Format

CLIMATE 2011/KLIMA 2011 comprises the combination of a scientific online symposium per se - for information exchange and knowledge transfer among the relevant stakeholders on the one hand - and accompanying interactive virtual sections, participating researchers, policy-makers and further interested people, encouraging them to jointly discuss ways on how to overcome existing barriers towards global efforts in dealing with climate change.

Scientific symposium

At the heart of the on-line conference are four main categories of papers:

• Climate-smart disaster risk management:
  This section presents latest findings from the climate and disaster risk management communities how to tackle disaster risk and uncertainties.
• Climate-smart capacity-building:
  This section features latest findings from researchers and practitioners how climate change can be integrated in policies and coping strategies to enable nations and communities to become more resilient to climate change and natural disasters.
• Costs and benefits of climate-smart adaptation:
  This section features research on new financing mechanisms and pragmatic approaches from global to local levels for financing adaptation programmes and projects.
• Climate smart methods, tools & technological solutions:
  This section showcases technical project examples and concrete solutions where technology is applied to master the challenges of disaster management in times of climate change.

Moreover, CLIMATE 2011/KLIMA 2011 will also pay special emphasis to research linking climate change with one or more of the Millennium Development Goals categories: poverty and hunger; universal primary education; gender equality and women's empowerment; child mortality; maternal health; HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; as well as environmental sustainability.

Interactive sections

Special interactive features such as discussion fori, virtual blackboards for project and partner search, expert live chats and video podcasts will be available throughout the conference week, complemented by information on climate project financing.

A designated discussion section offers the opportunity to interact with authors as well as fellow participants and have first hand insights into the latest research and project findings on matters related to climate change and disaster risk management.

While many participants will mainly use the conference for information purposes, direct scientific exchanges and cooperation possibilities will be encouraged for joint activities and projects between the participants.