General Description:
Human activity is a major cause of environmental change, and the rate of that change has accelerated dramatically over the last century. It is commonly agreed that understanding the dynamics of both natural and human-made changes in the environment requires fundamental knowledge spanning many disciplines. Rapid population growth, water, air and soil pollution, climate change; the depletion of natural resources; species extinction; and waste disposal are challenges that are partly a result of an incomplete understanding of environmental, socio-technical, and cultural systems and processes. Dilla university has a record of research and innovation in matters related to energy, the environment, climate change, and natural resource management, modeling of the future impact of human-induced global warming; and micro and macro environmental changes. It has a record of research on population dynamics and processes and the political economy of sustainable development focusing on progress and change, differentiation, and contexts and constraints. Dilla university also studies the historical and cross-cultural ways of thinking about humanity’s relationship to nature, recognizing that some of our contemporary ecological and development problems–and possibly their solutions– have their roots in the practices of other times, places, and cultures.
Aim:
This theme aims at analyzing population, environment and development nexus and integrating this nexus into development policy making.
Sub-Themes:
Sub-theme 1: Dynamics of Population
This theme focuses on the nexus between population dynamics and population characteristics in the contexts of time and place. It draws attention to the causes and consequences of rapid population growth including policies, and strategies to curb problems related to population and development and ensure sustainable socio-economic development.
Sub-theme 2: CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change poses a major challenge to humanity. At the heart of this theme the earth system (the set of ⦁ integrated natural features and physical processes) underlying climate change, and its effects on the lives and livelihoods of people, climate change in the context of sustainable societies and ecosystems, global and local governance, and environmental policy and law.
Sub-theme 3: INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES
Indigenous knowledge is keys to build a sustainable society (i.e. a society that values healthy ecosystems). This theme draws attention to indigenous knowledge that is embedded in its diverse cultures including but not limited to, indigenous institutions of conflict resolution, natural resource management, governance, and social support system.
Sub-theme 4: URBAN AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
This theme focuses on the issues of governance and planning of development, structure and function of cities and their effect on human health and prosperity, globalization, the co-modification of nature; migration, urbanization, rural-urban linkages, poverty and livelihoods including urban and rural sustainability.