Call for Papers
2nd International Conference on China-Africa River Civilizations
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
27 October – 3 November 2018
Theme
“Zambezi River Basin in Context -–
Past, present and the future, a comparative perspective”
Submission of Abstracts
before 16 April 2018
WATER is the cradle of human development, and rivers are an important and valuable source of life. Due to this fact, the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University decided to establish a Research Centre on water civilizations in China and Africa. The research centre aims to strengthen the comprehensive understanding and study of Chinese and African water civilizations with interested specialists at all levels and in all fields, through learning and research on the history, culture and development of rivers in China and Africa.
The First International Conference on China Africa Water Civilization was held in Jinhua, China on 21-22 March 2017, with the theme of “Civilizations of China-Africa Rivers” focusing on mutual learning of ancient Chinese and African civilizations, the history of water civilizations in China and Africa, urban development and green development in China and Africa.
The Second International Conference on China-Africa River Civilizations will be held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in October-November 2018 with the theme of “Zambezi River Basin in Context — Past, present and the future, a comparative perspective”. This conference will incorporate thematic areas on history, culture and development, water resources management, scientific and technical issues, and indigenous knowledge systems in China and Africa.
The conference aims to bring together academics and researchers, scientists and water experts, river basin managers and policy makers from China and Africa to exchange ideas and effective practices, using the Zambezi River Basin as a case study for comparative perspectives. The conference is organised by the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University in China, the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre, and the Chinhoyi University of Technology in Zimbabwe.
Objective
The purpose of the conference is to promote the equitable and reasonable utilization and management of water resources of international rivers through sharing of knowledge and effective and innovative practices.
Expected Results
- Equitable and reasonable utilization and management of water resources of international rivers is promoted through sharing of effective and innovative practices
- Strategic linkages between Chinese and African institutions are strengthened through academic and private sector collaboration
- Recommendations of policies, practices, and research areas.
Topics may be inspired by the following list but are not limited by it:
- HISTORICAL
- Ancient and modern river civilizations
- Cultural and socio-economic attributes of river civilizations
- Impacts of history of river civilizations on modern and future development
- The Zambezi River Basin civilizations in history and contemporary periods
- Indigenous knowledge systems in history and contemporary periods
- Enduring cultural and socio-economic nature of river civilizations
- Urban civilization and green development
- ENVIRONMENTAL
- Water, energy and food nexus
- Ecological/ basin anthropology
- Wildlife management and conservation
- Transboundary resource conservation
- Community-based natural resources management
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Freshwater and fishery systems
- Irrigation and agriculture
- Natural resources, tourism and eco-tourism
- Hydro-ecology
- Climate change, mitigation and adaptation
- Management of wetlands
- Water pollution
- Water conservation
- SOCIO-ECONOMIC
- The utilization and development of rivers
- Water use and management (past, present, future)
- Water usage by communities and economic sectors
- Water conservancy projects
- Indigenous knowledge systems
- Impacts of major dam and hydroelectricity schemes
- Prospective energy projects
- POLICY
- Nature of hydro-political complexes in Africa
- Political and social ecologies in the Zambezi River Basin
- Hydropolitics of development in the Zambezi River Basin
- Institutional arrangements and legal frameworks for the ZRB
- International, regional and national policies
- Indigenous knowledge systems.
Each participant is requested to submit an abstract of 500 words before 16 April 2018, including the title and keywords, with a short profile of the author and contacts. The abstract should be in Word format. Submissions are welcome from academics and practitioners, based on the requirements shown below.
Abstracts will be reviewed by the partners and the selected applicants will be contacted by 30 April 2018 and invited to develop full draft papers to be submitted before 18 June. The partners will review the draft papers and respond by 28 May with comments. The paper should then be finalized for submission by 30 July. Failure to adhere to deadlines may result in cancellation and reassignment of the place to another candidate.
The full papers should be 10,000 words, the font Times New Roman size 12. Papers submitted must be original, unpublished and comply with academic standards. Authors of the papers selected will be invited to present at the conference in Zimbabwe in October 2018 which will be attended by local policy makers, private sector, experts and representatives of river basin organizations. The conference date and presentation notes will be specified in the invitation letter. The presenters will be fully supported for travel and accommodation.
This will be a three-day event, with the first two days devoted to presentation and discussion sessions. Conference sessions will address the economic, social, historical and policy issues with regard to river civilizations. The organizers plan to prepare special field visits to sites in the Zambezi River Basin, including the Zambezi River, and site visits and discussions in Harare on urban water supply and in Kariba on the use of renewable water resources.
Abstracts and full papers are to be submitted online to iccarc2@sardc.net
If there are other matters or questions, you are welcome to contact:
Shumirai Govo Email sgovo@sardc.net Tel +263 (4) 791141
Important dates in 2018
For the 2nd International Conference on China-Africa River Civilizations
Submission of Topic and Abstract before 16 April 2018
Notification of results of selection 30 April 2018
Submission of draft paper 11 June 2018
Review and comments 30 June 2018
Submission of Final Paper 31 August 2018
Arrivals Victoria Falls 27 October 2018
Conference 28-30 October
Seminar/site visits Harare and Kariba 31 Oct-2 Nov
Departures 3 November
If there are other matters or questions, you are welcome to contact:
Shumirai Govo Email sgovo@sardc.net Tel +263 (4) 791141
