Welcome to Chiang Rai, Welcome to Thailand, Welcome to WASWAC WCII !
Date: September 4-7, 2013
Venue: Chiang Rai, Thailand
Topic: The Threats to Land and Water Resources in the 21st Centrury: Prevention, Mitigation and Restoration
Invitation:
This historical flood in Thailand in 2011 resulted in a total of 815 deaths and affected 13.6 million people with a World Bank’s estimated damage of 1,425 billion Baht (US$45.7 billion).
Land is foundation of human survival and development, but the degradation of land is intensifying in many parts of the world, mainly because of improper land use and global climate change. Land degradation could induce the deteriorated productivity of land and ecological functions, including the last flood that we have just experienced. Land degradation has been threatening the socioeconomic and cultural development at regional and global scales. Fortunately, the increasing attention has been paid in combating land degradation all over the world that there have been many projects being operated by agencies in various regions to cope with such problems.
A Short History of WASWAC The World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC – est. 1983 in U.S.A.) held conferences during its prime years in several developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, resulting in a list of publications that give answers and directions to professionals, implementers and landusers to manage the land profitably and sustainably. To enable the organization to serve better, the WASWAC secretariat moved out in 2003 and eventually acquired its present office in Beijing, China in 2010.
Among the first tasks of the WASWAC since then was to organize the international conference onCombating Land Degradation in Agricultural Areas in Xi’an, China, during October 11-15, 2010, with the first worldwide meeting of WASWAC councilors. It was agreed during that time that the WASWAC should hold its international conference and council meeting every three years, e.g. in the last year of each 3-year council. The conference should have a main title of “WASWAC World Conference and Council Meeting”, and an important issue of that time could be put as the main theme. The council meeting in Xi’an agreed that the 2nd WASWAC World Conference and Council Meeting (WASWAC-WCII) should take place in Thailand in 2013, the third year of the present council.
The Conference The severity of the great flood with subsequent damages and the urgent need to cope with the extent of land degradation have motivated the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT), the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC) and the Civil Engineering Dept. of the Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University, to organize this conference by sharing the same venue with the 5th National Convention on Water Resources Engineering at Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort, in Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of the country, during September 4-7, 2013, with hope that it will benefit academics and professionals in engineering, land development, soil and water sciences, agriculture and other related fields in achieving more knowledge and understanding of the ways and means to deal with these undesired effects, especially from the ever-increasing degradation of the land and the receipt of excessive runoff and applying them to avoid further damages.
We sincerely hope that the conference on The Threats to Land and Water Resources in the 21st Century: Prevention, Mitigation and Restoration” (LANDCON 1309 in the WASWAC meeting series) will be a lively platform for land management and conservation specialists worldwide to share their expertise. It will be preceded by the Second Councilor Meeting of WASWAC that will take place on the first day, September 4, 2013. We expect to achieve certain concrete outcomes that will be put in use right after that, and also with valued contributions to be published in the proceedings as well as in a scientific journal. We look forward to welcoming you at Chiang Rai, Thailand soon.
Cooperating organizations:
• Land Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Bangkok, Thailand
• Soil and Water Conservation Society of Thailand (SWCST), Bangkok, Thailand
• Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
• Green World Education Foundation (GWEF), Bangkok, Thailand
• Chinese Society of Water and Soil Conservation (CSWSC), Beijing, China
• Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
• International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES-UNESCO), Beijing, China
• Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS/MWR), Shaanxi, China
• Northwest University of Agriculture & Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
• Jiangxi Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
• Guangdong Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences (GIEESS), Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
• Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment-CAS, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
• Chinese Soil and Water Conservation Society (CSWCS), Taichung, Chinese Taipei
• National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan, Chinese Taipei
• National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung, Chinese Taipei
• National Pingtung University of Science and Technology , Pingtung, Chinese Taipei
• National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), Tsukuba, Japan
• College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
• Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Quezon City, Philippines
• Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology (PSSST), Quezon City, Philippines
• Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi, India
• North Carolina Agriculture & Technology State University (NCA&T), Greensboro, NC, U.S.A.
Organizing/Scientific committee:
Chairman: Assoc. Prof. Chavalit Chaleeraktrakoon, Thammasat University, Thailand
Co-chairman: Dr. Samran Sombatpanit, Past President/Advisor of WASWAC, Thailand sombatpanit@gmail.com
Members:
1. Assoc. Prof. Nathaniel Alibuyog, Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines
2. Asst. Prof. Dr. Somchai Anusontpornperm, Head, Soils Dept., Kasetsart University, Thailand
3. Dr. Syaiful Anwar, Deputy Director of Watershed Planning, Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia
4. Prof. Dr. Jorge Batlle Sales, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
5. Dr. Suraj Bhan, President, Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi, India
6. Prof. Dr. Winfried Blum, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Austria
7. Assoc. Prof. Suwatana Chittaladakorn, Kasetsart University, Thailand
8. Assoc. Prof. Sakchai Choochote, King Mongkut’s Inst. of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand
9. Prof. Su-Chin Chen, Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, NCH Univ., Chinese Taipei
10. Prof. Cui Peng, Institute of Mountain Hazards & Environment, CAS, People’s Republic of China
11. Prof. Dr. Deng Wei, Director, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE), CAS, China
12. Prof. Dr. Theo Dillaha, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, U.S.A.
13. Dr. Rungsun Im-Erb, Advisor, Land Development Department, Bangkok, Thailand
14. Prof. Dr. Eiichi Kohno, Dean, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
15. Dr. S.S. Kukal, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
16. Prof. Dr. Li Dingqiang, Director, Guangdong Institute of Eco-Env. & Soil Science, GZ, China
17. Prof. Dr. Li Hongwen, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
18. Prof. Dr. Li Rui, President, World Association of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing, China
19. Prof. Dr. Liu Guobin, Director, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation – CAS, Shaanxi, China
20. Prof. Liu Zhen, Director, Dept. of Soil and Water Conservation, Min. of Water Resources, Beijing, China
21. Prof. Dr. Lu Zhan Yuan, Inner Mongolia Acad. of Agric. and Animal Husbandry, Hohhot, China
22. Prof. Dr. Gustavo Henrique Merten, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
23. Prof. Dr. M. Mihara, Tokyo University of Agriculture & President, ERECON, Tokyo, Japan
24. Dr. P.K. Mishra, Director, Central SWC Research & Training Institute, Dehra Dun, India
25. Prof. Dr. Ted Napier, Ohio State University, OH, U.S.A.
26. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Loi, Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
27. Prof. Dr. Ning Duihu, Vice Director of the International Research and Training Center on Soil Erosion and Sedimentation (IRTCES), and Secretary General of WASWAC, Beijing, China
28. Dr. Toshiaki Okhura, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), Tsukuba, Japan
29. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kingshuk ROY, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
30. Prof. Dr. José Rubio, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CIDE, Univ. of Valencia, Spain
31. Dr. Shabbir S. Shahid, ICBA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
32. Mr. Chinapatana Sukvibool, Deputy President, WASWAC/Land Development Department, Thailand
33. Dr. Silvino Q. Tejada, Director, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Quezon City, Philippines
34. Assoc. Prof. Vidhaya Trelo-ges, Dept. of Land Resources & Env., Khon Kaen Univ., Khon Kaen, Thailand
35. Mr. Winai Wangpimool, Water Resources Department, Bangkok, Thailand
36. Dr. Doug Wimble, Past President of the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), Australia
37. Prof. Wu Bin, General Secretary of Chinese Society of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing, China
38. Dr. Kazuyuki Yagi, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), Tsukuba, Japan
39. Prof. Dr. Zheng Fenli, Northwest University of Agriculture & Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
40. Prof. Dr. Miodrag Zlatic, Past President of WASWAC, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Conference sub-themes:
1. Methodologies to measure the extent of land degradation
2. Studies of specific forms of land degradation, e.g. land slide, debris flow, gully forming process
3. Evaluation of impacts of land degradation on food production and the environment
4. Effects of global climate change on land degradation and food security
5.Control measures to prevent and mitigate land degradation (mechanical, biological, agronomic, management) and to restore degraded land
6.Integrated measures that enhance soil and water conservation, e.g. Conservation Agriculture, Agroforestry, Landcare, Soil Fertility Improvement
7. Research programs that deal with land degradation and soil and water conservation, e.g. SWAT, WOCAT, LADA, ASOCON, DESIRE
8. Operating, monitoring and evaluation of land/soil conservation projects
9. Use of incentives to promote sustainable land use
10. Law and policy to mitigate land degradation and enhance soil and water conservation
11. Water resource management for sustained crop production
12. Any other topics of interest Paper
Paper and abstract details:
The work can be presented by either oral or poster. Authors for both modes of presentation are asked to send an abstract at first and full paper later. Abstract Please use Cordial New letters, size 15 pt. of Microsoft Word; it should be between 200-300 words. Full paper should be within 10 A4 pages, using the same letter font and size as for the abstract. Posters should carry a size of 90 cm (w) x 120 cm (h), with letter sizes readable from a distance of 2 m. Good proportion between picture/diagrams and text should be observed. For more details, please visit www.wreeit.org or contact admin@wreeit.org. NOTE: Presented papers will be selected to publish in the Journal of International Soil and Water Conservation Research. Templates are to be used for both abstract & full paper.
Tentative program:
Wednesday, September 4, 2013:
Arrival and registration
Afternoon: 2nd Councilor Meeting of WASWAC
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Morning: Conference opening, Keynote address, Presentation of papers (in concurrent sessions)
Evening: Banquet and presentation of Awards
Friday, September 6, 2013:
Presentation of papers, Plenary session, Conclusions
Saturday, September 7, 2013:
Field excursion (with a surcharge of US40 dollars – the program will be announced later), Conference closing
Sunday-Monday, September 8-9/8-10, 2013
Post-conference tour to visit conservation projects and fruit orchards (US120 or US180 for Sept. 8-9 or 8-10)
Registration fee:
(1) Early bird registration fee (up to July 31, 2013): International participants US$250 International students (with proof as an active student from their institution) US$200
(2) Regular registration fee (from August 1, 2013): International participants US$300 International students (with proof) US$250
(3) Fee for one accompanied person US$150 Surcharge on the excursion on September 7, 2013 US$40 Fee for the post-conference tour to the Eastern part of the country US$120 or US$180 for Sept. 8-9 or Sept. 8-10
NOTE: The registration fee includes conference attendance, conference materials, banquet, lunches and refreshments on September 5-6 BUT does not include international transportation to and from Chiang Rai and accommodation fee that participants will pay to the hotel directly. Accommodation is arranged at three hotels, with an approx. rate/day as follows: (1) Le Méridien, US$130/day; (2) Dusit, US$70; (3) Rimkok, US$40, with transportation between hotels provided. Accommodation for Sept 7, Sept 8, Sept 9 will be approx. US$40-50/night. All rates are for single/double, with breakfast.
Important dates:
Abstract submission due March 15, 2013 POSTPONE TO APRIL 15, 2013
Notification of abstract acceptance March 30, 2013 onward
Deadline of the draft paper May 1, 2013
Notification of draft paper acceptance June 15, 2013
Final paper submission due July 15, 2013
Notification of paper acceptance August 1, 2013
Conference date September 4-7, 2013
Post conference Excursion to the East September 8-9 or 8-10, 2013
Beautiful Chiang Rai:
WASWAC WC II Final Brochure and other related documents can be downloaded here:
