include, but are not limited to:
- Implementing Rio+20: Target of zero net rate of land degradation
- Agriculture in the drylands & sustainable desert agriculture
- Architecture and city planning in arid area
- Grazing in drylands
- Remote sensing – tools and implications
- Restoring water resources: practice, research & watershed management
- Soil & land restoration efforts
- Environmental Education
- Aforestation programs in dryland regions
- Mathematics of Desertification
- Public health and life in deserts and drylands
- Nomadic people in desert regions
- Terrestrial biome evolution and structure: the implications for their preservation
The subject matter is inter-disciplinary by design. Presentations on academic achievements, as well as on success stories and best practices are all encouraged. Some discussions address management & policy issues.