In 2014, the conference’ topic will put more emphasis on anthropogenic changes of the ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions. Anthropogenic changes of ecosystem are caused by a complex interacting system of elements in a cyclic causal chain. For example, the population growth, the population density, the technological changes in agriculture and industry cause in this chain of interaction the climate change. This change causes the intensity and direction of production e.g. in agriculture in favour of food security for a growing population in every economy. The drivers, in their interaction affect permanently the negative changes of ecosystem temporally and spatially and force the science, economy and society to organise themselves for possible solutions of these anthropogenic causalities.

The conference will follow the objectives of

• continuity of alumni’s scientific cooperation in this regard
• Extending the knowledge about anthropogenic changes by focusing the topic and extending the regions and areas of observation
• Discussing the role of land use systems (agriculture, Forestry, and fishery) in co-evolutionary process of protection and utilization of resources
• Developing strategies for environmental consciousness of land users (peasants, farmers and nomads)
• Supporting research, teaching, learning, and organising academic activities in the field of adapted and appropriate land use systems
• Discussing specific anthropogenic causes of environmental problems such as salinity, over-utilization, over-grazing and desertification
• Discussing the most important components of water systems and water networks
• Supporting the network of cooperation between Iranian and German higher education institutions