Over the last few decades, human activities, such as human-caused climate change and other human impacts on ecosystems, have transformed the Earth’s natural systems, exceeding their capacity and disrupting their self-regulatory mechanisms, with irreversible consequences for global humanity. Humanity has already been seriously affected by ongoing systemic ecological changes, such as climate change and land use change (especially deforestation). These have reached the point that the ecological foundations of human society and natural systems that support other species and provide invaluable ecosystem services are in great danger. Human activities are causing increasing amounts of pollution, to the extent that this is now recognized as the biggest single risk to human health worldwide. Continuing to live on the brink of or outside of ecological limits, from the global to the local, will make it dramatically more difficult to achieve prosperity, justice, equity and a healthy life for all. The need for humanity to remain within the planetary boundaries, safe operating space and the need to eradicate poverty and accelerate social and economic development are linked by the concept of a safe and just space for humanity. To cope with this range of human-induced damages, including climate change, deforestation, desertification, loss of biodiversity, scarcity of natural resources, pollution, and the consequent natural and the associated environmental impacts, is a great challenge.

Iconic historic places are extremely vulnerable to worldwide rising sea levels, soaring temperatures and increasing extreme weather events place cultural heritage on the frontline of climate change, which also put cultural collections, such as archives, artworks and artefacts, at risk. Intangible heritage, such as languages and oral traditions, also face a fight for survival as climate change threatens to displace communities.

Specifically, Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, is under a risk from a current Good under the protection of UNESCO, to be treated as a "natural and cultural Good under a risk".  The threats faced by the natural values of the World Heritage property relating primarily to Lake Ohrid and Galičica National Park. Lake Ohrid’s hydrology and biodiversity are exposed to diverse impacts and risks including decreased water levels due to prolonged dry periods, and anthropogenic factors such as uncontrolled discharge, water pollution due to inadequate wastewater treatment systems, and evident eutrophication in certain places such as mouths of rivers that flow into the lake. In the long-term, this can pose serious threats to the entire lake ecosystem, with several endemic species of the lake already considered endangered. There are also deep concerns about the extensive urban development and inappropriate exploitation of the coastal zones which could contribute to its severe deterioration, if no immediate measures are taken by the authorities. While the core of the Ohrid historic town is well preserved, one of the main factors affecting the property are developments which have already occurred in the urban settlements, agricultural and coastal zones resulting in water pollution, degradation of habitats, alteration and loss of quality of the lake landscape.

Challenges appearing from climate change inequities ask the action of building the resilience programs and support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The fact that Ohrid/Prespa Region is proclaimed as Transboundary Biosphere reserve under the UNESCO’s MAB program is adding to the complexity but also open opportunities for development of the management ideas and plans concerning the sustainable use and protection of the natural and cultural heritage.

Deadline for Application: 17 December 2019

Notification of Acceptance Decisions: 24 December 2019

Registration: 9 January 2020

Conference: 17-19 January 2020

Submissions of Papers/Panels or Posters

The Conference is open to individual submissions for papers and proposals for panels. All applications for papers and panels must be sent to the e-mail: conference.vodici2020@gmail.com, by 17 December 2019. The papers accepted upon the assessment of the Program Board will be notified via email by 24 December 2019.

Application for papers should content:

• Title of the paper/panel or poster
• Abstract (in English only) not more than 300 words for individual papers, including the main argument and conclusions
• Abstract (in English only) not more than 500 words for panel proposals, including abstracts of panel papers
• Name and title of the author/s of the paper
• Short bio of the author(s) of the paper, not more than one paragraph
• E-mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the author(s) of the paper.
• Size for poster has to be 50x75 cm

Conference language is both Macedonian and English.

All abstracts accepted to the Conference will be published as a conference booklet.

Conference website: http://fon.edu.mk