Presenting us a timely opportunity to showcase the work of APRU universities in our oceans & climate programmes, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) has recently announced the looming launch of a Springer Handbook draft-titled “Human Galapagos: Boundaries, Territories and Places.” The book pulls together collaborative working and learning from the 6th APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Program (SLC) Conference hosted in August 2023 by USFQ in Quito and the Galapagos Island. The overarching aim is to show that insights on how humans can co-exist with nature in sustainable ways in one of the world’s best-preserved archipelagoes based in the Pacific can be applied to address challenges related to urban development in other island settings.
“There’s no better place to investigate the impact of the environmental problems caused by our way of living than the Galapagos Islands, which is not only one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, but also one of the most fragile ones,” said John Dunn, Professor at the USFQ College of Architecture and Interior Design, and coordinator of the Institute of Architecture and Urban Form, AFORU.
“This book addresses the conflicts, consequences and opportunities that may come from mankind and nature trying to coexist harmoniously. If there’s a path that may help us to reach that goal, it is through scientific research.”
The 6th APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscape Program conference was a great opportunity for many researchers from all around the Pacific Rim, to share their concerns, about mankind’s impact on the environment. Group work sessions were carried out, in which knowledge was generated and concrete plans were established based on the presentations and discussions. It gave the researchers the chance to have an interdisciplinary approach to the environmental problems caused by the human way of living. This event led the USFQ to publish all their accumulated knowledge in the upcoming Springer handbook.
“Only through a comprehensive vision we can project to a balanced future,” commented John Dunn.
Image: USFQ
The announcement of the looming book launch comes at an opportune time, given that APRU is currently preparing for the upcoming World Ocean’s Day and the APRU Annual Presidents’ Meeting.
World Ocean Day, powered by the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council on June 8 and year round, catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate. The APRU Annual Presidents’ Meeting, for its part, will be held June 24-26 on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Tāmaki Makaurau (the Māori name for Auckland). Hosted by the University of Auckland under the theme “Oceans – The World’s Challenges Divide Us, the Ocean Currents Connect Us”, the event will explore and exchange knowledge and insights to consider the impacts of climate change on the oceans and the implications for communities and indigenous populations, climate justice, as well as food and water security.