Schedule

ECOMATERIALS 5

SUSTAINABLE HABITAT

OCTOBER 12 TO 14, 2016, IN RIOBAMBA, ECUADOR

New deadline for abstracts: Monday 1st. of August, 2016

Presentation of papers and abstracts
Papers should not exceed 10 pages in format DIN A4 with 2 cm margins all around, including images, graphics and tables; text in 11 points size Arial. The paper includes a 250 word abstract and 3 to 5 keywords as reference starting the abstract. Papers can be sent by e-mail to the Organizing Committee, written with a word processor.

Papers will be published in electronic format to be delivered to participants as part of the information provided at the conference and they will be made available on www.ecomateriales.org

Deadlines for abstracts for papers or posters: Deadline for abstracts delivery is Monday 1st. of August, 2016.
Authors will be informed of acceptance by the Scientific Commission during the month of July.

Papers accepted by the Scientific Committee must be delivered the latest on August 30, 2016.

Papers that are not received within this time frame won’t be included in the Conference’s documents.

Languages
The Conference is bilingual. Official languages will be Spanish and English. The conference’s rooms will have simultaneous translation facilities.

The methodology
For every day a theme will be set to guide the debate. The days begin with a plenary session of approximately 150 minutes organized as a discussion panel where four key note speakers make short contributions to set the theme. We count on opinion leaders from science, business and politics from all continents to present their views, concerns and ideas. This triggers a discussion facilitated by a moderator, to debate the inputs and deepen the information. Lively discussions shall be sought, aiming at enriching the controversial aspects of the theme. The public will be invited to ask questions and enter the debate.

A stand-up lunch gives the opportunity to mix and meet other participants. The poster session sets the mood to engage in discussions.

The afternoon sessions are divided in three commissions, each addressing a specific theme related to the main daily theme. While the morning sessions set the theme and provide food for thoughts, the afternoon sessions are dedicated to solutions, new scientific developments and real time experiences. The setup is the same as in the morning, selected papers are presented and then discussed in a guided debate. The key note speakers join the commissions as guests.

ECOMATERIALS 5

SUSTAINABLE HABITAT

OCTOBER 12 TO 14, 2016, IN RIOBAMBA, ECUADOR

The goals of the conference

At the recent Paris conference on Climate Change, in December 2015, 195 nations recognized that national, regional and local urbanization policies are a critical tool on the way to fight climate change. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN, stated: “We need to create low-carbon cities while also combating poverty and exclusion”.

Practical solutions will be needed to achieve the goals set by the Paris conference and the goals that will be set in Quito. The EcoSur network organizes issue number five of the “International EcoMaterials Conference” in the week prior to Habitat III in the nearby intermediate city of Riobamba.

It is time to confront the goals of ecology and sustainability with the reality of the habitat: Can Ecology and Economy go together? Can a green product be profitable? Can a “green house” be financed by a bank and accepted by an insurance company? Can poor families aspire to strive for sustainability? Is it possible to promote local solutions in the face of global marketing? Why is post disaster reconstruction so unsustainable? Is it possible to build fast, low cost and sustainable at the same time? How far is recycling feasible? How to neutralize solid and liquid waste?

We need to search for practical solutions: We need technologies that combine ecology and economy! “green technologies” have to enter the mainstream! Life cycle analysis and natural resource management must become mandatory for political decisions! Social housing delivery must balance social, economical and ecological parameters! We need to develop efficient materials that can be used massively! We need solutions for fast and durable constructions! We need to improve the level of workmanship among builders! We need to identify sustainable and affordable waste treatment technologies!

There exist “Good Practices” that can be interpreted and applied, we want to know them: There exist social and political initiatives that raise sustainability. New investigations into cement production allow for hope. Local production can compete in the market. Composite materials open new possibilities for small scale prefabrication. There is room for traditional technologies and materials if produced with applied knowledge. Dual education programs are successful. Debris can be recycled. Efficient microbes and other biological ways to neutralize waste are available.

Schedule

ECOMATERIALS 5

Goals of the conference

ECOMATERIALS 5

EcoMateriales 5 International Conference