Research project

LINKING SCIENCE, POLICY AND PEOPLE FOR SUSTAINABLE CARPATHIANS

Implementation period: 01/03/2020–31/08/2021

Project partners

Supported by The International Visegrad Fund
(www.visegradfund.org)

Short description of the project

The project will promote transnational cooperation towards sustainable use of natural resources in the Carpathian Mountain region through enhanced linkage of science, education, policy, and people. Currently, in this period of fast societal and environmental changes, the sustainability of human activities has become a crucial theme. Environmental problems are now more visible and concern everyone. Therefore, society and the general public, especially the younger generation, more and more are concerned with environmental issues. These changes in public attitude to environmental issues and increasing environmental pressures present an opportunity to science, but also new challenges how to transfer effectively scientific knowledge related to sustainable solutions to policy makers and the general public. The Visegrad countries share a significant proportion of the Carpathian Mountains. The sustainability of the Carpathians is the main aim of the Carpathian Convention (CC; Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians). Thus, the relevant policy framework exists. However, sometimes research topics and outcomes are far from what is needed for the Carpathian regional policy. Therefore, increased communication between the Science for Carpathians research network (S4C) within the Carpathian Convention and its Working Groups (WGs) is needed. The CC feels a strong need for interdisciplinary research and this issue should be addressed by S4C. In addition, S4C should better communicate and address policy and decision makers, who should be invited to become involved in S4C activities.

This project is part of the coordinated effort of the Science for Carpathians (S4C; http://carpathianscience.org) network that supports and promotes cooperation in Carpathian research and transfer of scientific results to policy and practice. Also, the Forum Carpaticum was designed as a broad-scope event to support these functions. The science-policy-practice interaction we will foster in FC2020 by inclusion of more workshops and panel discussions are better for this purpose than typical conference sessions. We will invite local people and representatives of local and regional authorities, representatives of successful environmental Visegrad projects, CC representatives and members of the working groups, which include many practitioners. A side event of FC2020, namely a meeting with stakeholders and a summer school aimed at establishing links between S4C, local and regional authorities and stakeholders involved in environmental management and regional development, will also contribute to this aim.

Main outputs

1. Side event for Forum Carpaticum 2020 – The aim of the event is to establish links between S4C, local and regional authorities and various stakeholders involved in environmental management, regional development and promotion and organization of tourism in the Carpathian region.
2. International conference Forum Carpaticum (Czech Republic – Brno, from 22nd till 26th June 2020). More information about the conference is available on the conference web site (http://forumcarpaticum.czechglobe.cz).
3. Interdisciplinary Summer School for Young Scientists in 2021
4. Message to the Carpathian Convention COP 6: A workshop, which will be a side event to COP6, will be proposed and organised.
5. S4C Research Agenda 2020-2030

Contacts