13th Biennial Conference of IASC

IASC2011 will take a critical look at the interface between human and natural systems, Commons in particular, to build on our understanding on the elements and interconnectedness that sustain life, collective action and our future. The Conference will contribute rich lessons and principles for managing local, complex, as well as Global Commons such as international arrangements to respond to climate change.

We invite anyone interested or working on the issues relating to commons to participate in the Conference. We encourage scholars and practitioners to submit abstracts for panels, individual papers, posters, videos. The panels, papers, poster and video abstracts should be submitted to the Conference Committee through the online submission process.

The Conference will deal with physical common resources such as Forests, Grazing Resources, Protected Areas, Water Resources, Fisheries, Coastal Commons, Lagoon Commons, Irrigation Systems, Livestock and Commons and New Commons such as Information Commons, Cultural Commons, Genetic Resources, Patents, Climate, etc.

Conference Chair: Nitin Desai

Mr. Desai is presently a Member of the Prime Minister ’s Council on Climate Change, set-up to coordinate national action plans for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change and advise the Government on pro-active measures that can be taken by it to deal with the challenge of climate change. Mr. Desai was the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992 Rio Earth Summit) from 1990-1993. During the period, he coordinated the work of the Secretariat related to the development of Agenda 21, the principal programmatic outcome of the Conference. Later, in 2001 Mr. Desai acted as the Secretary-General of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002 Johannesburg Summit).

After his retirement from the United Nations, Mr. Desai continues to be a Special Adviser to the Secretary General for the World Summit on the Information Society. He is also an Honorary Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the convener of one of the tracks in the Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy and a member of the Board of Governors of Foundation for Ecological Security (FES).

Conference Co Chair: Jagdeesh Puppala

Jagdeesh has been the Chief Executive of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) since its setting up in 2001. Essentially a practitioner, his entire professional life beginning in 1986 has been centered around the management of natural resources, particularly common property resources. Issues of interest and involvement include conservation of forests and water, political ecology, land use policies, dryland ecology and decentralised governance of natural resources.