International Conference on Regional Development
20 - 21 November 2013, Diponegoro University, Semarang - Indonesia
Background
Disasters have been happening all over the globe more frequently and more intensely during the recent years causing enormous material and human casualties and threatening sustainable development trajectory. Meanwhile, efforts to reverse the negative impacts of global warming, climate change and other environmental problems have not been enough to ensure sustainability. Moreover, development mechanisms in many parts of the developing world are still unable to appropriately alleviate poverty and minimise economic inequality. It is also worth mentioning that war, terrorism, and other socio-political conflicts have also been intensifying at local as well as global levels. It becomes apparent that challenges to sustainable development and planning are still there even in this era of common awareness in assuring intra- and inter-generational equity.
The definition citing from The Brundtland Commission that sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In other words, it is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. The use of this definition has led many to see sustainable development as having a major focus on intergenerational equity. On development, we agree that human needs are basic and essential, that economic growth (within equity) is required to meet that needs, and that equity is supported by effective citizen participation.
Sustainable development components or well known as three pillars are including social aspect, economy aspect, and environment aspect. The environment will always intersect with human actions and needs that lead into development. Development itself is what we all do in attempting to improve things in various contexts, such as physic and economy. These two, environment and development, are inseparable and require attention.
Regarded to that explanation, every stakeholder (including students, researchers from many disciplines, policy analysts, public and private-sector decision makers, and development practitioners) is expected to understand the importance and urgency of sustainable development, whether conceptually or in practical way. As real-world experience has shown, that achieving agreement on sustainability values, goals, and actions is often difficult because different stakeholder values are compared and contrasted, criticized and debated. Thus, a conference about the theme that has been explained above is one of ideal ways to achieve new synthesis and subsequent coordination.
The Department of Regional and Urban Planning of Diponegoro University, invites scholars, development practitioners, and students to submit papers to be presented in The Second International Conference on Regional Development, “Sustainable Development: Conceptual Progress and Practical Challenges”, which will be conducted in Semarang – Indonesia on 20 and 21 November 2013.
Objectives
Dissemination and information of research and innovative ideas related to broad aspects of planning and development with special emphasis on certain topics (see call for papers).
Sharing of knowledge and experiences of, and exploring approaches to sustainable development.
Enhancing communication and networking among development practitioners, scholars and students in planning and development studies.
Call for Papers
Scholars, researchers, development practitioners, and students are invited to submit papers to be presented in The Second International Conference on Regional Development, “Sustainable Development: Conceptual Progress and Practical Challenges” which will be conducted in Semarang – Indonesia on 20 and 21 November 2013.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the followings:
A. Climate change and natural disaster issues
Climate change is one of the biggest long-term risks to global development. This makes choices and investment made in climate change mitigation and adaption vital for ensuring sustainable growth. Climate scientists have warned that more frequent and severe natural disasters may be related to climate change. Massive emissions of carbon are leading to Arctic ice-melts and collapses, warmer oceans, and more moisture in the air. This condition leads to worse natural disasters such as more frequent and more severe hurricanes. It is also responsible for rising sea levels that put coastal cities worldwide, with their densely packed populations, at greater risk for flooding.
B. Inequality and poverty alleviation
Inequality and poverty seems like global issues that remain intractable, especially in developing and less developed countries. Many current approaches to reducing poverty and inequality still need to consider key institutional, policy and political dimensions that may be both causes of poverty and inequality. Dense population and the number that keep on increasing, high rate of unemployment are also related to cause the problem. Strategies that combine economic development objectives with active social policies and forms of politics that elevate the interests of the poor in public policy are needed to create wealthier population.
C. Environmental and spatial justice
As a fundamental dimension of human societies, space can be linked with social justice issues, realities, and conflict. The problem that risen up in our social life is spatial injustice that committed against poor and marginalized populations as they are indirectly or forcibly evicted and displaced from their homes and communities. The right of having space is bought and sold without living and spatial security. Spatial justice is can also be related to concepts of environmental justice and equity. The spatial patterns also include concerns of environmental sustainability, and the spatial overlap between racial discrimination, the spaces within industrial pollution, socio-economic exclusion, segregation, and vulnerability to natural hazards.
D. Trans-border and global issues
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Trans-border region is home for many people in every country. However there are plenty of global issues that should be coped there. The border region serves as a gate and source of commerce, tourism, and others that is vital to both countries and it is also a place for integration and cooperation, especially on issues of shared importance, such as transportation infrastructure, security and the environment.
E. Infrastructure and economic development
In economic development context, infrastructure is the capital stock that provides public goods and services. Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function. It supports production activities and quality of life for the households, which thus affecting the entire society. It is also can be an important indicator for judging a country or region's development. The typical infrastructure term refers to basic physical support such as roads and transportation needs, water supply, sewers, electricity, telecommunication, sanitation, waste management, and so forth that can be defined as services essential to enhance societal living and economic activity or development.
Selected papers may then be developed into chapters in edited book/s or articles in Tataloka Journal (nationally accredited by Dikti; www.indo-planning-journals.com) or in the special edition of The Indonesian Journal of Planning and Development (ISSN: 2087-9733) after double blind-peer reviewing process.
Important Dates:
6 July 2013: Due Date of Abstract Submission
20 July 2013 : Final Day of Notification of Accepted Abstracts
6 September 2013: Due Date of Full Paper Submission
20 September 2013: Final Day of Notification of Accepted Full Papers
