4th Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) ; 23–25 May 2022
Under the theme “Biodiversity – stewardship for vital resources”, the fourth Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) will take place on 23–25 May 2022. It is generally an online conference (sessions) with selected live and on-site elements and formats. The programme aims to explore research and practical examples of sustainable resource management in communities around the world and how these management strategies support the achievement of the SDGs.
The DNC2022 focuses on strengthening biodiversity with other challenges in society (e.g., climate change, urban and regional development, agri-food and forest systems and circular economy).
Overview of the event
Changes in demographics, urbanisation, climate, and their human causes have resulted in significant impacts and pressures on the availability and quality of environmental resources. Current approaches to environmental resources management are often based on ‘siloed thinking’ whereby the interconnectedness between resource systems is ignored. Against this background, the Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) is dedicated to advancing the Resource Nexus to enable the sustainability of environmental resources. Co-organised by United Nations University – Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER), and the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), the conference provides a platform for inter- and transdisciplinary exchange on the Resource Nexus. By bringing together actors from a diverse range of disciplines and sectors, DNC fosters dialogue on how nexus thinking contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a deep transformation towards Strong Sustainability in its ecological, economic, and social dimensions.
Nexus topics
The conference will discuss a broad diversity of key Resource Nexus topics. These are brought together with a view to cross-cutting challenges linked to climate change, biodiversity, agri-food, urban and regional development, circularity, as well as organisational development. The conference tracks support discussions with a focus on:
- Theory: Advancing the concept of the Resource Nexus and its relevance for policy and practice
- Technologies: Addressing the conception, design, and societal embeddedness of technical resource solutions and infrastructures
- Governance: Understanding (collective) problem-solving strategies, policy designs, and implementation processes
- Health and wellbeing: Examining interlinkages between resource systems, human health, and liveability
- Society and justice: Exploring disparities and inequalities in resource access and distribution
- Data: Identifying Resource Nexus data needs and contributing to data integration and interpretation
- Sustainability Assessment: Embedding the economic, ecological, and social dimensions of sustainability in their temporal and spatial contexts emergent perspectives (open track)