## Under the patronage of the US National Academy of Sciences --- May 29-30, 2014 Academy of Sciences, Washington DC, USA. Biodiversity and natural resources --- ***For the 7th edition of its Future Environmental Trends Conference Program, the Veolia Institute and its partners brought together 700 participants at the US National Academy of Sciences. The ambition of this high-level forum was to analyze how large-scale restoration can stimulate sustainable development.*** 400 participants 7 out of 10 attendees are American 52 speakers from 15 different countries ### A comprehensive and pultidisciplinary approach Biodiversity underpins humanity by a myriad of ways, including provision of food, freshwater, clean air and disease control. However continued population growth, uncontrolled over consumption of natural resources, increasing pollution and climate change are likely to put additional pressure on ecosystems. At the same time, there is a growing consensus that restoring ecosystem functionalities contributes not only to preserve biodiversity but also to secure livelihoods, to combating desertification and to both climate-change mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, ecological restoration could open new economic avenues. There is a need for enriched scientific data, at the first stage, but also context-based practices that facilitate the understanding of highly complex challenges and the emergence of solutions. > “The Conference has collected and promoted innovative ideas and tools on how to implement effectively restoration projects at a large-scale.” ### Promising initiatives During two days, the Conference offered a platform for discussion to scientists, practitioners, NGOs, business leaders and policymakers from both the South and the North. They discussed remarkable case studies, best practices and shared better insights on the potential of large-scale ecosystem restoration towards sustainable development. Those initiatives combine unprecedented levels of scientific and technical expertise, collaboration among a plurality of actors - public, private and civil society – new forms of collaborative governance and diversified funds and resources. > "The objectif of The Conference - to share better insights on the potentials of large-scale ecosysteme retoration towards sustainable development - was fully achieved." With experiences on: - Watershed Protection for Drinking Water (city supplies), - Reforestation and Poverty Alleviation, - Wetlands Engineering, - Large-Scale Soil Decontamination, - Sea Canals, - Artificial Reef Programs, - Invasive Species Extirpation, - Forest and Carbon Sinks Restoration, - Emergence of the Landscape restoration approach. [Take home messages](http://institut.veolia.org/en/what-we-do/international-conferences/take-home-messages) ### Publications [ Washington Conference Book ( PDF - 2.27 MB ) ](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/document/2015/11/ConferenceBookletFINAL.pdf "Washington Conference Book ") [S.A.P.I.EN.S special issue on "Large-Scale Restoration"](https://sapiens.revues.org/1541) [The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) (May 29, 2014)](http://biodiversity-l.iisd.org/news/ecosystems-economy-and-society-conference-highlights-large-scale-restoration-as-path-to-sustainable-development/) [The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) (May 30, 2014)](http://biodiversity-l.iisd.org/news/ecosystems-economy-and-society-conference-considers-catalysts-for-action-on-large-scale-restoration) [AFD – Biodiversity, Cross-sectoral Intervention Framework 2013-2016](http://www.ecosystems-economy-society.org/images/documents/AFD_Biodiversity_Cross_Sectoral_Intervention_Framework_2013-2016.pdf) [WSTB - Biennial reviews: Progress towards restoring the Everglades](http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13422/progress-toward-restoring-the-everglades-the-fourth-biennial-review-2012) [WSTB - Delta Waters: Research to Support Integrated Water and Environmental Man…](http://www.nap.edu/catalog/18484/delta-waters-research-to-support-integrated-water-and-environmental-management) [UN - Inter-agency Technical Support Team - Issues Brief on Biodiversity and Sus…](https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/2401TST%20Issues%20Brief%20Biodiversity_FINAL.pdf) ### The speakers Previous ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14364322569_e70ff52d67_o_0.jpg.webp?h=aebfa19c&itok=AiKbYAe9 "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_National Academy of Sciences, Great Hall") ### Great Hall ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14370210480_6baeafdf36_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=9bY-RCbV "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_C. Saint-Laurent, K. Graham, D. Garrity, J. Aronson") ### C. Saint-Laurent, K. Graham, D. Garrity, J. Aronson ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14370211000_5ea63bd023_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=N7OW0Wrg "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_D. Cooper, M. Barbut, R. K. Pachauri, G. Hornberger") ### D. Cooper, M. Barbut, R. K. Pachauri, G. Hornberger ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14533801936_c40cf07898_o_0.jpg.webp?h=aebfa19c&itok=Vl1OBi_k "Conference Washington DC 2014_Amartya Sen") ### Amartya Sen ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14553495191_edfe453387_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=tVELcSjY "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_H. Fineberg, P. Brancalion, A. Castle") ### H. Fineberg, P. Brancalion, A. Castle ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14555291184_e9cbd9628d_o_0.jpg.webp?h=aebfa19c&itok=nAxrfyqQ "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_V. Hickey, A. Frérot, C. Garreta, H. Fineberg, J. Marton-Lefèvre, JP Tardieu") ### V. Hickey, A. Frérot, C. Garreta, H. Fineberg, J. Marton-Lefèvre, JP Tardieu ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14556029202_06a9b00ef1_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=Z32FqZik "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_P. Wit, LI Hao, S. DeWitt, A. Nájera, P. Besseau") ### P. Wit, LI Hao, S. DeWitt, A. Nájera, P. Besseau ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14556895185_c6aeabb426_o_0.jpg.webp?h=aebfa19c&itok=CkAsSpJF "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_K.L. Heong") ### K.L. Heong ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14556896335_b51ff3133f_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=JdGFr1lQ "Conference Washington D.C. 2014_M. Moura Costa, JL François, P. Vallette, L. Weldon, J. Busch") ### M. Moura Costa, JL François, P. Vallette, L. Weldon, J. Busch ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/carousel/public/image/2015/11/14571044033_7e93f1c7f1_o_0.jpg.webp?h=4f3278fd&itok=1ZbwwPKv "onference Washington D.C. 2014_LEI Guangchun, F Gaill, C. Garreta, B. Brown, S. Frazee") ### LEI Guangchun, F Gaill, C. Garreta, B. Brown, S. Frazee Next #### The organizers ## ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/RGB_INSTITUT_VEOLIA_Resize2_0.png.webp?h=59875d5a&itok=bOSHMJzC "institut veolia") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/Logo_de_lAFD_1_0.jpg.webp?h=40703235&itok=vb7zjjrA "AFC") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/iucn_1_0.jpg.webp?h=e94f5b5d&itok=u0k7_hhD "UICN") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/NationaAcademyofSciences_logo_0.jpg.webp?h=73592418&itok=ltEl6QfT "National Academy of Sciences") ### Associated parteners ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/FPAII_1_0.png.webp?h=4e544f1c&itok=meHy_yPT "Fondation prince albert II de Monaco") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/CI_logo_1_0.jpg.webp?h=b7a46062&itok=aQUdY-gY "Conservation International") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/UNCCDlogo_1_0.JPG.webp?h=429a12aa&itok=iw-keps8 "UNCCD") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/WRI_logo4c_1_0.jpg.webp?h=d67513d2&itok=asPA3apG "WRI") ![](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/image/2015/11/LOGO_MCNG2_1_0.JPG.webp?h=337326e6&itok=JDr46ktY "MCNG")