As you may be aware, the Joint International Grassland and International Rangeland Congress is scheduled to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from the 23-29 October this year.

Due to Covid uncertainly, a number of changes to the Congress have already been made and there are likely to be more (the Congress Organising Committee are meeting soon to discuss existing plans).  The Congress Organisers have already extended the early-bird registration deadline to 31 August and are also asking presenters unable to attend in person to provide a pre-recorded video so that their presentation can be played to delegates who are attending.

The good news for those of us that unable to travel is that will be a virtual component to the Congress.  Currently, plans are being put in place for a Webinar series to be held 2 weeks after the Congress.   It will be held over 5 consecutive days and will be run twice on each day to ensure that everyone can attend in an appropriate timezone.  The Webinars will focus on the 7 Congress themes listed below.

For future updates about the Congress, please check the Congress website at https://igandircongress2021.dryfta.com/

JOINT XXIV IGC AND XI IRC CONGRESS THEMES

1. RANGELAND/GRASSLAND ECOLOGY

• Ecological site description and ecosystem classification.
• Soil and watershed management, water supply, quality and riparian health.
• Shrub encroachment, fire ecology, invasive species and pest management.
• Monitoring of rangeland and grassland resources.
• Sustainable rangeland/grassland management and improvement.

2. FORAGE PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION

• Genetic resources, forage development and management.
• Grazing management practices and animal nutrition.
• Challenges for sustainability of intensive high rainfall grasslands, sown pastures and turf.
• Seed science and production systems.

3. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

• Intensive production systems (including small-holder dairy systems in tropics and subtropics).
• Extensive production systems (including ranching, nomadism, and dairying).
• Integrated systems (Agro-silvopastoral systems and crop-livestock interactions).

4. WILDLIFE, TOURISM AND MULTI-FACETS OF RANGELANDS/GRASSLANDS

• Wildlife management, conservation and tourism.
• Privately owned or leased rangeland systems.
• Biodiversity and ecosystem services of rangelands/grasslands.
• Status, and trends in rangelands/grasslands and options in the future.
• Competing interests in rangelands: mining, fracking, ground water exploitation.

5. DROUGHT MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN RANGELANDS/GRASSLANDS

• Drought management for sustainable productivity.
• Carbon sequestration.
• GHG emissions from rangeland/grassland livestock systems.
• Impacts on biodiversity, livestock and grazing systems.
• Early warning systems and modelling future climate change in arid and semi-arid lands.

 

6. PASTORALISM, SOCIAL, GENDER AND POLICY ISSUES

• Cultural heritage and indigenous people’s use of rangelands/grasslands (Indigenous Technical Knowledge).
• Governance, land rights and changes to pastoral systems.
• Social justice, gender and equity issues in rangelands/grasslands.
• Livelihood diversification opportunities for pastoralists (crops, hand crafts, fishing, beekeeping, bio-fuels, silk, herbs, spices, wild fruit etc.).
• Marketing infrastructure and systems in rangelands/grasslands.
• Policy issues for rangelands/grasslands development.
• Political instability and extremism: its impact on rangelands/grasslands management.

7. CAPACITY, INSTITUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RANGELANDS/GRASSLANDS

• Emerging/trending issues in rangeland/grassland science and education.
• Extension and technology-transfer.
• Green energy and Information Communication Technologies applications.
• Rangelands/grasslands and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Participatory approaches and innovations in the management of rangelands/grasslands.