These challenges will be the focus of the third Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC) on 3–5 June 2020 under the theme “Circular Economy in a Sustainable Society”. The programme will explore research and practical examples of sustainable resource management in communities around the world and how these management strategies support the achievement of the SDGs. Focus will be placed on how the Nexus Approach to the management of environmental resources, such as water, soil, and waste, contributes to the realisation and implementation of circular economy principles.

The DNC Organisers – the United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) – are developing a diverse programme, including a variety of both conventional and modern session formats to engage with the conference topic. While keynote speeches will provide expert insights, sessions with contributions from international experts will offer a more in-depth look at research and experiences in implementing nexus-oriented strategies for achieving a circular economy. The programme will also offer several opportunities for participants from the academic, political, and civil society sectors as well as the United Nations to engage with each other, network, and exchange experiences.

A new conference website and Call for Abstracts will be released in early spring of 2019. To get the most recent updates, subscribe to the DNC Newsletter.

To learn about the previous conferences, check out:
http://www.dresden-nexus-conference.org
YouTube Playlist of the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 *live*

Click here for the concept note.

Image: Jan Rieger/clever pictures

The date and theme of the third edition of the Dresden Nexus Conference are currently under consideration by the Conference Organisers.

To be the first to know when they are announced, sign-up for the DNC Newsletter here!

Image: Jan Rieger

During the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 (17–19 May), participants engaged actively in Q&A sessions, parallel sessions, and the World Café, among other things. Beyond the physical sessions, discussions also took place in the virtual realm.

Two side events at DNC2017 were livestreamed on Facebook Live to over 150 remote viewers. Visit our Facebook page for the videos featuring the launch event of the Nexus Observatory collaboration and the launch of the book Multifunctional Land-Use Systems for Managing the Nexus of Environmental Resources (Springer). On Twitter, participants shared insights on the conference content using the hashtags #DNC2017 and #NexusApproach. Over the whole period, more than 400 tweets were published with these hashtags related to the conference.

Here are some highlights:

At the heart of DNC2017 was the question, how the Nexus Approach can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how monitoring measures are involved. In particular, the aspects of implementation and monitoring focused on examples related to multifunctional land-use systems and resource management in resilient cities and urban areas, as well as cross-thematic content.

One of the reasons why we need an #integrated approach #NexusApproach … by Nicola Fohrer @kieluni #DNC2017 #multiGoalOptimisation #land pic.twitter.com/xr2cU6vcaU

— Bettina Schmalzbauer (@bschmalzb) May 17, 2017

Lamizana-Diallo: international agencies have strength in working together & bringing specific local voices to using #NexusApproach #DNC2017

— Mitch Zuckerman (@ec0p0lis) May 19, 2017

Sabine Fuß brings the negative CO2 emission and the Climate perspective to the Nexus Conference #DNC2017 #SDG13 #2030Agenda @dkn_futureearth pic.twitter.com/I9XJcmTThg

— Martin Visbeck (@mvisbeck) May 18, 2017

Very important remark: "SDGs as common tool to bridge disciplinary boundaries." C. Kroll @ #DNC2017 #SDGs #NexusApproach

— DDoerr (@d_doerr) May 18, 2017

Enough or too many #indicators for measuring the #SDGs? The right ones?! asks @stefan_uhlenb #dnc2017 #SDG6 pic.twitter.com/E2nWpcmRjm

— Marianne Darbi (@MarianneDarbi) May 19, 2017

Third day at the DNC2017: Coming into conversation about monitoring and implementation in a World Café #DNC2017 #NexusApproach #dresden pic.twitter.com/ppDGRIYyjb

— Sebastian Eichhorn (@EichhornSe) May 19, 2017

Especially during parallel sessions, the live tweets helped other participants keep tabs on the other sessions that they were not able to physically attend.

A pity you can't be in two sessions at a time! #dnc2017 Kepp tweeting https://t.co/qRaDGV14K1

— Marianne Darbi (@MarianneDarbi) May 18, 2017

It was great to see participants take their conversations online:

Sharing ideas at the world café #dnc2017: we have to restore the circularity of thinking! pic.twitter.com/YIElS4v3dE

— Mauro Lafratta (@MLafratta) May 19, 2017

Not sure what table this was but we had similar thoughts at the implementation in resilient cities table! https://t.co/OWV8nGb8BI

— Mitch Zuckerman (@ec0p0lis) May 19, 2017

Exhibitors, too, took the opportunity to be part of the social media buzz.

Happy to be @ #DNC2017! Looking forward to meet you! #SDGs #FutureEarth #Research #Sustainability #NexusApproach #landuse #urban pic.twitter.com/eLInYZRbbC

— DKN Future Earth (@dkn_futureearth) May 17, 2017

Ultimately, it was heartening to see the spirit of DNC2017 that is going down to the human dimension – incorporating socioeconomic perspectives and connecting stakeholders – also embodied on the conference Twitter feed.

Conference wrap-up #NexusApproach #DNC17 great to meet you buddy @BasselTDaher @NEXUSPlatform @UNU_FLORES pic.twitter.com/JPias2zBVj

— Sebastian Riera (@sebariera) May 19, 2017

We would like to thank all participants who have actively participated in the conversations virtually!

3 days of #DNC2017 flew by too quickly! Hope you had a great time as we did hosting you! Long live #NexusApproach! https://t.co/rtTCAXjhnR pic.twitter.com/kga3NK5CMY

— UNU-FLORES (@UNU_FLORES) May 19, 2017

Related News:

DNC Programme Highlights: Case Studies, World Café, Excursions, and More
425 Participants, 50 Countries – Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 Opens
Putting the Nexus into Action at DNC2017
Dresden Nexus Conference 2017: It Comes Down to the People
DNC2017: Social Media Highlights
Dresden Nexus Conference 2017: It Comes Down to the People

Over 400 participants and a hundred more tuning in remotely from over 50 countries discussed how the sustainable use of environmental resources can be more successful by using linked approaches at the Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC2017). From 17 to 19 May, the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES), the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) organised the second edition of the conference in the Deutsche Hygiene-Museum Dresden. For the former Hungarian Ambassador to the United Nations, Csaba Kőrösi, the meeting is the best forum on the subject in Europe.

Dresden, 19 May 2017. – Intense conversations, an inspiring atmosphere, interactive discussion formats, insights into numerous practical examples, and the exchange of experiences with many like-minded people – after three days, the second biennial Dresden Nexus Conference comes to an end, leaving many impressions for the over 400 participants. The international experts from more than 50 countries enjoyed an intensive programme across three days: six keynote speeches by renowned scholars, 88 lectures spread over 16 sessions, 65 poster presentations, and case studies from China, Germany, Qatar, Kenya, Tunisia, and Viet Nam provided insights into the science and practice surrounding the Nexus Approach. The aim is to sustainably manage vital environmental resources such as water, soil, and waste by overcoming the boundaries between sectors and scientific disciplines. The resources themselves are also interrelated and cannot be addressed separately.

At the core of DNC2017 was the question, how the Nexus Approach can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda of the United Nations, and how monitoring measures are involved. The contributions for science and policy focused on examples related to multifunctional land-use systems and resource management in resilient cities and urban areas, as well as cross-thematic content.

“The Dresden Nexus Conference is the best forum in Europe, to discuss important questions concerning the sustainable management of environmental resources,” said His Excellency Csaba Kőrösi, former Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations in New York, and co-chaired the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, who now heads the Directorate for Environmental Sustainability in Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary, in his closing speech. In addition to the many positive impulses the participants took home with them, the challenges identified during the conference were clearly linked to the topic. The integrated management of environmental resources is still, above all, a topic discussed in science. However, for the broad implementation of linked strategies in practice, it really comes down to the people, as mentioned in one of the final speeches. Above all, the findings from science, the good initiatives and ideas must be communicated to the right actors – political decision makers as well as local stakeholders and representatives of the business community. In science itself, the discussion around the approach should be more interdisciplinary and, for example, the social sciences should also be more closely involved.

It is not just a matter of linking different professional topics. At least as important is the cooperation of different stakeholder groups. From the beginning, they must be involved in the deliberations and planned implementation projects – appropriate integrated formats and governance structures are also required.

“The Nexus Approach must now leave the scientific laboratories and be put into practice,” also urged Ambassador Kőrösi in conclusion. The organisers of the conference, UNU-FLORES, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the TU Dresden and the IOER are aware: till the next DNC in 2019, many challenges remain that scientists can tackle together with practical stakeholders.

What is the “Nexus Approach”?

The goal of the Nexus Approach is to manage environmental resources sustainably. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to overcome barriers between individual sectors and scientific disciplines to jointly develop cross-sectoral strategies. The approach is based on the understanding that individual environmental resources are closely linked. If these relationships are taken into account, this can lead to more resource efficiency, while at the same time environmental risks and ecological degradation may be minimised.

Further information:
http://www.dresden-nexus-conference.org
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

Contact

Download the full version of the press release here (EN/DE).