BiodiverCities 2010
www.biodivercities.net
To coincide with the International Year of Biodiversity, the Urban Protected Areas Network is organizing an international conference on the relationship between Cities and Nature, focusing on the complexities of- and the strategies for sustainably managing protected areas in urban environments, both North and South.
Even though cities depend heavily on the goods and services provided by their immediate environment, urban pollution and consumption of natural resources place increasingly heavy burdens on these natural systems. Such urban natural spaces play an essential role, providing and maintaining ecosystem services, and more generally contributing to the wellbeing of city dwellers. Furthermore, against a backdrop of rapid urbanization, these green spaces are increasingly coveted and contested, manifesting strong socio-environmental inequalities.