The UNU-IAS Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK) will co-organize the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity with Ishikawa Prefectural Government, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) and UNESCO on 27–29 October 2016 in Nanao city, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
The conference aims to establish an “Asian Biocultural Model” for the sustainable use of biocultural resources for community and regional development. Policymakers, local practitioners, and researchers from Asian countries will assess the relationship between biological and cultural diversity as well as issues related to their conservation and use at the local level.
The region hosting this conference, Ishikawa prefecture, is known for its nature and traditional culture, and has many internationally recognized biocultural resources. In addition to the Noto peninsula’s traditional satoyama landscapes and satoumi seascapes (recognized under the FAO’s GIAHS programme), Ishikawa prefecture has Mt. Hakusan, designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme, and the aenokoto ceremony, which has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Conference participants will visit these sites on excursions.
For more information about the conference, including registration, is available through the following links:
8-1 Wakazaki,
Wakura-machi, Nanao
Ishikawa 926-0192
Japan