Rationale: Land use and land management are critical in addressing some of the most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges facing Europe, including climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, land use/land cover change, and land degradation. Funded by the EU Horizon Europe programme, the research project Europe-LAND aims to enhance our understanding of the drivers behind land use decisions to develop a national, regional and pan-European vision in support of multiple policy objectives, i.e. climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity conservation. This online symposium is designed to engage policymakers, scientists, land-use actors, and civil society, fostering the exchange of best practices across Europe on sustainable land-use decisions and their impacts on ecosystem services at local and regional levels. The event will highlight the benefits and costs of biodiversity and ecosystem protection, examine the trade-offs between agricultural production, carbon sequestration, and species conservation, and explore the effectiveness of integrated tools and instruments for improved decision-making. By addressing these themes, the symposium aims to raise awareness among key stakeholders about climate change and biodiversity challenges and inspire the adoption of sustainable practices. To support these objectives, this workshop aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to explore the latest trends, ongoing challenges, and innovative European solutions in sustainable land management that align with the objectives of the Europe-LAND project.  

The Symposium is structured as follows:

Key Lectures: Focused on topics of mutual interest to all participants.

Thematic Sessions: Papers presented by contributing speakers.  

Key Topics:

We invite submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Emerging trends in sustainable land use management in the EU
• Policies and regulations impacting European land use management
• Impacts of climate change on land use, land management, and biodiversity conservation in the EU
• Sharing best practices in land management for agriculture and forestry
• Innovative methods and tools for understanding key drivers of land use changes and land use behaviours in Europe
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies with relevance to agriculture and biodiversity conservation in the EU
• Modelling future land use and land cover changes in the EU under various scenarios
• Methods and tools to enhance stakeholder engagement and community involvement in sustainable land management
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How to Participate:   To contribute to the symposium, please submit an abstract of 200-300 words by March 30^st 2025. Abstracts should detail the aim of the presentation, methodology, and initial findings, and include full contact information for all authors. Accepted authors will be notified of the acceptance by April 15, 2025.  

The abstract should be submitted by email to Dr. Mihaela Sima to: simamik@yahoo.com  

There is no registration fee for the event.