International Conference ‘Megacities: Risk, Vulnerability and Sustainable Development’

7 - 9 September 2009, Leipzig, Germany

Megacities worldwide are an outstanding feature of urbanization and are culprits and victims of dramatic global change processes at the same time.

With more than 70 presentations in 24 sessions, three keynote lectures and a dedicated Young Researchers Workshop with almost 35 presentations, the Conference ‘Megacities: Risk, Vulnerability and Sustainable Development’ organized by the Risk Habitat Megacity research initiative is going to be a unique event for all those who are willing to explore current challenges in the largest cities around the world.

Among these are:

• What does sustainable development mean for Megacities?
• What risks are associated with this trend towards mega-urbanization and what are the driving forces behind it?
• How can we predict and describe the transformation of the complex risk habitat Megacity?
• How vulnerable is the mega-urban system and how are risks distributed across cities and social groups?
• What strategies can steer the urban system towards sustainable development and what institutional and organizational preconditions need to be in place for effective implementation of these strategies?
• How can the interrelation of megacities with their hinterland and with global change processes be assessed and conceptualized?
  

Registration is open and the full programme can now be seen at: http://www.megacity-conference2009.ufz.de/