The effects of Global Change on natural protected areas will be the topic of the symposium "Global Change and Protected Areas", organized by the Science and Technology Park of Abruzzo and the Government of the Abruzzo Region in Italy to be held in L'Aquila, 8-13 September 1999.

The conference highlights the input of global change on the economy of a region that has devoted one third of its territory to natural parks. The most relevant consequences will probably occur on the coastal erosions, in water resources and in ski resorts in the winter season.

Topics of interest:

Climatic and Environmental Changes

• Climatic change at global and regional scales
• Air pollution
• Paleoclimatic perspectives on environmental changes
• Protected areas and climatic changes: early signs of global change

Impact on Biosphere and Hydrology

• Impact on vegetation
• Impact on hydrology and water resources
• Impact on mountains and specialized habitats
• Invasive alien organisms

Socio-economic implications

• Options for human intervention
• Protected areas and their role on biodiversity
• Networking of national parks and protected areas

The Abruzzi Parks: a model case study

• The Abruzzi parks in the framework of the European experience
• The Calderone glacier in the Gran Sasso Parks: a climate indicator
• Changes in the oldest Italian park: Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo
• Establishing parks in a developing economy

The conference will be held in the Medieval town of L'Aquila at the Congress Center of Hotel Duca degli Abruzzi. For further details the web site of the Conference can be accessed at www.aquila.infn.it/gblch

Reporters seeking to make arrangements to attend the meeting should contact Miriam Balaban, Science and Technology Park of Abruzzo at:
Tel: 39-0862-3475-308
Fax: 39-0862-3475-213
Email: [email protected]