IUCN WORLD COMMISSION ON PROTECTED AREAS
Newsletter May, 2016
OCEANIA
Danxiashan Geopark in Guandong Province, Peoples Republic of China (Photo: Web Commons) It is an area of
Cretaceous Sandstone beds and associated prominent erosional formations. The area was proclaimed a UNESCO
geopark in 2004. It is now part of a China World Heritage Danxia Formation Serial Site.
1. WCPA OCEANIA UPDATE
• FROM THE VICE CHAIR
• MEMBER OPPORTUNITIES
• NEWS OF MEMBERS
2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
• PROTECTED AREA CONNECTIVITY: AN ASSESSMENT FOR AICHI TARGET 11
• IUCN BUSINESS POSTS - BUILDING BRIDGES
• PRIVATE PROTECTED AREAS ARTICLE
• ECOTOURISM AND SPECIES
• KBA STANDARD RELEASED
• YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE OCEANS
• HAWAII-PACIFIC PAVILION at WCC
• PARKS FOR THE PLANET
• RAISING THE STATUS OF GEOPARKS
• DEADLY POACHER ATTACK AT GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK
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3. AUSTRALIAN NEWS
• MASSIVE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON THE REEF
• VALUATION OF CAPE YORK’S ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
• PROGRESS ON SOUTH COAST TRACK UPGRADE
• THE AUSTRALIAN BUDGET AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
• TASMANIAN WILDERNESS STATE OF CONSERVATION MISSION REPORT AVAILABLE
4. NEW ZEALAND NEWS
• KAKAPO NUMBERS BOOSTED BY A SUCCESSFUL BREEDING SEASON
• BATTLE FOR OUR BIRDS 2016
• ANOTHER ISLAND DECLARED PEST-FREE
5. PACIFIC ISLAND AND PNG NEWS
• MEASURING CONSERVATION RESULTS THROUGH LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE
FOREST IN THE ADELBERT MOUNTAINS
6. UPCOMING
1. WCPA OCEANIA UPDATE
From the Vice Chair
Dear colleagues,
I have just returned from the
Steering Committee Meeting in
the Czech Republic. It was one
of the best meetings we have
had, with full interaction of
thematic and regional experts
to identify common areas of
interest for taking forward all
the hard work of the World
Parks Congress and planning
for the World Conservation
Congress and the four crucial
years to CBD 2020. I highlighted
some areas which our region
will be taking forward.
The VC celebrates 13K walk (with new hip) in Krkonose National Park Czech Republic with G.Worboys Mountains and
Connectivity and K, McKinnon (Chair) and Czech Park Ranger
I will separately send the power point which outlines those areas.
In the next IUCN quadrennial there will be close alignment of WCPA’s work with the broader
IUCN agenda and with the IUCN commitment to take forward the Promise of Sydney.
Members are strongly advised to align themselves with a Specialist group or Task Force as the
best way of making their contribution to IUCN WCPA.
See http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_wcpa/wcpaspecial/
For all groups with contacts.
Member Opportunities
Be an active member - Join a Specialist Group
In the next IUCN quadrennial there will be close alignment of WCPAs work with the broader
IUCN agenda and with the IUCN commitment to take forward the Promise of Sydney.
The best way for all Members to really get involved is to join a Specialist group or Task Force in
their area of expertise or key interest. If reappointed I am also keen to see key regional hubs on
each of the key areas such as marine, World Heritage, Nature for all and health etc.
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Seeking a ten year commitment to the Nature of Australia
WCPA Oceania is a partner with the Australian Committee for IUCN (ACIUCN), the Fenner
School of Environment and Society of the Australian National University, the Commonwealth
Department of Environment and the Australian Conservation Foundation in convening the
upcoming symposium MAINTAINING AUSTRALIA’S NATURAL WEALTH: PRIORITIES FOR
CONSERVATION POLICY at University House, Australian National University Canberra | ThursFri 21-22 July 2016. All members are encouraged to attend.
The symposium, the sixth in the ACIUCN Science Informing Policy symposium series will gather
experts from across all sectors to identify areas essential to securing Australia’s natural wealth
– the health and resilience of its lands and wildlife and to put forward the case for a decade
long bipartisan policy commitment to these goals.
News of Members
Andrew Maclean has taken on the role of
2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
PROTECTED AREA CONNECTIVITY: AN ASSESSMENT FOR AICHI TARGET 11
The Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) Collaborative Fund for Conservation is funding
an important project: Protected Area connectivity: an assessment for Aichi target 11.
Aichi Target 11 commits CBD Parties to conserving 17% of the terrestrial surface of the earth,
especially “areas of particular importance for biodiversity” through “well-connected” systems
of protected areas or “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs). This
project will assess the degree of connectivity existing currently, with a focus on one taxon
(birds) and one region (Africa), and by so doing, enabling better assessment of the feasibility
of extending globally. For bird species, this project will assess connectivity between
protected areas (PAs), Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), as the largest systematically identified
network of areas of particular importance for biodiversity, and Indigenous and Community
Conserved Areas (ICCAs), as one type of OECM.
Developing this connectivity measure has strong relevance to ecological science: although
It is anticipated that the project will identify both protected and unprotected habitat
patches that are of particular importance to the maintenance of populations of
assemblages of forest-dependent birds and that are also under severe threat from land use
changes. The project will also highlight species for which improved connectivity of habitat
patches is a priority for their conservation. For further information, visit:
http://www.conservation.cam.ac.uk/collaboration/protected-area-connectivity-assessmentaichi-target-11
IUCN BUSINESS POSTS - BUILDING BRIDGES
IUCN has many excellent resources in the form of regular posts of excellent material.
To subscribe http://iucn.org/knowledge/news/newsletters/?OPTIN_BUILDING_BRIDGES_FIELD
Here is a taste: Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD) discusses what nature can do for business and what business can do
for nature.
We face major challenges in combating accelerating environmental degradation. Pollution
and the mismanagement of our natural resources have put our ecosystems under severe
stress, with broad consequences impacting all other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
whether they are about climate, health or well-being. Taking ambitious action to reverse
these negative trends is a clear prerequisite for achieving the 2030 SDGs and targets,
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particularly SDG #14, to conserve and sustainably use life below water, and SDG #15, to
protect, restore and sustainably manage life on land.
Through its cutting-edge know-how and technological solutions, business can help solve
these environmental challenges. All companies depend on nature. The services provided by
nature - such as freshwater, productive soil and clean air - are fundamental to business
activity, yet they are in constant decline. The negative socio-economic impacts of this
deterioration affects companies’ bottom line and jeopardizes operations. There is an
urgency for business to better understand the value of nature’s services and to adopt
informed strategies that take into account impacts and dependencies on nature.
In September this year, thousands of high-level representatives from governments, business,
NGOs and other stakeholder groups, will gather at the IUCN World Conservation Congress
which will define priorities for the conservation community and governments in the next four
years. This is a key moment for business to step up as a key solution provider and engage in
partnerships to reach scale. We need leadership, collaboration and concrete action to
move SDG implementation forward and accelerate the transition to a sustainable world.
PRIVATE PROTECTED AREAS ARTICLE
The current issue of Square Brackets is of great interest to us all with excellent articles on the
role of private protected areas and on the much debated issue of what constitutes a
‘conserved area’. [square brackets] is a newsletter focusing on the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) and civil society published by the Convention on Biological Diversity –
www.cbd.int
Previous editions of [square brackets] can be found at:
www.cbd.int/doc/newsletters/
Mothers or lesser sisters? The strange case of “conserved areas” by Grazia BorriniFeyerabend1 •Global Coordinator, ICCA Consortium ([email protected])
ECOTOURISM AND SPECIES
Thank you to author and WCPA member Prof. Ralf Buckley for the following article of interest.
Net Effects of Ecotourism on Threatened Species Survival by Ralf C. Buckley‡*, Clare
Morrison‡, J. Guy Castley from the School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast,
Australia. We rely on ecotourism in many part of the world to provide the income and
therefore the incentive to maintain habitat and the species which are reliant on that
ecosystem. However how well does this work?
Article is available at
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/asset?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147988.PDF
KBA STANDARD RELEASED
Many of you will be aware of the global work to identify Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are
places of international importance for the conservation of biodiversity through protected
areas and other governance mechanisms. They are identified nationally using simple,
standard criteria, based on their importance in maintaining species populations. As the
building blocks for designing the ecosystem approach and maintaining effective ecological
networks, key biodiversity areas are the starting point for conservation planning at landscape
level. “A Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas” was adopted by
IUCN Council during its 88th Meeting on 11-13 April 2016. This very important achievement
would not have been possible without the help and dedication of many WCPA and other
IUCN Commission Members. “A Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity
Areas” will be officially launched during the World Conservation Congress in Hawaii in
September this year.
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YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THE OCEANS
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected
Areas (WCPA) Marine Young Professionals Task Force have partnered with the Blue Solutions
project, Mission Blue, #Ocean Optimism and TerraMar on a new initiative to highlight and
promote the projects of young people working for marine conservation around the world.
The competition partners invite youth and young professionals actively working on innovative
and creative marine conservation initiatives from around the world to take part in this
competition. Do you have an innovative and creative approach or process that
successfully address marine conservation issues that you are implementing with your own
organization and you are not older than 35 years? Submit this form by 31st May.
http://blog.protectplanetocean.org/2016/04/the-young-professionals-marine.html
RAISING THE STATUS OF GEOPARKS
Recognising the importance of
managing outstanding geological
sites and landscapes in a holistic
manner, UNESCO ratified the
creation of a new label, “UNESCO
Global Geoparks”, during its 38th
General Conference in Paris, France
in November 2015.
The organisation will support efforts
by countries all around the world to
establish UNESCO Global Geoparks
in close collaboration with the GGN
and IUCN.
The distinctive pagodas of the Gardens of Stone
an inspiring example of geoheritage. P.Figgis
HAWAII-PACIFIC PAVILION at WCC
The Hawaii-Pacific pavilion at the IUCN World Conservation Congress provides another
space for activities members may need to carry out. However, if you have slots already
assigned to either of these pavilions; Species conservation; Protected Planet: Delivering the
Promise of Sydney; Oceans; Forests; Water; Business & Biodiversity; Hawai‘i + Pacific; US;
#NatureForAll, please do let me know, so we can also alert other members attending the
WCC 2016 in Hawaii. In the meantime, if you are keen to host or hold an event at the HawaiiPacific pavilion please do contact Fipe Tuitubou on email [email protected] for more
information. Please be mindful that the Pavilion is a shared one, with our hosts, Hawaii.
RANGERS KILLEDAT GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK
The perils of defending nature in a world still massively damaged by attitudes which see
species just as commodities and decorations three park rangers have been killed and two
have been injured in an attack by elephant poachers in Garamba National Park.
Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the world’s first
UNESCO World Heritage sites, listed in 1980. For decades, the park has been on the List of
World Heritage in Danger due to armed conflict and elephant poaching, which according
to the IUCN, has drastically increased in the past two years. The elephant death toll in
Garamba National Park has risen to 43 in 2016 alone. Today around 1,500 elephants remain
in the park, compared to 22,000 some 40 years ago. In 2015, attacks by heavily-armed
poachers claimed at least 19 lives in the World Heritage sites of the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, including eight in Garamba National Park.
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PARKS FOR THE PLANET
A key outcome of the IUCN World
Parks Congress 2014
was the
realisation that nature - and nature
connectedness - can and must be
deployed to tackle impacts on
human health and well-being linked
to rapid urbanization. Action is
particularly urgent to reduce the
burden
of
non-communicable
diseases, which could otherwise cost
low and middle-income countries an
estimated US$7 trillion in cumulative
economic losses over 15 years.
Last year on the first anniversary of the
IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 an
international forum was held in Salzburg to launch the Parks for the Planet Forum, It was seen
as a fitting companion to the international community’s adoption in the same period of the
Sustainable Development Goals and a new Climate Change Agreement.
This landmark session highlighted the potential to reconnect growing urban populations with
nature to achieve co-benefits for health and well-being, while reducing vulnerability to
climate-related and environmental challenges.
http://www.salzburgglobal.org/calendar/2010-2019/2015/session-557.html
IUCN is the official advisory body on nature under the World Heritage Convention, has long
recognised the importance of conserving geological heritage – or geoheritage – which is
important for natural values as well as cultural and socioeconomic ones. A bureau member
of the GGN since its establishment in 2004, IUCN will continue to have a consultation role.
Today the world counts 120 Global Geoparks in 33 countries, which have now acquired the
new UNESCO status. Global Geoparks are areas that incorporate geological features of
international significance. Having no formal legal protection, they are conserved through a
bottom-up, community-led approach which helps to ensure they are used as a sustainable
economic asset, such as through the development of responsible tourism.
3. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL NEWS
MASSIVE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON THE REEF
A recent report by Australian scientists has revealed today the full extent of the coral
bleaching that is unfolding on the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of
Queensland.
The taskforce surveyed 911 individual reefs by air extent and severity of bleaching along the
2300km length of the Great Barrier Reef. Of all the reefs we surveyed, only 7% (68 reefs) have
escaped bleaching entirely and between 60 and 100% of corals are severely bleached on
316 reefs, nearly all in the northern half of the Reef. This is particularly ominous for the future of
the Reef as the most northerly reefs are also its most pristine, remote from human pressures.
“We’ve never seen anything like this scale of bleaching before. In the northern Great Barrier
Reef, it’s like 10 cyclones have come ashore all at once,” says Professor Terry Hughes,
convenor of the National Coral Bleaching Taskforce that is documenting and studying the
event.
Meanwhile on the west coast of Australia, researchers are also discovering large-scale
bleaching caused by elevated temperatures on both sides of the Australian continent.
https://www.coralcoe.org.au/media-releases/only-7-of-the-great-barrier-reef-has-avoidedcoral-bleaching
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VALUATION OF CAPE YORK’S ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
In 1982, IUCN published
the first indicative inventory
of
the
world’s
most
outstanding natural areas.
Cake York, Queensland, was
included on this inventory for
its remarkable diversity and
high level of ecological
integrity, including wetlands,
monsoonal rivers, tropical
rainforest, health lands and
dune fields.
Elsevier
Journal
has
published a recent study
which applied ecosystem
service valuation to Cape
York.
Photo: Eliot Falls Cape York http://www.travel-around-australia.com/
The study estimates the total ecosystem services value of Cape York conservatively to be
AUD $130 billion per year. The study argues that ecosystem services value is comparable to
the region's largest industry, bauxite mining. Mining has produced great benefits to the
economy, but local communities remain disadvantaged, receiving a fraction of the
ecosystem services value, estimated to be worth $120 million.
The article authors’ suggest that the high ecosystem services value of Cape York is because
of Indigenous land management over millennia. Since the disenfranchisement of Indigenous
people, ecosystems of northern Australia have suffered significant land degradation. The
study recommends that a policy framework be developed to acknowledge the value of
ecosystem services. To read the article in full, visit: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecoser
PROGRESS ON SOUTH COAST TRACK UPGRADE
The Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Service has commenced improvement work on
the South Coast Track as the second part of a four-year, $2 million project to help provide a
‘world class walking experience’ in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
The South Coast Track is attracts around 1,200 walkers per year. The 87 km track runs
between Melaleuca and Cockle Creek. The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service explains
that track erosion, overgrown areas, difficult beach access in certain locations and ageing
infrastructure has contributed to a decline in the overall experience over recent years.
THE AUSTRALIAN BUDGET AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
WWF Australia has expressed concern over the Australian government’s budget announced
in May, stating that the Great Barrier Reef needs billions of dollars to address coral bleaching
and other health threats. However, the budget has “failed to even meet the Government’s
prior commitment of $300 million over 5 years for Reef pollution programs” WWF Australia
explains.
The budget has delayed any substantial additional investment on the Reef until 2019 it will
instead deliver $8.9 million per year of new and additional funding over the next three years
which has been taken from existing environmental allocations WWF Australia states.
For further information, visit: http://www.wwf.org.au/?16440/BUDGET-Reef-on-life-supportgovernment-delays-treatment
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TASMANIAN WILDERNESS STATE OF CONSERVATION MISSION REPORT AVAILABLE
Following the IUCN’s recent mission to the Tasmanian Wilderness, to assess the state of
conservation of the World Heritage site, a mission report, is available for download from the
IUCN and UNESCO websites.
The mission report by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, makes a set of 20 recommendations
to strengthen the conservation of the site. The Australian and Tasmanian Governments have
responded and accepted recommendations.
The state of over 60 natural World Heritage sites, including the Tasmanian wilderness, will be
discussed by the World Heritage Committee during its 40th session in Istanbul, Turkey, from 10
to 20 July 2016.
4. NEW ZEALAND NEWS
KAKAPO NUMBERS BOOSTED BY A SUCCESSFUL BREEDING SEASON
Kakapo (Strigops habroptila), a large flightless nocturnal parrot, is endemic to New Zealand
and listed internationally as critically endangered. Prior to the 19th Century, kakapo were
widespread throughout New Zealand. However, they were hunted by both Maori and
Europeans for food and its moss-green coloured plumage. Habitat loss and predation also
played major roles in decimating the population and by the 1970’s, kakapo could only be
found in Fiordland and Stewart Island. To safeguard the remaining population, the birds
were translocated to three offshore islands – Whenua Hou (Codfish Island), near Stewart
Island; Anchor Island in Fiordland and Hauturu (Little Barrier Island), near Auckland.
Until this year, there were only 125 known surviving birds, but the total population has now
been boosted with 36 chicks successfully hatching this year and surviving their first few critical
weeks. This is the most successful breeding season of the twenty-five year recovery
programme. The chicks will be regularly checked and weighed until they fledge at 10
weeks.
Kakapo only breed about every 2 –
4 years and usually when there is a
mast year for rimu. Some interesting
facts about kakapo can be found
at:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/kakapo
Sirocco the kakapo – an ambassador for his species. Find out why he has become an ambassador at
http://www.doc.govt.nz/sirocco
Photo: Department of Conservation.
ANOTHER ISLAND DECLARED PEST-FREE
Ahuahu/Great Mercury Island, located to the east of the Coromandel Peninsula, has been
declared pest-free. The 1,872ha Island is part-owned by Sir Michael Fay. He partnered with
the Department of Conservation and local volunteers to undertake a predator eradication
programme in 2014. Two years later, no more rats or cats have been found.
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Bird species quickly responded to the predator-free conditions on the island. Shearwaters,
petrels, little blue penguins, New Zealand dotterels, kaka and morepork have been nesting
and
successfully
raising
chicks. However, the island
is open to the public and
visitors will need to be
vigilant, ensuring there are
no stowaways.
This result is good news for
the Mercury, Alderman and
nearby iwi-owned Ohinau
islands, as they are now all
pest-free.
Huruhi Harbour, Great Mercury
Island. Photo: Kelly Smith.
5. PACIFIC NEWS
LAUNCH OF PROTECT PACIFIC WHALES FACEBOOK COMPETITION TO CELEBRATE WORLD
BIODIVERSITY DAY
In celebration of World Biodiversity Day on 22 May,
the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment
Programme (SPREP) in partnership with Digicel is
launching a Facebook competition as part of the
Protect Pacific Whales – Ocean Voyagers
Campaign.
The competition calls for residents of SPREP's island
member countries and territories to submit either an
original artwork or photograph inspired by the
Pacific whales in order to enter. These submissions will
then be open to public voting through 'liking' the
entry they best prefer. The winner will be selected
based on the most popular entry.
The humpback whale recovery is one of the most encouraging conservation success stories,
from being close to extinction with as few as 200 when whale hunting ended in 1978 to the
current estimate of 3000,
"Pacific whales are also part of our precious biodiversity and to commemorate and
celebrate this World Biodiversity Day – we call on as many people as possible to explore their
creativity and submit an entry," said Easter Galuvao, SPREP's Biodiversity Adviser And WCPA
Deputy for the Pacific .
Entries for the competition open today and close on 8 June, 2016 with voting to commence
from 10 June until 23 June. Entries will also be used for non-commercial, educational
purposes to help strengthen the Campaign. To learn more about the Protect Pacific Whales –
Ocean Voyagers Campaign please visithttp://www.sprep.org/yearofthewhale
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MEASURING CONSERVATION RESULTS THROUGH LISTENING TO THE SOUNDS OF THE FOREST IN
THE ADELBERT MOUNTAINS
In 2015, the Nature Conservancy and Princeton University scientists used acoustic sampling to
record the forest’s sound to help measure biodiversity in the Adelbert Mountains, a remote
mountain range on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea,
Animals use sound to communicate with
each other. The Nature Conservancy
explains that a “healthy forest should
sound like an orchestra, with many
frequencies occupied by a diverse
population of creatures, producing a
complex and well-defined soundscape.”
The scientists will study the entire
soundscape as an indicator of the
landscape’s health and biodiversity.
Scientists undertaking acoustic sampling in the Adelbert Mountains, PNG
Photo: The Narure Conservancy, 2015
Over the past 16 years, the Nature Conservancy has worked on community based natural
resource management projects, helping 11 communities in the Adelbert’s establish plans to
protect and sustainably managed over 22,000 hectares of forest. During the planning
process, each village determines specific areas for hunting, gardening, agriculture, forestry
and conservation. The provincial government is keen to expand the program.
The Adelbert Mountains is an ideal place to test acoustic sampling at the landscape scale,
because of its remote location away from roads and cities and free from man-made noise.
For further information, visit:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/asiaandthepacific/papuanewguinea/explore/p
apua-new-guinea-rainforest-acoustic-sampling.xml
6. UPCOMING
MAINTAINING AUSTRALIA’S NATURAL WEALTH: PRIORITIES FOR CONSERVATION POLICY
19-20 July 2016, The Hall, University House, Australian National University, Canberra
WCPA and ACIUCN will host a meeting to discuss the future of Australia’s terrestrial
conservation effort. It will be the sixth symposium in the ACIUCN Science Informing Policy
Symposium series.
The Registration will shortly be available at www.aciucn.org.au
NEW ZEALAND MARINE SCIENCES SOCIETY AND AUSTRALIAN MARINE SCIENCES ASSOCIATION
JOINT CONFERENCE
4 – 7 July 2016, Wellington
The theme of the conference is “Sharing ocean resources – now and in the future”. This
theme is highly relevant to both New Zealand and Australia, as both countries are currently
grappling with competing demands for marine space and resources making the role that
marine science plays more important than ever. The conference will focus on three broad
topics: sustainable use of living resources, sustainable use of natural non-living resources and
emerging
challenges.
Details
about
the
conference
can
be
found
at:
http://nzmss.org/events/
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WILD PLACES CONFERENCE
10 – 11 August 2016, Auckland
Hosted by the Environmental Defence Society, the “Wild Places” conference aims to explore
what defines New Zealand’s wild places, the importance of wild places to our economy and
country brand and to assess the threats and opportunities. Drawing on case studies,
international and local insights and through workshops, the conference will look at new
synergies between conservation and tourism, together with novel management and funding
initiatives. Further information can be found at: http://www.edsconference.com/
ECOLOGY AND RESTORATION AUSTRALASIA (ERA 2016)
19 – 23 November 2016, Hamilton. - joint conference of the Society of Ecological Restoration,
Australasia and the New Zealand Ecological Society
The conference theme is “Restoring resilience across all environments”. The theme reflects
the aspirational goal: to restore resilience to land and sea, urban and rural environments.
The conference intends to focus on linking research with practice and will include a day of
presentations aimed at restoration practitioners and community volunteers.
Abstracts for papers, posters and symposium contributions are invited until 1 August. More
details on the conference can be found at: http://www.era2016.com/
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