Last month, over 1,200 participants registered and connected from 37 different countries to participate in the inaugural virtual conference on 'Climate Change, Health and Mountain Ecosystems and their Governance in Support of Sustainable Development in the Tropical Andes Region - Central America (Andes +)', hosted by the Cluster of Cooperation Conéctate A+ network. The conference was a key opportunity to connect and foster a virtual dialogue and exchange, despite these challenging times for research and collaboration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within the framework of the Conéctate A+ network – and facilitated by CONDESAN, the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) and the University of Zurich – the online conference took place over two days from 7 to 8 July 2020. The objective of this conference was to facilitate an exchange between relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary researchers, and showcase evidence of practices that help overcome barriers that impede the successful implementation of policies in favour of sustainable development, human health, ecosystem protection, and adaptation to climate change in the Andes+ region. Through this event, the Conéctate A+ network sought to promote prospects and ideas for collaboration, advance current knowledge debates, and stocktake and showcase the accumulated experience on the conference topics among the different communities of practice in the Andes+ region.
The conference far exceeded the expectations of the organizing partners. Despite the difficult context imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event attracted more than 1,200 participant registrations, who connected to the conference from 37 different countries. The conference, conducted in Spanish and English as official languages, also stood out for the lively discussions that took place throughout the four keynote presentations, 46 presentations distributed in 16 parallel sessions, and the two panel sessions that explored the interactions between climate change, mountain ecosystems, and health, from an interdisciplinary perspective.
Among other aspects, the event facilitated the dissemination of the results from some of the most recent, innovative, and relevant research studies conducted on these issues in the Andes+ region. Furthermore, the conference has generated new opportunities for collaboration between researchers and communities of practice interested in improving the processes for co-design and implementation of policies aimed at sustainable development in this region.
The conference organisers would like to thank all the keynote speakers, session chairs, presenters, and all participants for their dedication and contributions to this rich exchange in these challenging times. The conference organisers would also like to thank and acknowledge the collaboration and support for this conference from the Consortia for Education and Research Knowledge for Climate, the Consortia for Education and Research One Health, and the Andean Forest Program.
To find more information about this conference, as well as the activities and future events of Conéctate A +, please visit the website. Additionally, you can contact Gustavo Valdivia, Conéctate A + Coordinator, at the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cover image: Alejandro Miranda
