The Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Symposium has extended its calls for abstracts. Supported by the United Nations’ One Planet Network and the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme, the Symposium committee is seeking ideas, real-world experiences and case studies. These topics can relate to education for sustainability; built environment sustainability; circularity in the built environment; and smart and sustainable built environments, including resilient and liveable cities.
“The Symposium brings focus on sustainability in the built environment,” says Symposium Chair Dr Usha Iyer-Raniga, associate professor at RMIT University. “As there are so many disciplines that shape the built environment, such as engineering, architecture, project management, construction and the like, an integrated approach is critical.”
While the focus will be on India, the committee welcomes abstract submissions from across the globe. “This Symposium in India brings experiences, case studies and practices in different contexts together so we may learn from each other,” says Iyer-Raniga. She also highlights the urgent need to achieve a low-carbon future. “The time is right to engage in meaningful discussions on how we may collectively achieve the targets set by the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals and the new Urban Agenda,” she says, pointing to the increased population growth and rapid urbanisation of the Asia-Pacific region. “Nearly three-quarters of the world population is expected to live in the Asia-Pacific region by 2050, and we need practical steps to decarbonise the built environment.” The Sustainable Development Symposium is scheduled to take place at the Madhav Institute of Technology & Science in Gwalior, India from December 19-21, 2019.
