EPICamp IV

What is the 4th EPICamp about?

Taking an Anthropocence perspective, EPICUR Research invites a fully interdisciplinary approach - combining ecological, biological, earth, and social sciences - to discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions for the socio-ecological systems of water. This includes thinking about sustainable management of water resources, the preservation of biodiversity, the ecosystem functioning for healthy societies but also the interconnection between the environment and cultural identities, such as the conservation of traditional ways of life and the creation of resilient economies based on water(s).

Aquatic ecosystems are fragile and sentinel systems of reckless human-induced global change. In the future, they are likely to become even more fragile in terms of ecosystem functions and services. Human-induced environmental changes – including elevated greenhouse gases, over-fertilization of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, habitat fragmentation, increasing extraction of resources from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and the mass production of harmful substances worldwide – all negatively affect ecosystem functioning, global natural cycles, and biodiversity. They also have long-term consequences on the human health and the viability of entire communities.

Therefore, it will be a precondition to identify the complex interplay of local and global human actions which lead to local environmental impacts and adaptation. Considering far-reaching challenges related to the global changes we are facing, this EPICamp will integrate knowledge on adverse human impacts on the ecosystems formed by lakes, rivers, water sheds, marshes, and marine waters. It will stimulate discussion on adaptive and mitigation efforts against these challenges, identifying solutions which provide a balance between satisfying human needs and ecosystem demands.

In order to balance the natural/engineering sciences with more human-centred approaches, this EPICamp in particular invites scholars from the emerging field of Environmental Humanities. The EnvHum address ecological and sustainability-related issues through historical, political and cultural lenses to aid in the development of appropriate forms of resilience and sustainability as well as their communication to society.

Keywords and sub-themes:

• Hydrology and ecosystem adaptation
• Water as a source of life and change
• Inland waters – pollution, restoration and management
• Community activism for water protection: sociological & natural science perspectives
• History(ies) of Waterways and Water Bodies: from local cases to global challenges
• Changes in human metabolism, connectivity and the effects on aquatic systems
• Scaling up or Scaling Down: impacts of global environmental change on the hydrosphere
• Balancing human needs and ecosystem demands: sustainable management of water resources
• Global water cycles: arctic waters and climate change, marine waters and pollution
• Hydrological extremes: challenges of intensifying droughts and floods
• Masses of water, water of the masses: land use, forests and human settlement
• Socio-ecohydrological systems in the tension between natural processes and human intervention
• Multi-functionality of aquatic systems to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions
• The fragility of water body's ecosystem functions: surface and groundwater systems
• Scarcity, migration, war: the economics and politics of / for water
• Water science & engineering: technological innovation, ecological challenges and social impact

Submissions and Participation

EPICUR invites scholars, NGOs including public institutions, institutes, social organizations, funding agencies, infrastructure providers (such as archives, libraries, museums etc.), business etc. to come together and share their insights, concerns, needs and vision for the future. ALL applications, regardless of the manner of participation, have to be submitted through this form. We highly encourage you to fill out all relevant sections with care, as matchmaking and networking events will be based on these responses. Please note that the EPICamp will take place online. Applications must be submitted until February 15, 2022 for due consideration, with the exception of the third option registration, which will be considered until March 19, 2022. You can contact the EPICUR organizing team for all questions.
 

Three options for participation

1) PARTICIPATION WITH THEMATIC CONTRIBUTION: you may submit a proposal for one of the following potential formats. As EPICamps are non-traditional gatherings, so are potential submissions. We invite prospective participants to apply with innovative and creative formats as well as submissions that are more traditional in format but aim for inter- and/or transdisciplinary exchange. Applicants may choose one of the following proposed formats or add their own:

• Pitch Presentations: not more than 5 slides/5 minutes, virtual posters introducing current research as well as research ideas
• Open Discussion Groups: please submit topic/theme along with three discussion questions
• Workshops & Skill Presentations: a short paragraph outlining the particular topic/method/skill you wish to address in a mini-workshop
• Plenary Presentation: ca. 30 minutes (Early career researchers are especially encouraged to submit in this section)
• Other formats: description of the format and content

2) PARTICIPATION WITH ORGANISATIONAL CONTRIBUTION: you can offer to moderate a format (open discussion), facilitate group interactions, or report on sessions in which you participated. Applicants will receive their assignments and guidelines from the organizing team.

3) PARTICIPATION AS AN ACTIVE ATTENDEE: you can also simply join the EPICamp as a participant actively listening and contributing to the discussions and networking activities.

EPICUR is an alliance dedicated to the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and aims to provide a space that is welcoming and encouraging to all scholars, particularly those, which have been traditionally underrepresented in academic environments. We, therefore, welcome all suggestions and ideas that help us make this event as inclusive and useful to the EPICURean community of researchers as possible, with special regard paid to the need of early career researchers. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at any point before, during or after the EPICamp.