The Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) is delighted to announce details of the SSRP Symposium 2024, which spotlights innovative and impactful research on sustainability issues at local and global scales.

The event takes place at 9.30am to 1pm on Thursday 14 November in the Terrace Room, Bramber House, University of Sussex.

SSRP researchers will give short presentations on projects based in Sussex, Ecuador, Brazil, Papa New Guinea, Syria, South Africa, the Horn of Africa, Nigeria, and South Korea. 

The presentations and projects fall under the following key SSRP research themes, which form the structure of the symposium schedule.

• Ecosystems, Rights and Justice
• Sustainability Frontiers and South Coast Sustainability
• Sustainable Climate and Food Systems

Within these themes, symposium attendees will hear about research on everything from forest restoration in the Ecuadorian Andes to early weather warning systems in the Horn of Africa, coastal biodiversity off the Sussex coast to the impact of conflict on ecosystems in Syria.

Each panel will conclude with a question and answer session and discussion, to which audience members are invited to contribute.

The Symposium also enables attendees to meet and network over complimentary coffee, tea and lunch. All Sussex students and staff are very welcome. Please register here.

Programme

9.30am. Welcome: Coffee and tea

10am. Introduction to the SSRP Symposium 2024 

Joseph Alcamo, SSRP Director

10.10am. Theme 1: Ecosystems, Rights and Justice

Equitable and sustainable forest restoration in the Ecuadorian Andes
Fiona Mathews

Global Imaginaries: connecting young people through improvised collaborative storytelling for sustainable futures
Perpetua Kirby

Practical implementation of ‘Rights of Nature’ for fair and sustainable futures
Mika Peck

Analysing systems architecture and orchestration for effective implementation, compliance and enforcement of trade and deforestation regulations and SDG outcomes
Emanuela Orlando

Revisioning territorial rights in the face of resource extraction: an action research network supporting communities affected by mining in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Alex Shankland

Integrating action and policy on health, biodiversity, and climate in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bougainville, and across Melanesia
Jo Middleton

Panel discussion

10.50am. Coffee break

11.10am. Theme 2: Sustainability Frontiers and South Coast Sustainability

Ripple Effect: A waterway resilience initiative
Lucila Newell

Documenting the recovery of the Sussex inshore ecosystem post trawling byelaw using environmental DNA
Valentina Scarponi

Building capacity for sustainable agriculture in Northwest Syria

Mirela Barbu

Using WMRE metrics to accelerate waste management and resource efficiency in Lesotho and South Africa

Qingxiu Bu

Co-creating adolescents’ menstrual health research in Sussex, United Kingdom
Chi Eziefula

Panel discussion

11.55am. Theme 3: Sustainable Climate and Food Systems

Place-based sustainability: Understanding place-based knowledge and knowledge boundaries for the transition to sustainable food systems
Shova Thapa Karki

Challenges to the sustainability of agriculture during protracted conflict in NW Syria
Natalia Slutskaya 

New developments in people-centred early warning of climate events in the Horn of Africa
Pedram Rowhani

Research and innovation (R&I) policy for climate change and sustainability in Northern Nigeria
Abdulrafiu Abbas

Transformation labs in complex, adaptive, socio-hydrologic systems
John Thompson

Panel discussion

12.35pm. SSRP Support for Research: funding, organisational help, impact and visibility

12.50pm. Closing remarks

13.00pm. End of symposium and lunch

SSRP looks forward to seeing you for what promises to be a richly stimulating day.