Conservation and Ecosystem Services 4. Multi-stakeholder approaches 5. Climate Change adaptation; adaptive learning, form Policy to Practice. This categorization was useful but not at all inflexible: it allowed for the often complex interactions between these overlapping categories. Thus realism and pragmatism survived. Sustainable development means many things to many people. Close to the heart of the concept sits the wise use of ecosystems. Thus what appears to be, on the face value of the 36 papers contained in this book, a huge diversity of topics and viewpoints, face alone can be misleading: they are, in fact, all connected to the same heart. And more: they all seek to sustain the same heart. To reflect the thematic interconnections of all papers no pre-set sequence is followed in this synthesis. Rather, this synthesis chapter is certainly a synthesis and aims to create a free-flowing feeling for the body of topics which collectively embrace the heart of the Conference; and make a useful contribution to the aims of the UN Agenda 2030. Bulia Pulu describes a system of traditional eco-agri-economics followed by the Apatani people of the Indian Himalayan State of Arunachal Pradesh which comes close to a sustainable anthropocentric ecosystem. The title of the paper, “Practices of mitigating biodiversity loss” among the Apatani only conveys part of this case study of sustainability in action. The UKNEA: TR makes the claim that much of the work on the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem function has limitations in terms of understanding real-world ecosystems (Chap 4, P.66 in UKNEA, 2010). This could and perhaps should be described as a Euro-centric viewpoint; a view that would gain much from a study the Bulia Pulu paper. Yes, the Himalayan agro-ecosystem is based on rice but this cropping also embraces fish farming, forest and water management, bio-insecticidal pest control and culturally based eco-aware community rules and rituals. On close inspection, this long-established integrated ‘biosphere reserve’ (a UNESCO concept) system could be seen as a living, present day Asian version of the long–vanished English 17 Century crop rotation (four-course) agro-ecosystem. Bulia Pulu is correct when she concludes that, there are many lessons that could be learned (in fact, re-learned!) from traditional societies in terms of agro-ecosystems and land management. Another lesson shines from Bulia Pulu’s paper. This is the lesson of writing style: 344 Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Proceedings of International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals : Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016 at the Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
To see the actual publication please follow the link above