About the event
The GROW Colombia project, led by the Earlham Institute and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aims to strengthen and enhance the knowledge and protection of biodiversity in Colombia.
This workshop is part of the training programme of the GROW Colombia project and is organised in collaboration with local partners and the “BRIDGE Colombia” Network, established in 2017, and which brings together multiple partners from Colombia and the United Kingdom.
At this workshop, researchers from the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE) and the School of Economics at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, UK), together with Colombian colleagues will discuss a range of economic approaches and methods to value and protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Thirty motivated Colombian participants will be invited to attend the workshop. The aim will be to broaden their knowledge of economics tools and increase their ability to operate within the framework of national policies and legislation, such as the National Policy on Sustainable Production and Consumption (2010), National Biodiversity Policy, National Green Business Plan (2014), the decree defining methodologies for environmental economic assessment (2018) and the National Development Plan 2018-2022.
If you prefer, there is also a Spanish version of the workshop programme, available to download here.
What will I learn?
The workshop offers the opportunity to learn approaches to sustainability, the theory of value for ecosystem services and biodiversity (and natural capital), decision support systems (like cost-benefit analysis and the balance sheet approach), and economic tools for decision-making
By the end of the workshop you should:
- Be familiar with key concepts such as natural capital and ecosystem services
- Appreciate the ‘invisible’ contribution ecosystem services provide to the economy and human welfare
- Learn about some of the methods used to quantify the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Be familiar with socio-economic tools and methods to inform and enhance policy design, decision-making and natural capital management
Who is the workshop for?
This workshop hopes to attract students, professors and researchers from universities and research centres, plus public servants, companies, and other representatives of the National Environmental System (SINA) and the National Science Technology and Innovation System (CTel), legally constituted in Colombia.
Prerequisites:
Participants should have:
- A genuine interest in environmental management and protection
- Previous experience of managing and protecting the environment
- A basic knowledge of quantitative analysis
- A basic understanding and interest in economics
- Basic knowledge of English*
*A basic knowledge of English would be a valuable skill but is not a requirement, as the workshop offers simultaneous translation and all material will be available in both English and Spanish.
How to apply:
You will be required to submit an application by Tuesday 16 July. As part of the registration process you will be asked to:
- Answer the following three (3) questions (max 300 words):
- How can this workshop contribute to the challenges you face in your current project/business?
- How can you contribute to the dissemination within your organisation of the tools and methods of which you will learn about during this workshop?
- What do you hope to gain from participating in the workshop
- Attach a letter of support from your respective Department Director or equivalent figure and which will include your name, the dates of the workshop, details of your suitability to participate in the workshop, and contact details for the signatory
- An up-to-date CV (max 2 pages)
- Confirm that you agree to the expected behaviours and responsibilities (more information)
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee and based on the applicant’s:
- Experience and knowledge in the specific subject of the workshop
- Ability to disseminate the tools and techniques learned within your organisation
- Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team, and with industry or government
- Ability to communicate with delegates with different profiles and levels of experience
Successful applicants should expect to hear no later than 12 August. The decision of the selection committee is final, except in the case of administrative error.
