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The Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), University of the Free State (UFS), is an active and growing mountain research hub situated at the foot of the Maloti-Drakensberg in the eastern Free State Province, South Africa. The vision of the ARU is to become a continental leader in African mountain research, with a focus on the sustainability of the Maloti-Drakensberg as a social-ecological entity.The ARU is advertising a Post-Doctoral Fellowship focusing on plant diversity & endemism in southern African mountains, and related concepts around ecological and historical biogeography. In addition to the academic research commitments, the Fellow will also have the opportunity to be exposed to the wide range of mountain-related activities being driven by the ARU.
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Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI. The aim of this special issue is to compile the latest developments in AVHRR pre-processing (calibration, geo-coding) and ECV retrieval. Submission deadline is 7 December 2018.
The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) has defined many essential climate variables (ECV) to be monitored to understand changes of land systems (biosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that a time series of at least 30 years is needed to retrieve statistically significant changes of ECVs. Considering that these are extended periods of time, only a limited selection of satellites and sensors can be used for global monitoring—one of these is the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors onboard NOAA satellites (since 1981) and on the EUMETSAT platform MetOp (since 2006).
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The journal Mountain Research and Development has issued a call for papers related to the role culture plays in our transition towards sustainable development in mountains for its three peer-reviewed sections: MountainDevelopment, MountainResearch, and MountainAgenda. Notices of intent should be submitted by 30 September.
In 1996, the World Commission on Culture and Development (WCCD) published a report on Our Creative Diversity. The WCCD wanted to emphasize the fundamental relevance of culture in sustainable development and to address questions such as: What are the cultural and socio-cultural factors that affect development? What is the cultural impact of social and economic development? How can valuable elements of a traditional culture be combined with modernization? What are the cultural dimensions of individual and collective well-being? Through this Focus Issue, Mountain Research and Development aims to highlight the importance of these questions for sustainable development in mountains.
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Session proposals are invited for the Global Land Programme's 4th Open Science Meeting, 'Transforming Land Systems for People and Nature,' which will be held 24-26 April 2019 in Bern, Switzerland. Land use is key for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in an increasingly threatened global environment. Should land system science produce a unifying vision for the planet? How do global narratives for use of land correspond to what people want when striving for access to land across diverse and distinctive regions? How can we support transformations that mutually reinforce global sustainability visions and goals, and people’s aspirations and needs?
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The University of Central Asia's Mountain Societies Research Institute is accepting registrations and contributions for the Youth Mountain Forum – a side event taking place as part of the World Mountain Forum 2018. The Youth Mountain Forum will provide its participants with a global platform to bring the attention of policy makers, politicians, and practitioners to challenges posed by global climate change. To contribute to the discussion of sustainable mountain development issues, students and young professionals from Central Asia and the Mountain Partnership countries of Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific are invited to submit contributions.
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Members of the mountain research community are encouraged to submit proposals for sessions on mountain ecosystems in line with the conference theme of 'Management of Ecosystem Services for Nature Conservation and Human Well-Being in Africa.' Taking place in Togo in early 2019, the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) Regional Conference Africa 2019 has been organized to draw attention to the key role ecosystems play in the economy, human well-being, and culture of (Sub-Saharan) Africa.
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A new paper published in the International Journal of Climatology examines seasonal patterns of warming amplification at high elevations worldwide – and finds highly significant temperature trends. Thanks to research efforts, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests warming rates are amplified by elevation, with high mountain areas experiencing more rapid changes in temperature than lower elevation environments. However, despite the interest in this phenomenon, the global assessment of seasonal signals of EDW has received limited attention. As a result, there is still restricted seasonal evidence of EDW. A new paper published in the International Journal of Climatology attempts to go some way towards bridging this gap.
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MRI Executive Director Dr. Carolina Adler was among over 100 experts who came together in July to advance preparations for the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate – or SROCC. Synthesis reviews and multiple case studies are still being sought for the assessment process.The Third SROCC Lead Author Meeting took place 23-28 July 2018 in Lanzhou, China and brought together experts from more than 30 countries to continue their work towards the First Order Draft of SROCC. As a lead author of the chapter focused on changes in high mountain regions, MRI Executive Director Dr. Carolina Adler was among their number.
