Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds.) (2015): IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in Cologne 26-30 August 2012. Kölner Geographische Arbeiten 95. Köln. 227 S., ISSN 0454-1294

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KÖLNER GEOGRAPHISCHE ARBEITEN
Herausgegeben vom
GEOGRAPHISCHEN INSTITUT DER UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN
durch
G. B
areth B. Braun h. Brückner e. Brunotte o. BuBenzer
F. kraas t. MansFeldt J. nipper u. radtke k. schneider
G. schweizer d. soyez d. J. werner
Schriftleitung: d. wiktorin
GEOGRAPHISCHES INSTITUT DER UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN
2015
Heft 95
Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch,
Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds)
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth
Documenting the 32nd International Geographical
Congress in Cologne 26-30 August 2012

esday
Herausgeber: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger
Kretschmer (eds): IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International
Geographical Congress in Cologne 26-30 August 2012
Köln: Selbstverlag Geographisches Institut der Universität zu Köln, 2015.
(Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, Heft 95)
© by Selbstverlag:
Geographisches Institut der Universität zu Köln
- Kölner Geographische Arbeiten -
Albertus-Magnus-Platz, D - 50923 K ö l n
Telefax 0221 - 470 4917
Alle Rechte vorbehalten
ISSN 0454-1294
Layout: Regine Spohner, Stefanie Naumann
Photographs by: Michael Wodak, Andreas Wittke, Andreas Janotta, Fabian Sonnenburg, Dietrich Soyez,
Carsten Butsch, Frauke Kraas
Druck: Druckerei Martin Roesberg, Alfter-Impekoven

esday
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH

IGC 2012
The Way to Cologne 2012: Ideas and Concepts
Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez 4
Prof. Dr. Anne Glover CBE 10
Angela Spizig 12
Prof. Dr. Axel Freimuth 14
Prof. Dr. Ron Abler 15
Prof. Dr. Hans-Rudolf Bork 18
Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn 20
iGeo Closing Remarks and Opening Address
Sylvia Löhrmann, Minister for School and Further Education 22
Down to Earth - Geography in the Anthropocene
Eckart Ehlers 26
On the way to the Anthropocene. Consequences of scientific research,
societal understanding and political responsibility
Klaus Töpfer 36
Diverse Perspectives on Society and Environment
Anne Buttimer 41
Demographic Change and Urbanisation within the Boundaries of a
Fragile Planet
Martin Lees 53
Emerging Global Urban Order and Challenges to Harmonious
Urban Development
Surinder Aggarwal 64
Global Planetary Change and Human Globalisation
Eduardo de Mulder 80
Global Change and Globalisation - Challenges for Geography
Bruno Messerli 85
Disaster Risk and Crises: Challenges for Food and Nutrition Security
Stephan Baas 95
Deadly Embrace - War, Distance and Intimacy
Derek Gregory 104
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1
1.1
OPENING ADDRESSES
INAUGURAL LECTURE
KEYNOTE LECTURES
1.2
1.3
1.4

Report
Local Organising Committee of the IGC 2012 117
From the Idea via the Bid to the Final Conception
Holger Kretschmer 120
IGC 2012: Facts and Figures
Carsten Butsch 136
The Social Activities Programme in Detail
Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer 162
Geography and School at IGC 2012: iGeo 2012, the Geography and
School Symposium, and the School Outreach Programme
Dorothea Wiktorin 168
Evaluation of the IGC 2012 - Participants‘ View
Carsten Butsch 184
IGC 2012 - Organisers’ View
Dietrich Soyez 194
Financial Report
Wolfgang Schmiedecken 202
Acknowledgement
Local Organising Committee of the IGC 2012 208
PART 2
REPORTS
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 3
APPENDIX
IGC Today - Daily News
IGC Today 27.08.2012 220
IGC Today 28.08.2012 222
IGC Today 29.08.2012 224
IGC Today 30.08.2012 226
3.0
2.8

esday

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IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
1.1 The Way to Cologne 2012: Ideas and
Concepts
1.2 Opening Addresses
1.3 Inaugural Lecture
1.4 Keynote Lectures
1

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
1.1
The Way to Cologne 2012:
Ideas and Concepts

PART 1
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 4-
4 | Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez
typical Cologne brewery restaurant or the receptions
organised by several hosts, to name but a few such
cases. A particularly festive start was offered to those
who were able to participate in the opening ceremo-
ny in the Kölner Philharmonie (the Cologne Philhar-
monic); a very impressive experience with inspiring
musical highlights performed by the school orches-
tras and choirs (including a number of teachers) of
St. Ursula-Gymnasium (high school) in Brühl. Also
among our vivid memories are many of the official
welcoming speeches. Her Royal Highness, Princess
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn,
สมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดา เจ้า
ฟ้ามหาจักรีสิรินธร รัฐสีมาคุณากรปิยชาติ สยามบรมราชกุมาร
ี,
from Thailand, underlined the importance of geogra-
phy for worldwide sustainable regional development
and responsible knowledge generation for human
and nature interaction. Some of the speeche s gave
excellent impulses for geography, not least that in
the name of the patron of our congress, the Pres-
ident of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz,
delivered by Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific
Adviser to the President of the European Commis-
sion. Furthermore, the Opening Cere mony allowed
particularly rewarding insights into a highly important
event that took place the week before the congress
proper, namely iGeo, the Geog raphy Olympiad. No
less than 32 countries, more than ever before, had
sent their teams, with a total of 125 high school stu-
dents competing with each other for several days,
tackling a variety of geographical issues both in the
field and in the classroom. During the Opening Cer-
emony, all iGeo participants, representing our dis-
cipline’s promising next generation, were present,
while the winners in the three medal categories re-
ceived their awards from the Education Minister of
the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Sylvia
Löhrmann.
We wanted to convey three leading messages with
the motto of our congress, “Down to Earth”. First,
It is with great pleasure and satisfaction, along
with deeply felt thanks, that the Local Organising
Committee of the 32nd International Geographical
Congress/IGC 2012 in Cologne hereby presents its
closing report. We hope that this will achieve more
than simply completing the formal conclusion of per-
haps the most important event for German geogra-
phy in recent times. As indicated by the numerous
queries in the months since the congress, specific
expectations of this closing report have arisen from
many places and institutions both within Germany
and abroad. Alongside an informative evaluation
and assessment of this significant event, particularly
regarding organisational considerations and require-
ments as well as phases, activities and quantitative
basic data, advice has also been requested that
could be helpful for such events in the future. This
relates not only to positive experiences, but also to
aspects of the event that were problematic or diffi-
cult, from the perspectives of both the participants
and the organisers (all of the topics mentioned briefly
in the following sections are subsequently presented
in more detail in specific chapters).
Let us take a brief look back at the event: At the end
of August 2012, we were privileged to welcome over
3,000 guests from all over the world to the University
of Cologne. Under the motto Down to Earth, our dis-
cipline was able to present a representative show-
case of topics, issues and solutions that illustrated
geography’s contribution to many urgent problems
affecting humankind. The congress provided without
doubt an excellent forum for a focused exchange of
ideas within our global scientific community. What
is more: It became a memorable festival of and for
geography, not only during the actual congress
meetings (including the Commission and Task Force
business meetings) but also through a host of other
activities outside the lecture halls and during social
events, for example the official congress dinner in a
THE WAY TO COLOGNE 2012:
IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez
Local Organising Committee IGC Cologne 2012
7.

1.1
THE WAY TO COLOGNE 2012
Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez | 5
Eckart Ehlers’ idea of applying to host an Interna-
tional Geographical Congress. A real “marathon”,
how ever, began with the work on a concept for our
formal bid at the IGC Glasgow 2004 to host the IGC
2012, competing, as many of you remember, with
Santiago de Chile and Beijing. Especially during
the last two years prior to the Glasgow congress,
the organisation increasingly occupied not only the
initiators, Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez and Chris-
tian Schulz, but many members of the Department
of Geography in Cologne as well. On the “home
stretch,” beginning in early August 2012, the entire
department was involved in the final preparations.
We are certain, however, that there will be no ob-
jections if we particularly recognise at this point the
work of four “masterminds”. With their creativity and
competence, Carsten Butsch and Holger Kretsch-
mer had a major influence on the overall structure
of the IGC and many of its individual elements and
operating sequences, as did Dorothee Wiktorin on
the iGeo (Geographical Olympiad) and the school
program, and finally Wolfgang Schmiedecken, who
did an outstanding job of managing not only all the
finances.
It was not only the staff and students of the Depart-
ment of Geography in Cologne who organised the
congress, however. As major event of national im-
portance to both the scientific and the educational
community in Germany, broad support was given
not only by the geographical communities in univer-
sities, schools and the applied sectors, but also by
other geography related institutions, organisations
and associations. Many geographers from Ger-
man-speaking countries (and several from abroad)
were involved both during the preparation of the bid
and in the conception of the IGC program, including
students, the spokespersons of the working groups
of the DGfG (the German Society of Geography, i.e.,
our discipline’s umbrella organisation, and also a
co-organiser of the congress), the executive com-
mittees of its member organisations and other inter-
ested colleagues.
According to our basic conceptual principles, the
scientific program was designed both to address
state-of-the-art research and point the way to future
tasks and challenges by a more balanced participa-
tion of physical and human geography, by appropri-
ately including of theory-led, basic research as well
as problem-solving and applied aspects, by bridging
we wanted to focus on key challenges of humankind
– as we did with our four key topics. Second, rather
than convening in a shiny convention centre – we
brought the congress back to the university, back to
the roots of our academic life and responsibility, and
third, we wanted to allow equal chances of access
for the whole scientific community – from the young
scholars to those from the developing and emerging
economies.
All in all, we were pleased with the outcome of our
joint efforts. Most of the congress ran smoothly and
the feedback from the participants was very posi-
tive. In particular, our decision to adapt the tradi-
tional IGC format to new topical challenges, thus
opening up to geographic communities that had not
previously belonged to our traditional clientele, was
highly appreciated. This was in line with our “phi-
losophy” and guiding principles for our International
Geographical Congress in Cologne. We wanted to
achieve back-to-basic and no-frills approaches in a
traditional university setting, namely a cost-efficient,
academic, young talent-oriented, co-operative,
boundary-spanning, trans-disciplinary and visionary
congress. It was our vision from the first idea on-
wards, 12 years ago, to enrich the congress with
three “spices”: (1) Transcending boundaries: We
were very glad that geographers from 84 nations
and numerous colleagues from neighbouring disci-
plines joined. (2) Inclusion: An integrative congress
for all age groups as well as for schools: We were
glad to welcome 32 national teams of the 9th Inter-
national Geography Olympiad and their team lead-
ers. And during the congress, geography in schools
had a prominent place in our school symposium. (3)
Innovation: We introduced as new elements the four
key topics with more than 35 parallel sessions, the
Young Researcher’s Forum, new poster sessions,
the school symposium … just to mention a few.
This is all the more gratifying considering that the
IGC 2012 was the product of a preparation period
of almost 12 years, during which many geographers
contributed their ideas from the crucial moment on
in late 2000, when Frauke Kraas and Ulrich Radt-
ke over lunch in the Cologne Mensa (canteen) dis-
cussed the possibility to organise a national geog-
raphical conference in Cologne – when suddenly the
idea came up: “Why not try an International Geog-
raphical Congress”? Dietrich Soyez joined us imme-
diately, and thereby all of us enthusiastically adopted

6 | Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez
PART 1
FRAUKE KRAAS, DIETRICH SOYEZ
well attended and the eight speakers delivered in-
spiring talks. For an international congress, the pro-
portion of young participants was quite high. This we
attribute to a further new programme element, the
Young Researchers’ Forum, along with the relative-
ly low congress fees. Additionally, young scientists
were given the opportunity in eight earlier workshops
to develop their skills, and the geography students’
association held a poster competition and social
events for young scientists, supported by a relaxing
atmosphere for discussion with drinks and snacks.
Tentative use of social media also may have helped
to strengthen existing networks and establish new
ones. In our opinion, the strongly increased visibili-
ty of the poster presentations was a particular suc-
cess. All poster sessions were scheduled without
parallel sessions and, probably not least because
of the prizes offered, presenting a poster developed
into a genuine alternative to presenting a paper and
an event that was closed in a celebrating mood dur-
ing the final happy hour reception.
In addition to the academic quality, the festive at-
mosphere during the IGC 2012 made a particularly
positive impression on the congress participants.
This pleasant mood prevailed mainly thanks to the
efforts of the student volunteers – soon referred to
as the “blue cloud” because of their blue t-shirts.
195 geography students took on countless small
and large responsibilities. They played an important
role in bringing the IGC 2012 “marathon” to a spirit-
ed finish. Further aspects that gave additional space
for pleasant discussions during the five days includ-
ed the short waiting periods at registration (made
possible because more than half of the registrations
were completed by Sunday evening), the food and
drinks provided and additional services such as a
day-care facility for children.
Expressed in absolute visitor numbers, the IGC
2012 achieved a historic all-time high, with 3,007
registered visitors from 84 countries. It was the larg-
est IGU Congress so far (for details see the chap-
ter dedicated to congress statistics). These figures
far surpassed our original expectations. The plans,
including the envisaged amount of space required,
were originally based on an estimate of around
2,000 participants. Because so many people were
interested in IGC 2012, registration had to be closed
early on 15 July, and it was no longer possible to
register at the congress itself. This limitation, due
gaps between university and school and by trying to
bringing back commissions to the main congress.
Whereas the congresses had previously consisted
predominantly of one single organisational pillar, i.e.,
the IGU Commissions and Task Forces, new program
elements were incorporated into the congress this
time. During the course of two dedicated workshops
in 2009 and 2010, more than 100 representatives of
the (predominantly) German geographic communi-
ties developed the four key topics of the congress,
representing the IGC’s second pillar: “Global Change
& Globalisation,” “Risks & Conflicts,” “Society & En-
vironment,” “Urbanisation & Demographic Change”.
These topics constituted a major and highly visible
new element of the congress. Thus, the congress
“backbone” was formed by central plenary sessions
– intended to attract all participants and media in-
terest – and eight keynote themes. In these, invited
speakers elaborated on important and visionary re-
search and topics. Furthermore, as new innovative
elements, we created a young scientist’s forum dur-
ing this participatory process, which ultimately gave
the IGC a new, younger face.
Scientists from various countries were specifically in-
vited to join an unprecedented advisory committee
so that it would be representative of the global ge-
ographical community, taking not only into account
the specific “European” but, moreover, international/
global character of this IGC. The International Sci-
entific Committee was responsible for evaluating
the suggestions submitted for the sessions on the
four themes. This highly competitive selection pro-
cess was concluded at a joint meeting in Cologne in
May 2011. At that meeting, a list of potential keynote
speakers for the IGC 2012 was also drawn up. The
idea arose there to invite not only an international-
ly acclaimed geographer to speak on each of the
themes, but also a prominent public figure involved
in fields which are of geographic interest.
In retrospect, these modifications to the structure
of the IGC were a success. The newly introduced
four key topics opened up the congress to people
who had not previously participated in one of the
IGU Commissions and Task Forces, and the large
number of suggestions for sessions and papers that
could not be accepted due to space and time con-
straints showed how much interest these themes
generated. With considerably more than 1,000 lis-
teners each, the four keynote sessions were very

Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez | 7
1.1
THE WAY TO COLOGNE 2012
and organisation in many ways. We thank all col-
leagues from Germany and abroad for their enthu-
siastic support of ideas and their commitment dur-
ing the conceptual phase and the scientific board
meetings before the congress. Since 2004, we have
also received a great deal of encouragement and
valuable support from the Executive Committee of
the IGU. We would like to thank the University of Co-
logne and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
(German Research Foundation) for their generous
financial support; we are also grateful to the spon-
sors mentioned on our website. We would also like
to point out that the eight keynote lectures and short
films can still be accessed on our YouTube-channel
(https://www.youtube.com/user/IGCCologne2012).
During the opening ceremony we started with: “Wel-
come to the 32nd International Geographical Con-
gress, welcome to Cologne, welcome to Germany!”
Happy and grateful to have completed our “mara-
thon,” we hope that it will not be another 113 years
before another IGC is held at a German university,
and we now look forward very much to meeting
many of our guests again at IGC 2016 Beijing.
For the Local Organising Committee IGC Cologne
2012:
Frauke Kraas and Dietrich Soyez
to security regulations, unfortunately meant that
last-minute participation in the congress was not
possible. Nevertheless, the registration procedure
proved on the whole effective. One important con-
cern was to reduce the number of “no-shows,” a
big problem especially at the last IGC. Because the
procedure enabled unregistered participants to be
replaced systematically at an early stage by people
from the waiting list, two-thirds of all sessions took
place without a paper being cancelled.
Bringing the congress back to a university setting
was not without risks, but eventually contributed to
Cologne IGC’s particular flavour. Ongoing construc-
tion work caused some inconveniences, but most
participants accepted this with both humour and a
grain of irony, stating that this was just like being in
a ... university.
For us in Cologne, a fascinating period of time has
ended and we look back with gratitude on a success-
ful congress. At this point, we would like to underline
again the efforts of the members of the Department
of Geography and of our volunteers. With their com-
mitment and enthusiasm, they made the congress
an unforgettable event. Our gratitude also goes to
the geographers in the member organisations of the
German Geographical Society (DGfG) which pro-
vided support, including financial contributions, and
whose members were involved in the preparation

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
1.2
Opening Addresses

PART 1
10 | Anne Glover
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 10-
tory, Cologne has seen Roman civilisation through
the middle ages and enlightenment. And finally, the
marvel of European integration with Konrad Adenau-
er, former mayor of this city, being one of the found-
ing fathers of the European Union.
When preparing for my speech, it struck me that the
International Geographical Congress was hosted
for the last time in Germany in 1899. Remember, in
these times world maps still had a lot of white patch-
es. In 1899, at the wake of the 20
th
Century, this
planet had one and a half billion inhabitants, most
ecosystems were still pristine, and transport and
communication took ages.
The world has changed a lot. Nowadays global
climatic and demographic change poses unpre-
cedented challenges to humankind. Most of the
planet’s surface has been transformed by our spe-
cies and we face an ever growing competition for
ever more scarce natural resources. In Europe, we
currently need 3 planets to support our life style,
North America needs 5 planets.
The fact that Europe, as many other parts of the
World, is currently going through a deep economic
and financial crisis adds to the grim panorama. The
challenges faced by our society are becoming more
and more complex and interdependent.
Take biofuels, for instance. They have impacts on
agriculture, food security, land use, soil, water, ener-
gy, transport, trade, emissions and climate change.
Everything is interconnected, reducing the resilience
of the entire system. The United States is currently
suffering the worst drought in decades and this has
a worldwide impact on food prices – in a market that
is already under stress because we put tank and
plate in competition with each other.
Your Royal Highness, President, Ladies and Gentle-
men, let me start with a confession: I am not a geog-
rapher. I am a microbiologist – but you wouldn’t have
geography without microbiology. But I did study
geog raphy at school - there’s nothing I couldn’t
tell you about oxbow lakes and meandering rivers
(physical geography was my thing). I also know how
important geographers are and that’s why I hired
one for my office, Dr. Jan Marco Müller.
I am very honoured to have the possibility to address
a few words to you on this special occasion. In par-
ticular, it is my great pleasure to convey to you the
greetings of the President of the European Parlia-
ment Martin Schulz who has kindly accepted the pa-
tronage of the International Geographical Congress
in Cologne. Unfortunately, he is not able to be with us
in person – as you know, European politicians have a
rather hectic agenda at the moment – but he asked
me to stress on his behalf the great importance the
European Parliament attaches to this event.
Likewise, in my role as Chief Scientific Adviser to
President Barroso, I would like to welcome you also
on behalf of the European Commission. I feel delight-
ed that eight years after the International Geograph-
ical Congress in Glasgow 2004 in my home country
Scotland, Europe has once more been entrusted to
stage this prestigious event. On behalf of the Euro-
pean Institutions I would like to thank the Internation-
al Geographical Union led by Professor Abler for the
decision to bring the Congress here and the Organ-
ising Committee led by Professor Soyez and Profes-
sor Kraas for its outstanding work in what promises
to become a celebration of geography.
Europe is proud to provide geography a home. In
fact, Cologne is a perfect stage for this Congress,
and this not only because Mercator lived most of his
life just 50 km from here. With its 2000 years of his-
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Prof. Dr. Anne Glover CBE
Chief Scientific Adviser to the President, European Commission
11.

1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
Anne Glover | 11
your innovative ideas! Push the frontiers of science!
Enrich the debate with your contributions! Come up
with better solutions for our planet!
It’s for this reason that I fully support the plea of the
President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz
to push for a stronger link between schools and
academia. We need to teach more geography in
schools! Apart from being a fascinating subject thrill-
ing many children, geography contributes to devel-
oping a global conscience. This is key to changing
individual behaviour and thus part of the answer to
the global challenges which I outlined earlier on.
Last but not least, we shouldn’t forget that geogra-
phy provides fantastic business opportunities. Geo-
information has permeated into all aspects of our
economy, but also of government. So studying
geography is not just a matter of idealism and fun
– actually, you can make money with it. Therefore,
geography has also a role to play in paving the way
towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
This brings me back to Europe and why we are here.
So once again, also on behalf of the President of
the European Parliament as patron of this Congress:
Welcome to Europe! I wish you all exciting days in
Cologne.
Refresh your minds with stimulating debate.
Shout about it - and then go and change the world!
I do not at all envy politicians who have to take de-
cisions in such an environment. For that reason it is
so important that science provides the best possible
evidence base for a sound policy-making.
Geography has a unique opportunity here, as it has
the ability to break silos, to bring together different
disciplines from both the natural and social scienc-
es and add the spatial dimension to these, making
them relevant for the individual citizen. Or in other
terms: bringing them “down to Earth”, as spelt out
by the well chosen motto of this Congress.
This unique opportunity for geography comes at a
cost: it also places an enormous responsibility on
geographers. If you as holistic thinkers are not able
to disentangle the maze, who else can? Geogra-
phy can – and must – provide a vital contribution to
solving global, regional and local challenges. I am
confident that geographers will stand up to this and,
thanks to their capabilities, will be able to deliver first
class advice for better policies.
However, for this to happen you have to make your-
selves heard! It’s not enough to publish in peer-re-
viewed journals or to listen to nice talks at confer-
ences, including the one we are just opening.
So I want to challenge you: Where is the voice of
geography in current societal debate? Where is the
voice of geography in political discussions? Where is
the voice of geography in the media? I want geog-
raphy to stand up and shout!
And don’t think that scientific advice is something
for men in grey suits. I want to encourage female
researchers to play their part. I know that geography
is a discipline that attracts many young women. But
we lose so many of them as career progresses, just
because the framework conditions are not right. I
firmly believe that today’s challenges are so pressing
that we simply cannot afford to lose the intellectual
capacity of female researchers. Also geography has
some homework to do here.
Likewise, we need the imaginative force of young
researchers who just don’t accept that something
has to be done like this because it always has been
done like this. So my call goes to the young people
here in the audience: We want to hear your voice! Go
and challenge the well established researchers with

PART 1
12 | Angela Spizig
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 12-
Königliche Hoheit, meine Damen, meine Herren, La-
dies and Gentlemen, Mesdames et Messieurs,
I am very pleased and delighted to welcome you all
here in Cologne, also on behalf of Mayor Roters on
the occasion of the 32
nd
International Geographical
Congress. I am also delighted to be standing here,
because most of the time I am where you are sitting
now, listening to concerts. In this concert hall, in this
Philharmonic Hall, which I still find very beautiful af-
ter 25 years of its construction. And since you are
geog raphers - I always think of the sun and the stars
when I look up. Thanks also to this wonderful fresh
young orchestra introducing the ceremony with the
Rhine Symphony by Schumann.
Un mot en français pour les participants franco-
phones. Comme Cologne est une ville avec des
racines romaines et des relations très fortes avec
la France, je suis heureuse de vous accueillir dans
notre ville aussi au nom de notre maire Monsieur
Roters á l’occasion du 32. Congres International de
la Géographie. Et j’espère qu’après vos journées ici
vous aurez la valise pleine des bonnes mémoires et
des bons souvenirs de votre rencontre internationale
et de notre ville de Cologne. Et quand vous prenez
le Thalys juste à côté ici à la gare vous verrez qu’il y
a seulement trois heures et quart entre Paris et Co-
logne. Cela vaut vraiment le détour.
This is the second time after 113 years that the con-
ference is taking place in Germany. The very first
International Geographical Congress took place in
Berlin in 1899. We here in Cologne feel proud and
honored that this congress is being held in our city
and that we can welcome such a large number of
participants from 80, I repeat 80, different countries.
I know that some of you have travelled very far to
come here and I just hope that you find your journey
to Cologne rewarding in every way. Cologne is one of
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Angela Spizig
Mayoress
the most important scientific and university locations
in Germany. Not only because science and research
go back such a long way in Cologne. The University
of Cologne was founded in the 14
th
century and is
among the oldest and today also among the largest
academic institutions in Germany. Only a few weeks
ago, and allow me to mention this very proudly, only
a few weeks ago, the University of Cologne was re-
warded the status of a University of Excellence. This
is a great success for the university, for the city, and
that’s why I am proud - and for the region. Magni-
fizenz, Professor Freimuth, the head of the Universi-
ty, who proudly signed the Golden Book in City Hall
for this achievement last week, will probably tell you
more about this. The Institute of Geography, which
has organized this congress, is part of this excellent
university. It enjoys a great and outstanding repu-
tation throughout Germany and is second in the
ranking of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft,
the most important German Research Foundation.
This shows how incredibly active and success-
ful the Cologne geographers are. It also highlights
the unique quality and profile of the Department of
Geogra phy. And I think I can say that this profile is
based on the outstanding work and commitment of
the Professors, the lecturers and the staff and the
work ethic, the passion and the spirit which are ob-
viously passed on to the students and to the young
researchers.
I was pleased to read that with your congress you
address the burning questions for which the world
community must find answers, the sooner the
better. And of course we can only deal with these
challenges more successfully if we look for solutions
together. You’ll be talking about the demographic
development, you’ll be talking about disaster
manage ment and I am quite glad that the City of
Cologne is also able to contribute something there,
especially in the area of flood prevention.
13.

1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
Angela Spizig | 13
You, the participants, you can chose from an incredi-
ble number of 450 individual sessions listed in the
program. I know that the organization of such an
event takes a huge amount of time, hard work and
devotion. And I wish once more to thank all those
involved in the preparation of the congress and
of course Professor Kraas and Professor Soyez,
thanks again!
I hope that you, our guests will enjoy your stay in
Cologne and take back souvenirs. We, the people
of Cologne like to see ourselves in the heart of Eu-
rope. You as geographers know better, the heart
of Europe is constantly moving east, and right now
geogra phically speaking I think Vilnius, the capital of
Lithuania, should be in the centre. Maybe there is
somebody from Vilnius here today.
But Cologne is definitely a city with a big European
heart. It was founded by the Romans 2000 years
ago, as you walk outside, you’ll walk on the pave-
ment which is 2000 years old, you will find trac-
es and ruins. I was very pleased to see Her Royal
Highness spending an enormous amount of time in
those ruins and in those old layers of our city today.
We have been a city of immigrants for 2000 years.
Cologne is a colorful city with 180 different nations
within our city walls and I hope that you find that this
makes us a friendly welcoming place. It is an old city,
a young city, traditional and innovative at the same
time. Have a pleasant stay in our city and do come
back!
Thank you!

PART 1
14 | Axel Freimuth
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 14.
Your Royal Highness, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and honour for us at the Uni-
versity of Cologne to host the 32
nd
International Geo-
graphical Congress and to welcome so many guests
from all over the world. Even for a large university
like ours, providing the setting for such an important
conference is something special. Bringing an inter-
national congress of such eminent importance back
to a university campus is a clear commitment to re-
turn to the primary forum for the exchange of scien-
tific ideas, to a place where innovations are born and
where young and fresh perspectives are discussed
in a productive international and interdisciplinary at-
mosphere.This spirit of scientific exchange has been
cherished at the University of Cologne for many cen-
turies. Our University was founded in 1388, mak-
ing it one of the oldest universities in Germany. The
initiative for the foundation of the University came
from the citizens of Cologne, which was unusual in
an era when such initiatives were mostly taken by
the church or a monarch. Cologne’s citizens were
powerful and Cologne was Germany’s largest city
for more than 300 years.
Today, the University of Cologne is a modern, inter-
national university, covering a comprehensive range
of subjects. It is considered to be among the lead-
ing institutions in research and teaching in Germa-
ny and, earlier this year, was also one of the eleven
universities to receive institutional recognition and
funding in the German Excellence Initiative, a large
federal program to support top-level research.
The strategic concept submitted by the University of
Cologne for the Excellence Initiative comprises sev-
eral interrelated measures – ranging from targeted
support of top-level research in so-called Key Profile
Areas to cross-sectional measures, e.g., to promote
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Prof. Dr. Axel Freimuth
Rector of the University of Cologne
the scientific careers of women and to advance the
University’s internationalization.
Ladies and Gentlemen, not only has the Universi-
ty of Cologne a long-standing academic tradition
overall, but also specifically in geography. The first
desig nated chair in geography was established at
our University in 1902. Geography is also of high im-
portance for today’s research profile of our university,
e.g. being an integral part of one of the Key Profile
Areas, labeled Socio-economic, Cultural and Polit-
ical Transformation in the Global South. Therefore,
it seems very appropriate that the University of Co-
logne has been chosen as the host for this year’s In-
ternational Geographical Congress. Actually, it is ap-
propriate in another context as well: With more than
2,400 participants from more than 85 countries the
IGC is a truly international conference, correspond-
ing well with the global orientation of our university.
I would like to thank the Local Organizing Committee
very much for making all this possible, in particular
Professor Kraas and Professor Soyez, and I would
also like to express my gratitude towards all the
other people – from within and beyond the University
of Cologne – who have contributed to planning and
organizing this congress. The effort and commitment
shown during the preparation of this event are
truly impressive, in particular the work put into
adding new innovative features to the conference
program. Ladies and Gentlemen, participants of the
International Geographical Congress, I would like to
warmly welcome you again both at the University
of Cologne and to the City of Cologne. I hope that
you will find our University to be a place with an
inspiring atmosphere for your discussions and I wish
you a productive conference and a pleasant stay in
Cologne.
Thank you!

In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 15-
1.2
Ron Abler | 15
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Prof. Dr. Ron Abler
President of the International Geographical Union
Your Royal Highness, distinguished visitors, dear
colleagues, dear friends,
I certainly wish to add my warm welcome to those
we have already heard. We in the IGU are delighted
to be here after eight years of anticipation. We are
delighted that you are here. We have long looked
forward to today’s events and we eagerly anticipate
four more days of stimulating listening, talking, and
thinking, in formal as well as informal settings. If I
were to be completely fair, I would devote the next
ten minutes to extolling our German hosts, particu-
larly those from the University of Cologne, and espe-
cially Professors Frauke Kraas and Dietrich Soyez.
The imaginative and meticulous planning they have
all expended on our behalf deserves an encyclope-
dia of gratitude. These few sentences, however, will
have to suffice for the time being. For now, heartfelt
thanks to the leaders and the very large team that
has brought us together for these days in Cologne.
Thanks also to the hundreds of volunteers and
thanks to the dozens of firms and organizations that
have contributed to our comfort and our enrichment
during the congress.
The IGU general assembly elected me president at
the International Congress in Tunis in August 2008.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve
in that capacity for the last four years. The job has
been difficult at times but it has been unfailingly ex-
citing and rewarding. Working with the energetic and
talented members of the executive committee has
been a privilege as well as a pleasure. And the same
can be said of the chairs of the IGU’s Commissions,
Task Forces and National Committees. I will not dwell
in detail internal changes that have been made in the
recent years in the IGU structure and operations. I
do think, however, that the IGU is now more flexible
and streamlined in its decision-making, and that that
greater flexibility and speed are needed to accom-
modate the faster pace of changes in society and in
science characteristic of today’s world. We’ve also
restructured the IGU executive committee’s election
cycle to provide greater continuity on the committee.
Half of the committee’s members will now be elected
every two years, with the president who is elected
by the general assembly at an international congress
as will occur here on Tuesday when the assembly
chooses my successor. Externally the IGU executive
committee and its commissions, task forces, and
special committees have continued the excellent
work of their predecessors in linking geography and
geographers to the broader world of science. The
IGU has participated energetically in the International
Council for Science, and we collaborate closely with
some of its other member scientific unions, particu-
larly those devoted to the earth sciences.
The IGU nominated Professor Gordon McBean of
Canada to be president of ICSU (as the Internation-
al Council for Sciences is known), an atmospheric
scientist resident in the Department of Geography
at the University of Western Ontario. McBean was
elected and will take office as President of ICSU next
year. IGU past president Anne Buttimer and IGU
Vice-President Irasema Alcantara-Ayala have served
recently on ICSU’s key Committee for Scientific Plan-
ning and Review. Similarly, the IGU plays a promi-
nent role in the International Social Science Council
(ISSC), IGU Vice-President Ruth Fincher serves on
the ISSC Executive Board. These umbrella scientific
organizations are not exactly household names, but
they have great influence on international and global
research agendas, and representing geography to
and within them is one of the IGU’s most important
and productive functions. Through IGU membership
in ICSU and ISSC we are often asked to nominate
17.

16 | Ron Abler
PART 1
candidates to the boards and committees that serve
ICSU, ISSC and many other international organiza-
tions.
Secretary General Michael Meadows and I have tak-
en those requests most seriously. IGU does as much
as it can to be certain that the myriad of scientific
bodies engaged in international and global science
enjoy the invaluable perspective that only geogra-
phers can provide. I am pleased to report that the
IGU has renewed its collaboration with the Féstival
International de Géographie or FIG. FIG is held an-
nually in Saint-Dié-des Vosges and will have its 23
rd
running this October. FIG is a marvelous celebration
of geography in all its variety and richness, an event
that attracts more than 30,000 people to the small
town of Saint-Dié every year. FIG Founder and Pres-
ident Christian Pierret has joined us this year. Thank
you, Christian! He will speak tomorrow on the topic
‘When Leadership Needs Maps’. This will take place
at 1:00 pm in MAIN 13. As the creator of the new in-
ternational school of applied geography in Saint-Dié
Pierret’s comments on that topic are certain to be of
great interest. I will chair that meeting, and I will take
attendance. The material will be on the final exam
(we are back to the university).
Following discussions began some years ago. The
International Cartographic Association and IGU have
established a joined working group commission on
toponomy. We have a representative from ICA with
us, Professor Paulo de Menezes who is in the au-
dience - welcome! Place names, their history, their
meanings and the disputes about them are of con-
tinuing interest and occasional sources of conflict.
Collaboration between ICA and IGU was formerly
close for some time, the two organizations held their
congresses jointly, the last time being in Sydney,
Australia if I remember correctly. I am pleased that
IGU now has been able to reconnect institutionally
with ICA on the topic of place names, and I hope
that further collaboration can be achieved in the fu-
ture on topics of mutual interest.
Discussions are on the way with the International
Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sen sing,
about establishing a joint IGU/ISPRS commission
on land use and border regions. That initiative arose
from informal conversations at the 2011 ICSU gen-
eral assembly that led subsequently to a joint sem-
inar in Beijing and to the continuing discussions
toward a commission. Mentioning commissions re-
minds me to say that the real work of the IGU is done
by its commissions. We have 40 plus commissions
or commission like bodies. They do the actual re-
search. If you want to find out about any of them,
look through the Congress program. The program is
heavily loaded with sessions organized by the IGU’s
commissions
When you receive your registration packet (many of
you already have, I see by your lanyards), it will in-
clude information regarding the IGU Initiative for an
International Year of Global Understanding, or IYGU.
IYGU is led by Professor Benno Werlen of the Uni-
versity of Jena. It is an outgrowth of the proposal by
former President Adalberto Vallega, for a United Na-
tions Year focused on Cultures and Civilizations for
Human Development. IYGU is modeled structurally
on the highly successful International Year of Planet
Earth, launched by the International Union of Geo-
logical Sciences some years ago. The IYGU will fo-
cus on creating worldwide awareness of the insep-
arable connections between daily local action and
the great global systems that support and sustain
human life on earth. For further information on IYGU,
which is the IGU’s major current initiative, please at-
tend the informational session on IYGU presented
by Professor Werlen and others that will also take
place tomorrow, at 4:00 pm in COM 01. Printed in-
formation about the IYGU will be available at the IGU
stand in the exhibit hall.
We are here to enjoy this conference, but do re-
member that there will be annual meetings over the
next three years prior to the 2016 congress in Bei-
jing. We scheduled annual regional congresses as
an experiment. They are scheduled for Kyoto next
year, Krakow in 2014 and Moscow in 2015. Litera-
ture about these meetings can also be found at the
IGU exhibit stand. As many of you know, the first
International Geographical Congress was held in
Antwerp in 1871. Nine subsequent congresses were
held at varying intervals prior to the establishment
of the International Geographical Union as a con-
tinuing organization in 1922. We are gathered at the
32
nd
Congress, the 33
rd
will be in Beijing, four years
hence. The site of the 34
th
congress will be approved
by the General Assembly this week. The IGU execu-
tive committee has recommended to the Assembly
that the invitation of the Turkish Geographical So-
ciety to meet in Istanbul in 2020 be approved. The
RON ABLER

Ron Abler | 17
1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
year 2021 however will mark the 150
th
anniversary
of the first International Geographical Congress, and
2022 will be the centennial of the establishment of
the IGU. Accordingly, the IGU executive committee
will also recommend that this General Assembly ap-
prove holding an extraordinary International Geog-
raphical Congress in 2022 to celebrate both anni-
versaries, with the site to be selected in 2014. The
extraordinary congress should be an opportunity to
look forward to the IGU’s second century from the
perspective of its first century and a half of accom-
plishments.
I am deeply grateful to the IGU for the opportunity
to serve as its president. It has been a grand expe-
rience. I am confident that the IGU will continue to
represent geography well and maybe better under
the new leadership that will be in effect following the
close of this congress. I offer you my best wishes for
an enjoyable and productive time in Cologne.
Thank you!

PART 1
18 | Hans-Rudolf Bork
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 18-
The German National Committee of the International
Geographical Union (IGU) works at international level
in consultation with the Association of German Uni-
versity Geographers and the DGfG.
DGfG provides information material – such as the
Educational Standards in Geography, guidelines
for media and public representation, brochures for
Master study programmes in Geography in Germany
– and several journals, conferences and workshops,
excursions, qualification seminars and services under
the auspices of the contributing associations. Over
30 scientific working groups and networks – either
with topic-oriented or regional foci – within the DGfG
make important contributions to research and the
further development of theory, methods, knowledge
and innovation within geography. Several prizes, e.g.
for outstanding international and national scholars,
young researchers and the German Geogra phy
Media Prize, are awarded by the DGfG and in close
cooperation with partner associations.
Before the IGC event in August 2012, we were al-
ready privileged to enjoy close interaction with nu-
merous colleagues of the geographical community:
The concept and programme of the IGC 2012 in Co-
logne was substantially supported by an intense ex-
change of ideas between more than 150 colleagues
from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as
from other neighbouring countries in Europe: In two
preparatory workshops in 2009 and 2010, numer-
ous colleagues participated in the conceptualising
and concretisation of the four Key Topics which –
beyond the core work of the Commissions and Task
Forces – form the “second pillar” of the IGC 2012.
This strong European character of IGC 2012 has
been honoured by Martin Schulz, the President of
the European Parliament, who accepted the patron-
age of our congress. Furthermore, with the intention
of transcending boundaries and including expertise
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Prof. Dr. Hans-Rudolf Bork
President of the German Geographical Society
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geographie)
Your Royal Highness, dear Professor Abler, geogra-
phers from all over the world, ladies and gentlemen.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 32
nd
International Geographical Congress in Cologne on
behalf of the German Geographical Society. We are
greatly honoured by the presence of so many geogra-
phers from more than 70 countries – and understand
the signal of the overwhelmingly high numbers of
participants as encouragement for our efforts in
contributing to intensified scientific exchange among
geographers of the world. The German Geographical
Society welcomes all speakers, delegates and
participants who have spared no efforts to join our
IGC 2012 in Cologne. We appreciate your interest
and thank you for sharing your knowledge and
expertise, your perspectives and views in the wide
fields of Geography.
The German Geographical Society (DGfG) is the um-
brella organisation for 4 geographical associations,
comprising geographers at universities, in schools,
in didactics and the applied professions, and 27
geographical societies. It was founded in 1995 as a
successor to earlier umbrella organisation, including
organisations in the two separated Germanies until
1989. It unites about 25,000 geographers in Ger-
many.
The DGfG represents the interests of geographers
working in different fields and regions and is commit-
ted to communicating the significance of geography
as a school subject, as a science and as an applied
discipline. The DGfG co-ordinates the different sec-
tors of geography represented by the specialized
geographical associations and presents their com-
mon aims to the public. It supports and chairs the
German Geographical Congress (Deutscher Geo-
graphentag), which takes place every two years in
a university town in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
19.

1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
Hans-Rudolf Bork | 19
grateful to the Institute of Geography of the Univer-
sity of Cologne, to the Rector of the University of
Cologne and to the International Geographical Union
for their important support.
Geographers discover, analyse and evaluate pro-
cesses and structures of societies and environment.
I encourage you to actively contribute to open and
critical discussions about the contribution of our dis-
cipline to key challenges of humankind over the next
five days of the congress. I wish you a successful
and fruitful conference and many positive impres-
sions of the congress, the University of Cologne, the
City of Cologne, the Rhineland and Germany too.
from all over the world, the Local Organising Com-
mittee was supported by the members of the Scien-
tific Committee in the selection process of sessions.
On behalf of the German Geographical Society I
gratefully acknowledge the extraordinary engage-
ment of so many colleagues of the international
community.
I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the
Local Organising Committee of the IGC Cologne
2012, which is chaired by Professor Frauke Kraas
and Professor Dietrich Soyez, for their hard work
and effort in planning and coordinating this complex
event with more than 3,000 participants. We are very

PART 1
20 | Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 20-
OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
Minister of School and Further Education of
Northrhine-Westphalia,
President of the International Geographical Union,
Chief Scientific Advisor to the President of the Euro-
pean Commission,
President of the German Geographical Society,
Mayor of the City of Cologne,
Rector of the University of Cologne,
Chairs of the Organizing Committee,
Distinguished Geographers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to be here today, among so
many distinguished geographers from all over the
world, in the ancient City of Cologne. I am especially
delighted to be in Germany this year, because it is
our special year to celebrate the one hundred and
fiftieth anniversary of Thailand and Germany diplo-
matic relations.
Geography is a relationship between nature and so-
ciety. Therefore humans can only coexist in harmo-
ny with nature, but cannot be its master or enemy.
Without enough understanding of this relationship,
human societies have abused and deteriorated na-
ture.
For over 30 years, I have done development works in
the remote areas in Thailand, in an effort to improve
quality of life of the people in difficult conditions. After
long years of hard work and help of many people
and experts, today we have considerable accom-
plishments. The model is now expanded in Thailand
as well as in some of our neighboring countries. The
underlying philosophy is sufficiency economy and
sustainable development, in which environmental
conservation, good health and nutrition, good quali-
ty education and green agriculture are the keys.
I must say that I owe this success to geography. In
a new area, geographical study was always my first
step. Understanding geography of the area is neces-
sary for me to plan the next steps towards sustaina-
ble development. So in my experience, geography is
a very powerful tool.
Looking back, my interest in geography was much
inspired by my father, His Majesty the King. My infor-
mal geographical lessons began when I was about 7
or 8 years old. While we travelled together, my father
liked to explain to his children about what we saw
along the way. Geography was not just a subject to
memorize to get good grades in school, but it was
something real and useful.
The picture of my father, seen with a camera hang-
ing around his neck and holding a lot of maps in his
hands, was familiar to everyone in Thailand. When
he visited his people in all corners of Thailand, it was
the time for him to edit and update the maps. He got
direct information from the sites and the local inhabi-
tants to verify his maps. Those were my impressions
on geography. Geography was about everything
everyday.
For this reason, geography became my favorite sub-
ject. Physical geography, economic geography and
agricultural geography were among the courses that
I took in my undergraduate years at Chulalongkorn
University in Thailand. I also had cartography les-
sons from Professor Ulrich Freitag, a German pro-
fessor from Berlin, a visiting professor in Thailand at
that time. Later on I was trained on surveying and
remote sensing. I had the privilege of meeting many
top geographers around the world, and one of them
is Professor Juergen Hohnholz from Tübingen. They
are great people, and I have been associating with
them up to now.
21.

1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn | 21
My point is that geographical education is as
important and necessary as geography itself, and it
should start with children at a young age. I am so
happy this congress includes a platform for schools
and teachers to develop effective and innovative
geographical education and there is the Young
Researchers’ Forum, in addition to conventional
lectures and presentations. The future is in the hands
of these young people.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude
to the organizing committee and many distinguished
geographers for their hard work and long years of
preparation of this congress. The vision and support
of the host organizations is also well recognized with
great appreciation.
May I now join in declaring open the 32nd Interna-
tional Geographical Congress, and wish the con-
gress a great success.
Thank you very much.

PART 1
22 | Sylvia Löhrmann
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 22-
iGeo CLOSING REMARKS AND OPENING ADDRESS
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Sylvia Löhrmann, Minister for School and Further Education
Deputy Premier North Rhine-Westphalia
Your Royal Highness, your Excellency, distinguished
guests, dear students, friends and experts of
geogra phy, Ladies and Gentlemen,
What a wonderful and enlightening ceremony this
afternoon. I am very happy to be here and bring you
a warm welcome on behalf of the government of
North Rhine-Westphalia. I have to confess, I neither
studied history nor geography, but I both like them,
and music. Thanks to the wonderful musicians.
„Cologne is Germany‘s fourth-largest city and it is
located on both sides of the Rhine River.“
You may have seen these few simple words on the
homepage of iGeo. And now you are here! You have
seen and got to know Cologne and a part of Germa-
ny: North Rhine-Westphalia.
On behalf of the Geographical Society of Germany
and the Institute for Geography of the University of
Cologne, it is my great honour as Vice Prime Minister
and Minister for Education and Further Education of
North Rhine-Westphalia to be here at the 9
th
Interna-
tional Geography Olympiad.
Thousands of students all over the world participate
enthusiastically in National Geography Olympiads or
competitions. You are the best of them! You com-
pete in the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo).
I’m proud having the very best 16 to 19 year old
geog raphy students from all over the world now here
in Cologne!
I’m proud to welcome 32 countries in Cologne, the
highest number of countries since the first iGeo
started 1996 in Den Hague with five participating
countries.
A very successful story, that’s truly wonderful, Ladies
and Gentlemen. And it is wonderful, too, that young
people from all over the world do not only meet in
Germany. They got to know other young students;
they got to know other cultures and views of the
world. So they can experience life abroad and they
take home impressions of what the world is like and
plans for their future career. Cultural functions are an
important element of this event.
I think it is great, iGeo is not just for competition, and
it’s not just about the tests. It’s a cultural exchange
and a chance to meet people.
I emphasize the importance of cultural exchange.
Knowing and understanding is a requirement for
saving our resources and our world, knowing and
understanding each other is a requirement for glo-
balization, integration, sustainable development and
a peaceful world! And therefore, it’s quite logical that
the UNESCO promotes this conference to improve
and set a mark in the decade of education for sus-
tainable development.
As Minister of Education I am particularly pleased to
see all the networking taking place:
Today, the iGeo ends, and the IGC, the quadrenni-
al meeting of the International Geographical Union
(IGU) starts. So top-ranking students from all over
the world meet top-ranking scientists from all over
the world and so they can learn from each other and
discuss together. The topic of geography becomes
highly relevant: socially, politically and in matters of
education policy.
The world-famous German philosopher Immanuel
Kant, who lived more than two hundred years ago,
already pointed out the great importance of geogra-
23.

1.2
OPENING ADDRESSES
Sylvia Löhrmann | 23
phy and I think, it is still up to date. I quote in Ger-
man:
„Die Geographie vertritt das Reisen und erweitert
den Gesichtskreis nicht wenig. Sie macht uns zu
Weltbürgern und verbindet uns mit den entferntesten
Nationen. Ohne sie sind wir nur auf die Stadt, die
Provinz, das Reich eingeschränkt, in dem wir leben.
Ohne sie bleibt man, was man auch gelernt haben
mag, beschränkt, begrenzt, beengt. Nichts bildet
und kultiviert den gesunden Verstand mehr als Geo-
graphie.“
In short: Though nothing is more suitable than just
geography to brighten a sound human understand-
ing.
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear students, to me Geog-
raphy is not only an academic subject. It needs to
be accomplished by personal experience. And this is
what you did - by the way - by visiting Germany and
many foreign students and scientists.
A lot happened during the past week. You have vis-
ited local cultural places, you have had a lot of social
activities and you have been working. As always the
iGeo competition contains three elements: a written
response test, a multimedia test and a fieldwork test.
All of you qualified as great young academics in
geog raphy in your home country. And I take this op-
portunity to express my special recognition to all of
you for your extraordinary academic achievement.
So far my greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen, but
now we approach the highlight tonight: I am proud
to honour the laureates of this year’s competition.

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
1.3
Inaugural Lecture

PART 1
26 | Eckart Ehlers
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 26-
Space and place – milieu – environmentalism –
Landschaft …
are just a few legacies of this disciplinary history. To-
day, more than 100 years later, the problems of our
discipline’s unity may still be pending for some of us
(including myself), but other and more important is-
sues are at stake.
What, then, are these issues at stake? The great
theme of our time is
Global Change
covering both climate and environmental changes.
Of course: Climate is one of the main triggers of en-
vironmental changes. But is it really the only or most
important one? The more we know, the more we
learn – and vice versa. We are learning increasingly
about humans and societies – and we learn about
their role in almost all facets of global change. Cli-
mate and nature are one side of the coin, humanity
and nature are the other. But it is still the same coin:
our Planet Earth!
Down to Earth, thus, is a more than appropriate re-
minder to the international geographical community
to (re-)consider geography’s potentials, strengths
and weaknesses and its tradition as a bridge-builder
between nature and society and their mutual inter-
actions and dependencies.
The so far four reports of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have ascertained
with increasing intensity and now beyond doubt that
“Since the start of the industrial era (about 1750) the
overall effect of human activities has been a warming
influence. The human impact on climate during this
On September 28
th
, 1899 Frhr. von Richthofen
opened the 7
th
International Geographical Congress
in Berlin, the only IGC ever held in Germany so far.
On that occasion,
v. Richthofen pointed to a problem
that geography and many geographers have been
occupied with before that date – and ever since until
today: the question of unity or disunity of our com-
mon discipline: geography!
v. Richthofen argued as follows:
„… die Geographie [erscheint] noch immer als eine
Wissenschaft, welche von ihrer gesicherten natur-
wissenschaftlichen Grundlage aus Berührungen
nach den verschiedensten Richtungen hat […]. Die
anregendsten Probleme bieten sich ja häufig dort,
wo verschiedene Wissenschaften einander berühren
und befruchten; und gerade auf dem gemeinsam-
en Nährboden, den die Geographie ihnen bietet,
erwachsen manche der schönsten Blüthen der
Forschung überhaupt.“
(v.
Richthofen 1901: 29-30)
„… Geography still appears as a discipline which,
based on its secured scientific foundations, has
contacts into very different (scientific) directions […].
The most inspiring problems often develop where
different sciences meet and stimulate each other;
and it is especially the common fostering soil offered
by geog raphy on which some of the most beautiful
flowers of research mature.”
20
th
century geography is a wide field ranging from
MackindeR’s „Geography is what geographers do“ to
hettneR’s concept of regional geography (=Länder-
kunde) as a unifying concept of the discipline’s diver-
sity (
MackindeR 1887,1904, hettneR 1905, 1927). Na-
tional schools of geography contributed their parts:
DOWN TO EARTH - GEOGRAPHY IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
Inaugural lecture
on the occasion of the
International Geographical Congress 2012
Cologne, Germany, 26 August 2012
Eckart Ehlers
32.

1.3
INAUGURAL LECTURE
Eckart Ehlers | 27
Humans have more or less self-evidently been seen
as victims of these four spheres of nature. Nowa-
days, however, that humanity has been detected as
a geological factor which very obviously exceeds the
impacts of natural processes, the anthroposphere
has to be added as a fifth factor for the understanding
and functioning of the Earth System – and probably
the central one! And here, at the latest, we have to
ask ourselves: Is climate and its undoubted change
really the decisive agent for global change – or are
there other, equally or even more important triggers?
Climate change was, is and will be a permanent phe-
nomenon of our Earth’s history! But what about the
human dimension? What about the unprecedented
global population growth and its impacts on nature
and resources? And population growth is a twofold
one: it is a quantitative one in terms of the rapidly
growing, yet increasingly marginalized one (Asia, Af-
rica, Latin America …) with legitimate aspirations for
a better future; and it is a qualitative one in terms of
our post-industrial societies with their unwarranted,
insatiable greed for ever more personal satisfaction
and individual well-being.
I argue that both population growth scenarios can/
must be seen at the very bottom of the undisput-
ed increasing vulnerabilities of nature and societies.
This is obviously also recognized by the community
of Earth System scientists. In the most recent is-
sue of the IGBP (March 2012) the Anthropocene is
not only labelled as an “Epoch of our making”, but
population growth from 1750 onwards as the onset
and great accelerator of almost all aspects of glob-
al changes. Whether we take urbanisation – water
use – agriculture – deforestation – climate change
– floods (not to speak of the corresponding increas-
es of greenhouse gases, chemical pollutants etc.),
the human footprint is recognizable everywhere and
responsible for almost all aspects of climate and en-
vironmental changes.
The conclusions drawn by the hard-core Earth Sys-
tem scientists are both surprising and alarming.
They argue, after many years of denial or neglect of
anthropogenic causes of global changes, nowadays
increasingly:
“… Interestingly, while portions of society still refuse
to acknowledge the role of humans in affecting global
era greatly exceeds that due to known changes in
natural processes …”
(IPCC 2007: 135).
It is against this background that the term
“Anthropocene” has to be seen. Coined by
cRutzen &
StoeRMeR in the year 2000 and followed by cRutzen’s
“geology of mankind” (2002) respectively and most
recently (2012) by a “geology of humanity”, the
Anthropocene is considered to mark the beginning
of a new geological era because of the overwhelming
influences of human impacts. The “Anthropocene” is
based on the assumption that
“mankind will remain a geological force for many mil-
lennia, maybe millions of years to come”
(
cRutzen & StoeRmeR 2000: 18)
Is this vision a realistic one? It is so realistic that,
almost simultaneously to this IGC, our geological
colleagues – holding their 34
th
Congress of the Inter-
national Union of Geological Sciences in Brisbane/
Australia – will decide whether the Anthropocene
has to be established as
a new recent period of the Quaternary distinctly
different and succeeding to the Holocene.
What does all that mean for Geography in the An-
thropocene?
My answer is – and I hope that I speak on behalf of
many, hopefully even most of you: it is a challenge,
a task and a unique chance to (re-)establish geo-
graphy as a serious and engaged discipline at the
crossroads of nature and society. As such it should
complement IPCC’s and other’s global predictions
and models by down to earth research on local
to regional levels with special foci on the specific
threats, needs and solutions for people and their en-
vironments.
Traditional global change research has been arguing
for many decades along the more or less disciplinary
lines of
atmosphere – geosphere – hydrosphere – bio-
sphere.

28 | Eckart Ehlers
PART 1
• Is it because only a small, a too small portion of
international geographers engage themselves
in global change research and the increasing-
ly close and intricate interactions of nature and
societies – and their specific natural and cultural
environments?
• Or have we been just too modest, too negligent,
too naïve or simply too late to discover the ob-
vious deficiencies of “traditional” global change
research and the necessities and opportunities
of a human-focussed, anthropogenic global
change research?
It is my deep conviction that our discipline and its
traditional anchorage in
• human-environment research
• recherche sur l’homme – nature et environne-
ment
• Mensch-Umwelt-Forschung
climate, they appear more willing to accept that the
modern world is anything but pristine and strongly
under the influence, if not control, of society.”
(
SyvitSki 2012: 12)
And he concludes (ibid., p. 13):
“Humans have changed the Earth in a number of
fundamental ways, many of which are far less known
than global warming.”
I think that most of us agree when I say that many of
the mentioned problems are high on the agenda of
international geography. Yet, the question remains,
why so few of these studies find access and recog-
nition in the international political debates and Earth
System Science research?
• Is it because the results of these studies are
methodologically not compatible with those of
other disciplines?
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Climate Change
Global
Environmental
Change
Oceano-
graphy
Hydro-
logy
Limnology
Geology
Geophysics
Zoology
Botany
Soil science
Biology
Meteorology
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
The pacemakers:
1980 World Climate Research Programme (WCRP)
1985 International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP)
1
Fig. 1a: From Climate Change Research to Human Dominated Environmental Change Research
in the Anthropocene
ECKART EHLERS

Eckart Ehlers | 29
1.3
INAUGURAL LECTURE
The “discovery” of human impacts:
2
1991/96 International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP)
1991 Diversitas
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Anthroposphere
Oceano-
graphy
Hydro-
logy
Limnology
Geology
Geophysics
Zoology
Botany
Soil science
Biology
Meteorology
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Fig. 1b: From Climate Change Research to Human Dominated Environmental Change Research
in the Anthropocene
• a desperately needed bridge-builder between
natural and social sciences and related fields of
research and technologies;
• a promoter of both intra- and interdisciplinary re-
search on local to regional levels of scale, i.e. on
scales where global change happens;
• an agent to consider and advocate cultural di-
versities and traditions, ethnicity, class, gender
or caste in their specific exposures and reactions
vis-à-vis global phenomena.
How much and to what extent geography is suc-
cessfully engaged in global change research already
today, becomes apparent when we look at the ef-
fects and consequences. Themes and topics like
vulnerability of nature and society – risks and haz-
ards – adaptation and mitigation strategies have
been taken up by geographers worldwide, and
they have been instrumental in developing them as
cross-cutting themes in global change research and
their methodological foundations. Geography and
has not only a legacy, but also an obligation to ful-
fil: i.e. the pro-active transdisciplinary cooperation
as well as solution-oriented integrative partnership
with other disciplines in human-environment re-
search. The appropriateness of such an obligation
becomes apparent when we locate only a few of the
most urgent global change problems into our grid
of spheres. Whatever we take: from the destruction
of the ozone layers via urbanisation – biodiversity –
desertification – floods – droughts to human health,
anthropogenic causes and consequences are at the
very bottom of all these processes. And to me it is
the reason why the anthroposphere is postulated
to be the nodal point and integrating link between
nature and societies, between humans and their en-
vironment.
I am asking all of you, here and today, to think about
these assumptions and, even if you disagree, to
reflect on our discipline’s history and potentials to
serve as

30 | Eckart Ehlers
PART 1
geographers can take pride in the fact that they are
among the leaders in those fields that deal with the
consequences of climate and environmental chang-
es and with suggestions to cope with them. As a
matter of fact: I am sure that the development of
regionally, culturally and technologically adapted mit-
igation strategies and coping capabilities will be of
growing importance for global change research.
In pursuit of my given task, i.e. to set the frame: I
think that the four key topics of the 32
nd
International
Congress of Geography
• Global Change and Globalisation
• Society and Environment
• Risks and Conflicts
• Urbanisation and Demographic Change
are a timely signal of and for geography’s respon-
sibilities to humanity in the 21
st
century. I hope sin-
cerely that the intellectual impulses emanating from
this congress will stimulate our discipline’s future
development and foster its increased participation
in the steadily growing demands of global change
research.
And: global change research will have growing de-
mands – unfortunately, one may say. Population
growth, quantitative and qualitative, will continue;
and therefore: human pressures on and exploitation
of our planet’s limited resources. Even worse: hopes
are vanishing to reach the Kyoto Protocol’s 2
°
C limit
of global warming. This failure will lead to further in-
creases of nature’s extremes, to growing risks and
hazards and to intensified vulnerabilities of nature
and societies. As a consequence, there will be new
demands for human adaptation and mitigation strat-
egies.
All this will open wide fields also and especially for
geography: physical and/or social; basic and/or ap-
plicable; intra- or interdisciplinary. My question to all
of us:
Destruction of ozone layer
Trade and tourism
Industrialisation
Urbanisation
Human
health
CO
2
and
other GHG
Droughts
Invasion of
new species
Overfishing
of oceans
Lowering of
groundwater table
Floods
Landslides
Environmental migration
Soil degradation
Land cover change
Agriculture
Desertification
Deforestation
Temperature increase
Changes of
air and water
circulation
Glacier melt
Sea level rise
Changes of
precipitation regimes
Loss of
biodiversity
Population
growth
quantitative-qualitative
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Anthropo-
sphere
Nature and society as causors and victims:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC 1997-2002-2007-2014)
3
Fig. 1c: From Climate Change Research to Human Dominated Environmental Change Research
in the Anthropocene
ECKART EHLERS

Eckart Ehlers | 31
1.3
INAUGURAL LECTURE
• Are we willing to take up these challenges, tasks
and chances and go beyond our present endea-
vours?
• Or will many of us, maybe: too many prefer to
remain part of an intellectual/academic “indus-
try” with its own more or less selfish interests, for
which there are hardly consumers and no public
recognition?
I am well aware of the fact that these questions
may be considered as purely rhetorical ones. And
they may remain rhetoric as long as the institution-
al framework conditions of academic teaching and
research are not adjusted to the new challenges of
integrative-holistic scientific research problems and
their solutions. The increasing complexity of almost
all forms of global change research with their intricate
interactions and interdependencies between nature
and society cries for innovative forms of university
curricula away from purely disciplinary approaches
to more inter- and transdisciplinary teaching and re-
search. And these endeavours must be honoured
by creating adequate positions and careers in uni-
versities and research institutions in order to attract
young enthusiastic academics and offer them fu-
ture-oriented perspectives, e.g. in the varying fields
of global (environmental) change research!
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends and colleagues!
Let me conclude and add two personal remarks.
First: I am well aware that much of what I have been
pleading for, is by no means new. My plea for an
intensified revival of human-environment geography
has a bright pre-history, dating back in fact to Alex-
ander von Humboldt and the beginnings of scientific
geography. But today’s paradigms and necessities
are different. I share the pride of those who – already
in 1997 – propagated the rediscovery of geography
and its “new relevance for science and society”.
Much has been done in this respect by a few. How-
ever, much more needs to be done in this respect by
many more.
R
E
S
I
L
I
E
N
C
E
H
A
Z
A
R
D
S
R
I
S
K
S
A
N
D
M
I
T
I
G
A
T
I
O
N
A
D
A
P
T
A
T
I
O
N
E
C
O
L
O
G
I
C
A
L
V
U
L
N
E
R
A
B
I
L
I
T
Y
S
O
C
I
A
L
A
N
D
E
C
O
N
O
M
I
C
V
U
L
N
E
R
A
B
I
L
I
T
Y
Population
growth
quantitative-qualitative
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Geosphere
Anthropo-
sphere
Oceano-
graphy
Hydro-
logy
Limnology
Geology
Geophysics
Zoology
Botany
Soil science
Biology
Meteorology
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
The challenges ahead:
4
2006 Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP)
2013/14 Future Earth Programme
Fig. 1d: From Climate Change Research to Human Dominated Environmental Change Research
in the Anthropocene

32 | Eckart Ehlers
PART 1
Second: My urgent plea for a human-environmen-
tal geography does by no means exclude any other
form of geographical research and specialisations.
On the contrary: disciplinary variety and diversity are
basic preconditions for the development of always
new ideas and scientific approaches, out of which,
however, also and always new ideas may emerge
as meaningful contributions to solve our globalized
societies’ manifold problems also beyond global
change.
In 1899 Frhr.
v. Richthofen argued in favour of a
“common fostering soil, offered by geography” on
which “some of the most beautiful flowers of re-
search mature…”. Today, 113 years later, those
flowers of geog raphical research have developed
into an almost exotic “botanical garden” in which
geographies of different kinds have been growing –
maturing – or vanishing again after short periods of
blossom.
But what, then, is
v. Richthofen’s “common fostering
soil”? I want to suggest that the interrelationships
between nature and humankind be such a “common
fostering soil” – and geography an indispensable
and versatile fertilizer of this soil. And this the more
as nowadays no one single discipline will be able to
solve the environmental complexities and coupled
problems of the anthropogenic future.
For millennia of years, humanity has lived under the
threats of nature. Today, nature is existing under the
threats of humankind. Let us all come back “Down
to Earth” and follow the Nobel Prize Laureates’ ad-
vice for new forms of interdependent social-ecolog-
ical systems of global change research. They argue:
“It is time for a new social contract for global sustain-
ability rooted in a shift of perception – from people
and nature seen as separate parts to interdependent
social-ecological systems.”
“Most current economic and technological solutions
are ecologically illiterate and too linear and single
problem-orientated.”
“We need a new type of ‘social-ecological’ innova-
tions and technologies that work more directly for
social justice, poverty alleviation, environmental sus-
tainability and democracy…”
(3
rd
Nobel Laureate Symposium
on Global Sustainability 2011: 15/16)
And nothing has to be added to that!
Thank you for your attention and “Glückauf!”
References
cRutzen, P. (2002): Geology of mankind. - Nature,
415: 23.
cRutzen, P. (2012): Anthropocene. The geology of
humanity. Global Change Issue 78. - Stockholm.
cRutzen, P. & StoeRMeR, E.F. (2000): Anthropocene.
-IGBP Newsletter 41: 17-18.
ehleRS, E. (2008): Das Anthropozän. Die Erde im
Zeitalter des Menschen. - Darmstadt.
hettneR, a. (1905): Das Wesen und die Methoden
der Geographie. - Geographische Zeitschrift 11:
549-553.
hettneR, A. (1927): Die Geographie - ihre Geschichte,
ihr Wesen und ihre Methoden. - Breslau.
IPCC / Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(2007): Climate Change 2007. The physical ba-
sis. - Cambridge.
MackindeR, H.J. (1887): On the Scope and Methods
of Geography. - Proceedings of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society 9: 141-174.
Mackinder, H.J. (1904): The Geographical Pivot of
History. - Geographical Journal 23: 421-437.
National Research Council / National Academy of
Sciences (1997): Rediscovering Geography.
New Relevance for Science and Society. Redis-
covering Geography Committee. Board on Earth
Sciences and Resources. - Washington DC.
v. Richthofen, f. (1901): Eröffnungsrede des Vor-
sitzenden der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde. Ver-
handlungen des Siebenten Internationalen
Geo graphen-Kongresses Berlin 1899. London,
Berlin, Paris: 17-33. (see also: J.
StadelbaueR
(2012): Berlin 1899: The Seventh International
Geographical Congress. A Retrospective on Oc-
casion of the 32
nd
IGC, Cologne August 2012.
- Cologne).
SyvitSki, J. (2012): Anthropocene: An epoch of our
making. Global Change Issue 78. - Stockholm.
Third Nobel Laureate Symposium on Global Sustain-
ability (2011): Transforming the world in an Era of
Global Change. Executive Summary of Scientific
Background Reports. - Stockholm.
ECKART EHLERS

| 33
1.3

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
1.4
Keynote Lectures

PART 1
36 | Klaus Töpfer
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 36-
For more than eight years I had to fly again and again
mainly from Amsterdam to Nairobi and vice versa.
What drew immediately my attention, looking out of
the window of the plane, was a simple fact: Flying
over the so-called developed European countries
from Amsterdam to the northern coastline of the
Mediterranean, I noticed with surprise those excep-
tional areas or small places not used by mankind. On
the other side of the Mediterranean, looking down,
those exceptional areas used by mankind raised my
attention. It was exactly the opposite.
Participating actively in the Potsdam discussion, for-
mulating and reading these findings of a quasi-ge-
ological force, those different pictures between Eu-
rope and Africa came back to my mind.
Mankind – Designers or a “quasi-geological
force”?
“Development” in the expectation of the Western
world has resulted in reshaping of nature, in land-
scape designing, in changing wet lands into agricul-
tural land, changing soil fertility with fertilizers, dam-
ming rivers for electricity production and many other
uses.
Rivers have been changed in their course, for ex-
ample the river Rhine just in Cologne, for reasons
of agriculture, settlements and transport. The Rhine
was shortened by the visionary plans of a genius en-
gineer named Tulla, a Professor at the University of
Karlsruhe in 1817. It was shortened for more than 60
kilometers, changing of course the flood condition
after heavy rainfall quite drastically. In this case, de-
velopment resulted in a manmade, so called natural
disaster. The probability of floods and the intensity
of these floods increased quite drastically. Are these
now natural disasters or manmade disasters? The
changes in courses of rivers are mainly regional, in
I have to admit that I was a little nervous to give this
keynote speech. I am not a Geographer and I know
there are some people thinking ‘is he really a sci-
entist? He was a very long time a politician, but a
scientist?’
Going back and forth between science and poli-
tics there is always a risk being judged as a hybrid
person, which means, you have to overcome some
prejudice.
Nevertheless I believe we need more and more of
those hybrids in these days, because we are in an
open democratic system and integration of all kinds
of opinions and knowledge is higly important.
Some years ago, in October 2007, the first interdis-
ciplinary symposium of Nobel Prize Laureates took
place in Potsdam, next to Berlin. The symposium
was held under the title: “Global Sustainability - a
Nobel Cause”. More than fifteen Nobel Prize Lau-
reates of a range of different scientific disciplines
participated. It was an intensive, deep rooted dis-
cussion also with leading politicians, like the German
chancellor Angela Merkel as well as with represent-
atives of civil society and business. At the end of
the symposium, the considerations and conclusions
were summarized in the so-called Potsdam Memo-
randum. The main conclusions underline in the very
beginning: “the worldwide socio-economic acceler-
ation has pushed our planet into an unprecedented
situation. Humanity is acting now as a quasi geolog-
ical force on a planetary scale, that will qualitatively
and irreversibly alter the national earth system mode
of operations should business as usual be pursued”.
In those days, in 2007 I had just finished my eight
years as Executive Director of the United Nation En-
vironment Programme UNEP. UNEP is headquar-
tered not in New York and not in Geneva but in Nai-
robi, in Kenya, in the middle of the African continent.
ON THE WAY TO THE ANTHROPOCENE. CONSEQUENCES OF SCIENTIFIC RE-
SEARCH, SOCIETAL UNDERSTANDING AND POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY
Klaus Töpfer
Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam and
former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
40.

1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Klaus Töpfer | 37
This quasi-geological force of mankind reaches
much further than the one described before as a
consequence linked with ability to design the physi-
cal earth for the sake of economic development in a
world with already more than 7 billion people today
and 9 billion to be expected by 2050. Today, not only
our landscapes are designed but there is a vision, to
some extent already reality, that man is capable to
design weather and even the climate.
Rainfall will be more often a manmade event bringing
access to water in a world with more than 9 billion
people in a new dimension of conflicts.
The case of climate change is in this context es-
pecially relevant. Mitigation of greenhouse gases is
and will stay the best option for any serious glob-
al change approach in politics and for economies.
What to do, when all the activities to mitigate or to
adapt to climate change are not sufficient, not suc-
cessful? How to handle what the IPCC mentioned
in its last report, if we are confronted with a climate
emergency situation?
The Anthropocene – A daunting task for engi-
neers?
Engineering in order to handle the negative conse-
quences of previous human activities has become
an issue in the case of climate change. Scientific re-
search is crucial to single out the possibilities for this
kind of engineering, climate engineering, geo-engi-
neering, to identify the negative consequences, the
different regional implications and reversibility, to
name only those few questions for intensive scien-
tific research.
This new dimension of human influence on shaping
nature and life, on shaping the capacity and the
structure of the earth revitalizes a fairly old question.
The question whether the Holocene, the actual earth
period lasting already for more than 10.000 years, is
coming or has already come to an end. Is the new
era the manmade world, the quasi-geological force,
the anthropocene? The article of the Nobel Prize
Laureate Paul Crutzen in “Nature” in 2002 titled
“Geology of mankind” started a quite controversial
discussion on this topic, on the anthropocene. The
Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society
of London accepted to discuss the proposal to
some cases even local, examples for the designing
of nature by mankind; the experience in this field has
long tradition. These changes are in principle revers-
ible. The direct and indirect impacts are usually lim-
ited to the regional scale. This kind of a manmade
nature can be reshaped again echoing new human
needs, better scientific insights or correcting nega-
tive consequences of previous intervention.
To mention the river Rhine as an example again: In my
time as the Environment Minister of Rhineland-Palat-
inate, a German state bordering the Rhine, we de-
cided to construct a number of manmade polders.
The aim of this intervention: to store the water of
the Rhine river preventing most disastrous floodings
downstream the Rhine, for example in this old, won-
derful city of Cologne. Needless to say that this is a
hell of a job having in mind that all those areas were
of course used quite intensively in the meantime
– for agriculture, for recreation, infrastructure – for
villages, cities and roads. The consequence: huge
protest of the people. Until now not a single polder
is operational. But nevertheless: you can correct the
negative consequences of previous intervention by a
new manmade intervention.
The Acceleration of science and knowledge de-
velopment
The fascinating progress of science, this accelera-
tion process of research is more and more as we
know revealing the construction pattern of nature, of
creation, of life.
All these findings are characterized by the same
denominator: their consequences are far reaching
in time and in geographical scale. The sociologist
Elias named it the prolongation of the action chain.
These results of science and research enable man-
kind to change willingly of unwillingly by chance or
by purpose the condition for the stability of nature of
the large ecosystems, from the oceans via the cry-
osphere, the biosphere and the atmosphere. These
changes are increasingly characterized to be irre-
versible and global in scale. The negative of human
actions based on scientific findings in our time in the
time of synthetic biology, of artificial intelligence, of
the decoding of the genome and the protein of life
of men, consequences far-reaching and irreversible.

38 | Klaus Töpfer
PART 1
TINA-principle or
“The Principle of Responsibility”?
What are the consequences of this dilemma? In the
Potsdam Memorandum, the question is raised “Is
there a third way between environmental destabili-
zation and persisting underdevelopment especially
with regard to the situation in the energy markets?”
The answer is “Yes”, and they add “through rein-
venting of our industrial metabolism through a great
transformation”, a great transformation mentioned
years and decades before by Polanyi in his famous
book. What does this mean for the real world we are
living in? This world, to cut it short, lives under the
dictate of short-termism.
All the crises we are confronted with right now, the
climate crisis, the crisis of ecosystems and biolog-
ical diversity, the crisis of food production and last
but not least the crisis of the economic and financial
architecture in the world, all those crises and many
more are nothing more than the oath of disclosure
of this short-termism. In Germany, the so-called bad
word of the year is announced annually. In 2010 this
word was ‘without alternative’. In Maggie Thatcher’s
time there was the mentioning of the so-called TINA
principle. TINA means ‘there is no alternative’.
As an economist by training I have to confess I
learned that on the short term all costs are fix costs,
and that on the medium and long term all costs are
flexible costs. So we come back to the question of
time. “Without alternatives” everything is fixed, too
big to fail. This is an indicator for the short-termism
in the world. Wherever societies accept the TINA
principle the consequence will be a growing crisis,
especially of a parliamentarian democracy. In a time
of short-termism and the reign of the TINA princi-
ple, there is no room for parliamentarian discussion
concerning alternatives. This was underlined by Her-
fried Münkler in his article in the “SPIEGEL” (
MünkleR
2012), where he illustrates how parliament only gets
to agree what has already been decided under the
pressure of stock exchanges and rating agencies.
The Anthropocene will challenge scientists of all
fields; will challenge civil society and politicians to
prolong again the time scale to overcome short-ter-
mism and to develop alternatives.
make the Anthropocene a formal unit of geological
epoch divisions in 2008, the Geological Society of
America entitled its 2011 annual meeting: “Archean
to Anthropocene: The past is the key to the future.”
Paul Crutzen, an atmospheric chemist and for a
long time the head of the Max Planck Institute for
Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, was honored in 1995
with the Nobel Prize together with Mario Molina and
Sherwood Rowland. Those three scientists were
honored due to their research on the ozone deple-
tion for scientifically tracing the reasons for the ozone
whole in the CFCs. In the above mentioned article
in Nature Paul Crutzen underlined “With regard to
the ozone topic, things could have become much
worse: The ozone destroying properties of the hal-
ogens have been studied since long time, but more
by luck than by wisdom, this catastrophic situation
(the ozone hole becoming a global year round phe-
nomenon) did not develop” (
cRutzen 2002).
This remark gives a clear signal for the necessary
perspective of science and research. In a time
where, and to quote Crutzen once more “mankind
will remain a major environmental force for many mil-
lennia. A daunting task lies ahead for scientists and
engineers to guide society through environmentally
sustainable management during the era of Anthro-
pocene.” The engineering is a counter measure to
handle the negative consequences of human action
based on scientific findings.
I don’t believe that only scientists and engineers
are responsible for handling these challenges of the
Anthropocene. Scientists and engineers have to do
their utmost to study the direct and indirect conse-
quences of this knowledge coming from the detec-
tion of the construction of pattern of life.
We are living in a time of intensive global economic
competition. We are living in a time with an ongoing
dramatic increase of human population as I men-
tioned before. All those people, all those 9 billion are
determined to detect new chances and options to
overcome poverty, to make economic development
with jobs possible.
KLAUS TÖPFER

Klaus Töpfer | 39
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
UK, but there is clearly a lack of a global govern-
ance regime. This is an urgent need for the political
class to develop new governance structures for the
era of the Anthropocene. The Nobel Prize Laureates
in Potsdam asked for a “Global Contract between
Science and Society”, a contract that would “em-
brace many elements”. Is that a real option, how to
integrate such a process in an open democratic sys-
tem?
This is the task for science, to adopt not only an
interdisciplinary but a transdisciplinary approach, to
integrate the private sector and the civil society in
the development of science and research and not
only let them participate in the implementation of the
findings of science. This is quite a huge challenge.
More people around the world need to become
aware how heavily the world is influenced by deci-
sions with long lasting irreversible consequences. It
is necessary, that more and more people draw con-
sequences, that they themselves accept responsi-
bility. Responsibility in the sense that, Ulrich Beck,
underlined: “If society is made responsible, nobody
is responsible. This is nothing else than a collective
un-responsibility” (
beck 1988, translation by author).
If you make an abstract body responsible, nobody
really is responsible. In the light of the development
of climate policy it can be seen, that governments
seem to be unwilling or unable to handle the issue,
so civil society has to take on the job, which also has
been criticized, that climate policy has been privat-
ized.
But in the meantime, with the “Energiewende”, giv-
ing individuals not only responsibility but also the
right to participate in this vital part, the energy sys-
tem, it became evident, that there are many people
willing to take on the challenge, by taking an active
part in this transition process. This is not necessarily
out of a sense of responsibility, but still the massive
growth of community owned production sites of re-
newable energies can be seen as a sign of aware-
ness. Awareness for the fact that the transition from
a nuclear energy system, which was seen as without
alternatives for many years, to a system with less
long-term effects must be taken on as a societal
challenge, as the high degree of acceptance reflects.
The role of science in this process is and has to be
to accompany the transition in an integrated manner.
It was the German-Jewish philosopher Hans Jonas
in his landmark book ‘The principle of responsibil-
ity’ who singled out a new categorical imperative
for our times of technology: “Act in a way that the
consequences of your actions are comparable with
the permanence of genuine human life on earth” (
Jo-
naS 1979, translation by author), exactly the long-
term perspectives. Responsibility, this is an ethical
question for the long-term consequences, that is the
great transformation we need, that is sustainability
in my interpretation. This principle, more than three
hundred years old in 2013, started from Carl von
Carlowitz, the mining official in Saxony. The dilemma
is unsolved until now if I see it correctly. The dictate
of short-termism in policy and society on the one
side, and the need for the prolongation of the action
chain combined with a growing influence of mankind
in the Anthropocene, in a time where mankind is a
quasi-geological force.
Going back to the concrete example of climate
change, knowing that human actions result in mas-
sively releasing greenhouse gases and changing the
climate, how to decide on the research and the im-
plementation of climate engineering? Correcting the
mistakes of human actions by interventions of engi-
neers and scientists by injecting particles, for exam-
ple sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere, who will be re-
sponsible for the decisions to come to such a forced
adaptation? What are the ethical consequences of
this? Is that changing, that mankind is not only a part
of the creation, but it wants to be a creator?
A global contract between science and society
The IPCC mentioned the possibility of a climate
emergency topic in the 4th Assessment Report.
Who is developing an emergency response policy
having in mind that the consequences of those inter-
ventions may be worse than the emergency itself?
Will the water to fight the fire of the crisis be more
destructive than the fire itself?
Take, for example, the way the financial crisis in Eu-
rope and worldwide has been handled. After having
been an Under-Secretary-General of the United Na-
tions for eight years I come to the conclusion that
there is no global governance structure for such sit-
uations at all. There are national laws and regulations
for issues like climate engineering, like in the US or

PART 1
40 | Klaus Töpfer
quences of this quasi-geological force. More than
ever, it seems most demanding to take over respon-
sibility for transparency of developments, for singling
out consequences in the medium and long term as
early as possible and to be aware of the new cate-
gorical imperative of Hans Jonas.
Integrating civil society in research topics and to
learn the other way round that knowledge can also
be produce by and with the civil society. I am abso-
lutely convinced that this IGC in Cologne will contrib-
ute manifold to this request.
References:
beck, U. (1988): Gegengifte. Die organisierte Unver-
antwortlichkeit. - Frankfurt a.M..
cRutzen, P. (2002): Geology of Mankind. - Nature,
415: 23.
JonaS, H. (1979): Das Prinzip Verantwortung. - In:
Böhler D. (ed.): Hans Jonas. Leben, Wissen-
schaft, Verantwortung. - Stuttgart.
MünkleR, H. (2012): Die rasenden Politiker. Vom ab-
sehbaren Ende der parlamentarischen Demokra-
tie. - Der Spiegel, 29: 100-101.
The discussion whether we are living already in a
new manmade world in the Anthropocene, whether
all those influences of mankind on nature, are as old
as mankind itself, this discussion will go on and I
believe it has to.
More activities and programmes across the scienc-
es, arts and society have to involve the people ac-
tively in controversial discussions on such issues;
otherwise we would be again in the same trap that
we accept too early that there is no alternative.
But the simple fact that quantitatively and qualita-
tively mankind is more than ever influencing nature
is unquestioned. The differentiation between na-
ture, natural and manmade catastrophes is more
and more fluid. The share of mankind in all kinds of
catastrophes is growing, especially having in mind
the consequences of these nature catastrophes. A
Tsunami is of course as far as we know it now, not
manmade. But the consequences are dramatically
different with a manmade structure of human hab-
itats, industrial sites, and nuclear power plants on
the coastlines.
It is an immense challenge for the (geographic) sci-
entific community not only to describe the conse-
KLAUS TÖPFER

1.4
Anne Buttimer | 41
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 41-
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Anne Buttimer
Geographer, IGU Past President, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
It is delightful to be here in Cologne, the city of the
great Saint Albert and his associates, evoking mem-
ories of Meister Eckhart and the Rhineland mystics
- all these wonderful counter-point voices that have
questioned hegemonic orthodoxies down the years.
You have invited me to speak about society and en-
vironment and I wish to deal with ideas, emphasizing
particularly the importance of counter point voices
1
.
Iapproach this from the vantage point of my favorite
subject, Geography, GAIA, this great orchestra of
life, including especially the noosphere.
Looking at society and environment, I claim that there
can be no adequate description of society without
reference to its environmental setting. Nor can one
really understand humanity without reference to its
earthly context. The term “human” (humanus from
humus = earth) is defined in all Indo-European lan-
guages as an earth dweller (Fig. 1).
Landscape images reveal
the record of interactions
between humans and their
environments over time, and
indeed the relationships of
society and environment
vary dramatically around the
world. I speak mainly about
Western traditions, but rec-
ognize many common de-
nominators with other tradi-
tions of thought, belief and
practice. Most societies,
for example, regard their lo-
cation as the centre of the
world. Consider this Sixth
Century image from Chi-
na which regarded itself as
global centre with increasing
barbarism extending out-
wards from there (Fig.2).
Fig. 1: The human being is an earth dweller
Fig. 2: Sixth century Chinese world view
52.

42 | Anne Buttimer
PART 1
tion of its dynamism. The Socratic theory of the hu-
mors eliminated human emotions (Fig. 3b).
For the Pre-Socratics, too, there was a closer con-
nection between mind and body – between the intel-
lectual and physical aspects of reality. Nous - knowl-
edge, consciousness – was regarded as integral to
Physis (Fig. 4). In the Socratic tradition, however,
these elements became separated (Fig. 4).
This distinction between thought and being – be-
tween the quests for truth and goodness – became
a separation. And this “Socratic split” influenced
Western thought on society and environment down
the centuries. But there have been some counter-
point voices, chief among these the Rhineland mys-
tics, such as Hildegarde of Bingen, as well as the
famous Leonardo da Vinci (Fig. 5).
Each of the four cardinal directions is associated
with one of four basic elements (fire, wood, metal
and water), the four annual seasons, four human
emotions (fear, joy, anger and sorrow), four distinct
colours (black, green, red and white) all enshrined in
the perennial dialogue of Yin and Yang. Each year an
imperial pageantry visited these four stations at the
appropriate season.
In the Western world, too, there was a Heraclitean
tradition of seeing the universe and humanity in an
integrated way, although the definition of “elements”
was quite different (Fig. 3a, 3b).
In this view (Fig. 3a) the unifying force among the
four basic elements (fire, air, earth and water) is hu-
man love, and the dividing force is human hate. Now
came the Socratics, and they stripped this concep-
Fig. 3a: Heraclitean views of health/wholeness Fig. 3b: Socratic theory of the humours
Fig. 4: Pre-Socratic and Socratic views on Nous
and Physis
Fig. 5: Leonardo da Vinci: The human body as
microcosm
ANNE BUTTIMER

Anne Buttimer | 43
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
amine livelihoods - everyday ways of life - as central
foci of concern.
Here is the structure of geographic enquiry and,
thanks to la géographie humaine, the framework of
genre de vie – probably one of most integrated con-
cepts that geographers have ever cultivated (Fig. 7a,
7b).
Associated with nous are issues of identity; asso-
ciated with landscape are issues of order and so-
cio-spatial organization; at the level of physis – bi-
ophysical environment – are issues of niche, i.e.,
ecological attunement of livelihood to the natural
environment. I’ll come back to these three cardinal
societal interests later.
These counterpoint voices re-iterated
the need to consider human experience
– thought and being – in the context of
the overall universal experience of society
and environment.
Down the centuries, indeed, geogra-
phers have looked at interactions of nous
and physis with a special focus on lived
landscapes (Fig. 6a).
There are records of idealist, ecological
and environmental determinist lines of re-
search over the years. The big difference
which occurred in the mid-20
th
century
was an exclusive focus on “spatial anal-
ysis”, thus sublimating attention to nous
and physis. Environment became a kind
of tabula rasa, a featureless space, where
processes unfolded (Fig. 6b). And no attention was
paid to variations of bio-physical milieu; nor was
there much concern about environmental protection
or quality of lived space.
But again there were some counter-point voices.
The massive volume entitled Man’s Role in Chang-
ing the Face of the Earth certainly made a stir (
thoM-
aS 1956). Many of my generation will remember
the opening essay by Gutkind on the great turning
points in the history of humankind, revealing major
transformations of attitudes from fear and longing for
security, to growing self confidence, later to aggres-
siveness and conquest, and finally to responsibility
and unification.
The essays in this book re-opened questions about
society and environment. They also evoked interest
in the evolution of livelihoods and technology, and
questions about whether these were products of
diffusion or of independent invention. Another great
counter point voice of the 1960s was that of Rachel
Carlson’s Silent Spring, a book no doubt familiar to
all here (
caRlSon 2000). The book that really re-intro-
duced concerns about historical aspects of society
and environment was Clarence Glacken’s Traces on
the Rhodean Shore. Glacken reviewed classical ide-
as about society and nature, and identified various
conceptions that had dominated Western thought
from classical times to the Eighteenth Century
(
Glacken 1967). From all these sources, therefore,
came the conviction that geographers should re-ex-
Fig. 6b: The spatial tradition
Fig. 6a: Traditions of geographic enquiry

44 | Anne Buttimer
PART 1
The 1960s also witnessed a questioning of tradi-
tional theories of science. Conventional views held
that scientific lenses worn by the observer could
guarantee objectivity in descriptions of the objects
observed. Well, then came phenomenology, exis-
tentialism, hermeneutics and a few other schools
of thought which noted the “inevitable ripple” (
hei-
SenbeRG 1958, see also cohen 1985) between the
observer and the thing observed. They therefore
emphasized the need to “put in parentheses”, as
it were, all the pre-conceptions which scientists
brought to the object of study (Fig. 8).
There was also concern about functional speciali-
zation. To what extent was the analytical specializa-
tion among scientific fields echoed in the sectoral
fragmentation of policy? Views on the earth, for ex-
ample, were quite obviously projected by “tunnel-vi-
sion” experts (Fig. 9).
How to reach an integrated knowledge about the
earth – let alone about the relationships between so-
ciety and environment from across the various fields
of science and humanities? This was a worry particu-
larly in Sweden and it was a project on which I spent
many years, together with Torsten Hägerstrand dur-
ing the 1970s and 1980s (
buttiMeR 1980, 1986). We
video-interviewed a few hundred senior and retired
scholars about their career experiences, to see if
we could find some common denominators among
Fig. 7a: Structures of geographic enquiry Fig. 7b: Genres de vie: Taken-for-granted lifeways
Fig. 8: Critical reflections on traditional views of
science
Fig. 9: Specialised perspectives on earth and
society
ANNE BUTTIMER

Anne Buttimer | 45
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
events, which has a growing appeal for post-mod-
ernist scholars. Each of these world views is an-
chored on a particular theory of truth (Table 1).
Organicism emphasizes coherence and regards
ongoing world processes as dialectical and unifying.
specialists of various fields. These record-
ings were then shared with specialists from
diverse backgrounds who shared insights
from their own career experiences and
raised critical questions about knowledge
integration. These responses were also re-
corded. From a scrutiny of these conversa-
tions, as well as from the reactions, three
major potential bases for mutual under-
standing and communication among spe-
cialists emerged: “meaning”, “metaphor”
and “milieu” (
buttiMeR 1983, 1993).
The age-old Aristotelian categories of
scholarship seemed appropriate as bases
for defining vocational meaning (Fig. 10).
Teachers, for example, tend to understand
teachers, researchers tend to share insights
into analytical methods, critical (philosoph-
ical) thinkers can also share questions and
applied scientists (e.g., those involved in
planning), easily find bases for communica-
tion and mutual understanding.
In terms of metaphor, we found Stephen
Pepper’s idea of “World Hypotheses” to be
quite effective in the discernment of com-
mon denominators of “cognitive style” (
PeP-
PeR 1942). As far as milieu is concerned,
the traditional public concerns about identi-
ty, order and niche were immediately iden-
tifiable in all of the interviews with scholars
in diverse fields.
Here I wish to focus primarily on world
views or “root metaphors” as explicated in-
itially by
PePPeR (1942) (Fig. 11).
A view of the world as an organic whole can
be found in the work of historians, theolo-
gians, some physicists, poets and geogra-
phers. It is an integrated world view. Then
there is a view of the world as a mosaic of
patterns shared by people in various dis-
ciplines, including art and architecture, cartography
and crystallography. There is also a widely-held view
of the world as a mechanical system, with integrated
functional relationships, dear to the heart of physi-
cists, engineers and some economists. Finally, there
is a view of the world as an arena of spontaneous
Fig. 10: Scholarly practices: constellations of vocational mean-
ing
Fig. 11: Four world views: root metaphors
Table 1: World Hypotheses and Practices of Geography
2
World
Hypothesis
Roof
Metaphor
Theory of
truth
Process
Organicism Organism Coherence Dialectical
Unifying
Formism Mosaic Correspondence Form-ation
Patterning
Contextualism Mechanism Causal Mechanistic
Contextualism Arena Operational Spontaneous
Events
ARENA
Contextualism
MECHANISM
Mechanism
MOSAIC
Formism
ORGANISM
Organicism
DISPERSED
INTEGRATIVE
SYNTHETIC
ANALYTIC

46 | Anne Buttimer
PART 1
In its place came the mosaic world view which
aimed to empirically represent, as accurately as pos-
sible, realities presented to the senses. Its cognitive
claims rested on a correspondence theory of truth
(Fig. 14a, 14b).
This is a dispersed world view, reality construed as
a mosaic of patterns. Beneath each pattern there
are formative processes at work. This perspective
characterized geography’s chorological tradition,
one which produced many national atlases – much
information but no attempt at integration (Fig. 14b).
This was documented in the work of Hartshorne,
the major authority of orthodoxy in mid-20
th
century
American Geography (
haRtShoRne 1939).
As hegemony therefore, the mosaic image of
the world also produced an imaginary creature,
Formism, or the mosaic view, has a correspon-
dence theory of truth and its concern is to find ways
to correctly represent forms as they occur in re-
ality. Mechanism has a causal theory of truth and it
emphasizes functional relationships. And the arena
point of view (contextualism) rests on an operational
theory of truth. All four world views were probably
simultaneously present throughout the 20
th
Century,
even though one would tend to dominate over the
others at different times. Organicism was popular in
the early part of the 20
th
century, replaced by formism
in the thirties; mechanism dominated after World
War II and then contextualism became popular after
the 1960s.
An organicist world view would treasure instanc-
es of human dwelling which is harmoniously settled
within its natural bio-physical environment (Fig. 12).
The scale of such settlement could also
facilitate the development of community.
In geography, such perspectives were
used in studies of particular regions,
sense of place, geo-politics, livelihood
and resources. It is based on a coher-
ence theory of truth which assumes
that world reality consists of fragments
which progressively converge into nex-
uses, and then through dialectical pro-
cesses and contradictions, wind up as
an organic whole. And that whole was
already implicit in the fragments (Fig.13).
This world view was popular among
both anarchist and imperialist circles
in early 20
th
century Western Europe. It
was used by empires and big nations to
justify colonization. It was also deployed
in studies on the “evolution of civiliza-
tion” to show that the cultural superiority
of certain nations was also bolstered by
ideal environmental conditions. So then
it became a kind of hegemony. When
such world images become monopolis-
tic, critics come to regard them as mon-
sters inviting attack. So the organicist
world view was viciously denounced –
not on strictly epistemological grounds
– but rather on the grounds of alleged
environmental determinism and imperi-
alism. Fig. 13: A coherence theory of truth
Fig. 12: World as organic whole: an “organicist” landscape
ANNE BUTTIMER

Anne Buttimer | 47
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
ship (Fig. 15a). Post-war building design, e.g., Place
Pompidou (Fig. 15b) is also symbolic.
In geography, mechanistic views gave rise to a series
of new research questions, e.g., on industrial loca-
tion, marketing systems, hydrological cycles, urban-
ization, and so on. One explored time-cost distance
in access to various destinations (Fig. 16).
“Environment” was still regarded as a tabula rasa,
a featureless space, organized around nodes, net-
works and time-cost distances. Technology had
become the essential explanatory element in re-
lationships between society and environment. In
a “Chimera”- or, like a layer-cake - something to
transcend. Further, this formistic – ground-mapping
- approach had not really helped in wartime. It had
worked well for infantry-led battles during World War
I, but it didn’t work for the air-borne strategies of
World War II. Systems analysis, beloved particularly
by those who witnessed its effectiveness in guiding
target-bomb landing strategies during World War
II, began to appear in the early 1940s and 1950s.
Students at American University programmes were all
encouraged to write papers on the nature of geogra-
phy: “Areal differentiation or spatial interaction?”. The
latter option was usually regarded as the preferred
one. In place of the “mosaic” world view, therefore,
came that of the world as mechanical system.
A succinct image of the mechanist world view
could be either that of a wheel or that of a steam
Fig.14a: World as mosaic: a formistic landscape
Fig. 14b: Hartshorne’s Nature of Geography
Fig. 15a: Mechanistic process
Fig. 15b: Place Pompidou

48 | Anne Buttimer
PART 1
America, in fact, civilization was defined as available
only within ten miles from the railway! Now this he-
gemony was not attacked in any directly aggressive
way. Rather, it was progressively undermined by the
gentle voices of people like Yi-Fu Tuan, Kevin Lynch,
Jane Jacobs and others (
JacobS 1961). By the early
1970s, serious questions were raised about the pro-
claimed certainties of the mechanistic world view.
In its place came the view of world as an arena
of spontaneous events and a revival of contextu-
alist theories of truth. In a sense this represented a
revival of New England pragmatism and of Bergso-
nian views on intuition. It was applied in studies of
resources, hazards, sense of place, and especially
of environmental perception. Ideas such as “street
ballet” (
JacobS 1961), “city image” (lynch 1962) and
genius loci became popular (Fig. 17a, 17b).
Each of these four world views sheds its own
particular light on the range of subjects, related to
society and environment (Fig. 18).
Fig. 17a: World as arena of spontaneous events
Fig. 17b: Place Pompidou as arena
Fig. 16: Time-cost access to various destinations
3
ANNE BUTTIMER

Anne Buttimer | 49
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
setting) – ignored for some decades – again evoked
attention after the 1960s but this did not necessarily
involve a re-introduction of organicist views. Rather
There are strengths and
limitations to each of these
perspectives. Consider, for
example, the notion of “re-
gion”. For organicism, a re-
gion was a cell within an or-
ganic whole. For the mosaic
view, it was a set of land-use
patterns, some co-incident,
others not. Mechanism re-
garded the region as a node
within a network, and in the
“arena” view, it was a place, a
playground, a theatre where
things happened.
The mistake that was made
so often was to judge the
results of research conducted in any one of these
lines of enquiry using the categories of another. And
that is illegitimate. Each of these root metaphors is
anchored on a particular theory of truth. This under-
standing was immediately apparent among the peo-
ple we interviewed. They were able to locate them-
selves in terms of changes over time which they had
actually experienced. One convincing approach to
the problem of knowledge, fragmentation, therefore,
is a study of root metaphors.
Now let’s examine possible connections between
these world views and the societal interests men-
tioned earlier: identity, order, and niche (Fig. 19a).
During the early part the twentieth century, organicism
shed light on niche, for sure, but also on identity (Fig.
19b). This world view endured even through World
War I. Others were there in the background, but they
weren’t prominent. In 1922, when IGU (as well as the
League of Nations) was founded, geography was just
described as mapping. So the map became known
as the central identity of geography. The map did,
of course, shed some light on questions of identity,
but its main focus was on order - socio-spatial and
national - and administrative boundaries within
the post-war world. After World War II, however,
issues of “order” again came to the fore, but now
the terms were no longer chorological but rather
topological, hence the importance of mechanism
in their elucidation. Emphasis was placed on the
functional dynamics of spatial systems. Issues of
niche (relationships of livelihood with bio-physical
Fig. 19a: Enduring societal interests
Fig. 19b: Root metaphors and societal interests:
changing emphases
Fig. 18: Four world views on society and environment
Sense of Place
Population
Boundaries
Sequent
Occupance
Land Use
Plate
Tectonics
Social Area
Analysis
Hazards
Remote
Sensing
Industrial/
Marketing Systems
The Region
Heimatkunde
Perception
Climates
Cultural
Landscape
Erosion
Geopolitics
Morphology
Health/
Disease/Poverty
Hydrological
Systems
Livelihoods
„Intelligence“
Settlements
Service Delivery
Systems
Resources
Geosophy
Regional
Development
Circulation/
Trade Routes
ORGANISM
MOSAICS MECHANISM ARENA

50 | Anne Buttimer
PART 1
the traditional tensions between “top-down” versus
“bottom-up” action. In existential terms this could
be symbolized as tensions between the archime-
dian approach (scientifically-based social engineer-
ing) versus that of Le Petit Prince who advocates
a caring about all that humans have domesticated
(“tamed”) on the earth.
Bringing all this to a conclusion, let me suggest that,
down the centuries, questions of society and envi-
ronment have elicited not only major voices, but also
important counterpoint voices. These counter point
voices – Eckhart, Leonardo, Hildegard, Albert and
Teilhard de Chardin are really important and I would
like to symbolize them graphically using other figures
from Western mythology that signal the importance
of listening carefully to creative voices (Fig. 20).
Phoenix offers a symbol for emancipatory cries
evoking attention to aspects of life and thought
which were neglected, repressed or forgotten.
These cries could also announce new discoveries
in art, science or philosophy. But when these cris-
du-coeur – emancipatory messages - are first ex-
pressed, they are not usually acceptable in society.
Phoenix has to die and then be re-born. But when
this idea is eventually accepted in society, another
phase ensues. The general idea gets structured, it is
given a home, even a castle and a flag. I symbolize
this phase as Faust, re-calling Goethe’s Faust, who
has to keep building for the sake of humanity. Be-
cause if he should ever stop (Verweile doch Du bist
so schön) Mephistocles was there, ready to steal his
soul (Fig. 21).
So thinking people ask: how come we arrive with
this structure, when we really envisaged something
else? As in the case of unions, universities,
there were attempts to address environmental issues
with global mechanistic models.
A major story at the opening of the twenty-first cen-
tury regarding studies of society and environment is
the move from the alleged certainties of the “mod-
ernist” era to the uncertainties of the post modern.
Here the “arena” vantage point may well herald a
“post-discipline” era in studies of society and envi-
ronment. Much of the recent literature appears to
be heavily influenced by the post-modern approach
in literary criticism. A good deal of writing in human
geography seems reluctant to make any definitive
statement concerning society and environment. And
I find that to be quite worrisome. It is worrisome and
it is also ironic, because it comes at a time when
there are extremely urgent environmental issues that
need to be resolved.
This post-modern turn is also coming at a time when
we have more precise documentation on the expo-
nential transformations that have occurred in society
and environment, population, energy, technology,
and mobility, all of which have serious consequences
for humanity. So Pegasus returns, and I think there is
a message for geographers particularly: to get back
out there in the field and map, measure and analyse.
As President of IGU (2000-2004) I attended meet-
ings with other geo-scientists to look at issues that
we all regarded as important and to explore ways
to foster inter-disciplinary collaboration. We met
face-to-face several times, each union agreeing to
take initiatives on one of our shared themes, and all
others promising collaborators from their own fields.
One important outcome was the United Nations
Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009).
The opening years of Century 21 are also marked
by a series of centennials. Among these is the 200
th
anniversary of Alexander von Humboldt’s famous
excursions to South America and his inspiring Tab-
leau. There is also a growing interest in the work of
Teilhard de Chardin on evolution and a fresh look at
the “story of the universe” by scholars such as Ber-
ry, Swimme and Tucker (
beRRy et al. 1988, SwiMMe
&
tuckeR 2011). Overall questions of society and
environment, of humanity, place and space - once
the cardinal foci of geographic enquiry - have now
become highlighted in a wide range of fields. What
remains, however, is the critical issue of policy and
Fig. 20: Phoenix
ANNE BUTTIMER

Anne Buttimer | 51
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
churches, academies, tensions obviously arose
between ethos and structure – between the agenda
of structures which strove to maintain and even
expand themselves and the original ethos. If this
tension becomes too serious, thoughtful people
take another step and go to consult the Muses at
the waters of Helicon. I symbolize this phase as
Narcissus. In a vulgar version of this story, instead of
consulting the Muses, Narcissus fell in love with his
own self image (Fig. 22).
But there are other versions of the story. One of these
envisages Narcissus being beckoned away from the
pool by EROS, realizing the need to become free
from the shackles of the Faustian period and open
his mind for a new Phoenix.
This is the sequence that I had been thinking about
with respect to Western ideas about society and en-
vironment (Fig. 23).
Once I expressed these to a group of Dutch ecolo-
gists and one participant said “No! you got it wrong”:
Fig. 22: Narcissus
“we have been in the Faustian period, we are now
emerging in the post modernist period into a Narcis-
sus mood, and on the horizon is a Phoenix” (Fig. 24).
Fig. 23: Phoenix-Faust-Narcissus: Cyclical refrain in
the western story
Fig. 21: Faust
Fig. 24: Faust – Narcissus – Phoenix: Hopeful
Geographies?

PART 1
52 | Anne Buttimer
cohen, I.B. (1985): Revolutions in science. - Cam-
bridge.
de chaRdin, P. T. (1959): The phenomenon of man.
Translation by Bernard Wall. - New York.
Glacken, C. J. (1967): Traces on the Rhodean
Shores. - Berkeley.
haRtShoRne, R. (1939): The nature of geography. A
critical survey of current thought in the light of the
past. - Lancaster.
heiSenbeRG, W. (1958): Physics and Philosophy: The
Revolution in modern science. - New York.
JacobS, J. (1961): The death and life of great Ameri-
can cities. - New York.
kRoPotkin, P. (1885): What geography ought to be. -
The Nineteenth Century, 18: 940-956.
lynch, K. (1962): The image of the city. - Cambridge.
PePPeR, S.C. (1942): World Hypotheses. - Berkeley,
Califonia.
SwiMMe, B.T. & tuckeR, M.E. (2011): Journey of the
Universe. - Yale.
thoMaS, R. L. (ed.) (1956): Man’s Role in changing
the face of the earth. - Chicago.
Endnotes
1
Many of the graphics included in this presentation
were sketched by my late husband, Bertram
Broberg.
2
Based on the theory of Stephen Pepper, op.cit.
3
Consumer preferences among Iowa farmers. In:
Berry, B.J.L. et al. (1988): Market centers and retail
location. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: 12.
So this is my concluding image. We are today emerg-
ing from a long shadow of Faustian structures, still in
post-modernist mood, critically reflecting on experi-
ence, ever hopeful about the horizon where a new
Phoenix beckons.
But I cannot leave you without sharing a thought
from perhaps our most illustrious forebears, Prince
Pitirim Kropotkin, who offered some advice to
geogra phers, over more than a century ago (
kRo-
Potkin 1885):
Geography […] must teach us, from our earliest
childhood, that we are all brethren, whatever our
nationality […]. It must show that each nationality
brings its own precious building stone for the general
development of the commonwealth […].
References
beRRy, B.J.L. et al. (1988): Market centers and retail
location: theory and applications. - Englewood
Cliffs, N.J..
buttiMeR, A. & haGeRStRand, T. (1980): Invitation to
dialogue. DIA paper no. 1. - Lund.
buttiMeR, A. (1983): The practice of geography. -
London, New York.
buttiMeR, A. (1986): Life experience as catalyst for
cross-disciplinary communication. Adventures in
Dialogue 1977-1985. - Lund.
buttiMeR, A. (1993): Geography and the human spir-
it. - Baltimore.
caRlSon, R. (2000): Silent Spring. - London, New
York.
ANNE BUTTIMER

1.4
Martin Lees | 53
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 53-
The existential challenge we must face is to meet the
needs and aspirations of a growing world population
in coming decades while respecting the capacities
and boundaries of our fragile planet. Partial, incre-
mental change is clearly necessary but it will not be
sufficient to contain our deepening, interconnected
problems. The time has come for transformational
change and urgent, concerted action.
The issues of the 21
st
Century are essentially sys-
temic and interconnected. I am therefore particularly
pleased to be speaking to a group of expert geogra-
phers. The special contribution of geographers to
meet these challenges will be of particular impor-
tance.
Geography is a scientific discipline which integrates
knowledge and expertise across many fields, from
the physical world of resources, energy, climate,
water and the environment, through the natural
world of ecosystems, biodiversity and agriculture
to the fields of anthropology, sociology and eco-
nomics. Geography also recognises, intrinsically,
the importance of international and global realities.
Your efforts to develop new intellectual models,
to propose coherent policies and to educate the
leaders of the future to manage complex, systemic
problems will lay the foundations of a better world.
1. The fundamental Challenge of the 21
st
Century: Meeting Human Needs and
Aspirations within the Boundaries of a
Fragile Planet
The fundamental challenge of the 21
st
Century will
be to meet the human needs and aspirations of a
growing population while preserving a viable envi-
ronment and a stable climate.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE AND URBANISATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES
OF A FRAGILE PLANET
Martin Lees
Former Secretary General, Club of Rome
Mr. Chairman, Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour and challenge to make a pres-
entation to this distinguished and expert audience
at the International Geographical Congress 2012
which is taking place at a time of turmoil and pro-
found change in world affairs. I have been asked to
outline the key global issues of demographic change
and of urbanisation. I think it will be useful if I first
provide a broad context by swiftly reviewing the crit-
ical, connected issues we face in the modern world.
Global economic growth has undoubtedly produced
enormous benefits for hundreds of millions of people
in both developed and developing countries. But we
are heading fast into a perfect storm of connected
environmental, economic and social challenges. The
issues confronting the world community today are
more intense and threatening than those we have
faced in the past. They are on an unprecedented
scale, with truly global implications; they are evolving
fast; they are essentially connected and systemic
and they will behave, individually and together in
non-linear ways. We must understand that we face
a future not of steady, predictable trends but of
irreducible uncertainty with the risk of discontinuities
and of rapid, unpredictable change.
On a more positive note, although the Rio+20 Con-
ference on Sustainable Development in June pro-
duced little significant outcome at the intergovern-
mental level, it did clearly demonstrate that there are
vast potentials of creativity, knowledge, scientific and
technological capacities, accumulated experience,
expertise and resources of all kinds which could be
intelligently deployed to create a more just, stable
and sustainable world.
The future is by no means pre-ordained but will be
determined by our choices and actions – if, that is,
we act in time. But time is running out.
63.

54 | Martin Lees
PART 1
The fresh water, vital to human life and to the ecosys-
tems on which humanity depends is under increas-
ing stress across the world, through overuse, con-
tamination, mismanagement and climate change.
Water use is doubling about every twenty years. The
state of the oceans, which support 95% of life on
this planet, is also desperate. Human impacts have
changed the oceans more in the last thirty years
than in previous human history. Mean ocean acidity
has increased by 30% in the last 200 years. This has
severe consequences for both marine life and the
global climate (Fig. 2).
Overall, the current trajectory of world growth and
development is, in many respects, infringing the
critical physical boundaries of our fragile planet, as
made very clear by the impressive research on Plan-
etary Boundaries led by the Stockholm Environmen-
tal Institute. If we continue on a business as usual
path, the environmental consequences will be dev-
astating. This becomes very clear when we focus on
the crucial issue of climate change.
Environmental Challenges
I will start by focusing on the crucial but failing rela-
tionship between humanity and nature. The escalat-
ing scale of human impacts in this “Anthropocene
Age” is devastating the environmental and ecologi-
cal systems on which humanity absolutely depends.
According to the Red List of IUCN, nearly 20,000
species of animals and plants around the globe – of
those we have identified – are at high risk of extinc-
tion: we are provoking the sixth mass extinction in
the past 540 million years.
Humanity is overusing the regenerative capacities of
the planet by some 50% each year: we are using up
our biological capital, not only our revenue, at the
cost of future generations (Fig. 1). This is clearly un-
sustainable. We are also exploiting the energy and
physical resources of the planet at an increasingly
unsustainable rate: in particular, we are coming to
the end of the era of cheap oil on which our civilisa-
tion is founded.
Fig. 1: Overuse of the Biosphere (Source: Global Footprint Network 2011)
MARTIN LEES

Martin Lees | 55
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
the atmosphere below 450 ppm. But even a rise of
2°C would have massive and irreversible impacts,
particularly on the poor. And it would have devastat-
ing consequences for the terrestrial and ocean eco-
systems on which we depend. In comparison, the
major impacts we already see across the world are
the result of the temperature rise of only 0.8°C since
the start of the industrial revolution in 1750. Imagine
the consequences of a 2° or a 6°C rise!
The world is warming fast. But the preservation of
a stable climate is essential if we are to meet the
needs of a growing population and to achieve sus-
tainable world development (Fig. 3).
The world community has been struggling for more
than twenty years to reach agreement to limit the rise
in global average temperature to a target level of 2°C
by limiting the concentration of greenhouse gases in
Fig. 2: Threat to coral reefs from ocean acidification in the present, 2030, and 2050 (Source: adapted from
cao & caldeiRa 2008)

56 | Martin Lees
PART 1
This is bad enough. But climate change will not be
a steady linear process of gradual warming. We also
face the grave risk that we may push the climate
beyond the tipping points which can trigger a num-
ber of “positive feedback” processes which could
generate “runaway” climate change, beyond human
influence. As we fail to act and the planet warms,
these feedback processes are already beginning to
operate (Fig. 5). This is a grave threat to the future
of us all. It would seem obvious that strong, precau-
tionary climate action must be taken within the next
crucial decade to avert such risks. But the Durban
Platform for Enhanced Action (agreed in December
2012) envisages a new international agreement to
be established only in 2015 with a commitment to
binding emission cuts from 2020. This is too little,
too late.
In reality, there is no choice between development
or emissions reduction to avert the threats of climate
change. Development and environment must be in-
tegrated within one coherent strategy. This is now in-
creasingly understood, for example in China, which
established – twenty years ago – the China Council
for International Cooperation on Environment and
Development. The scale and urgency of the climate
If we fail to act and continue on the present “business
as usual” path, global average temperature could
rise by over 6°C by 2100, above the worst-case
scenario of IPCC (Fig. 4). Such a rise would provoke
intolerable conditions for humanity and most other
living species. And this estimate is a global average
figure. It would imply a temperature rise of double
this amount in some regions of the world, such as
the Greenland and West-Antarctic ice sheets and
the Alps. This would provoke a sea-level rise which
would endanger millions of people in coastal cities.
A rise of at least one meter by 2100 is almost inev-
itable: the melting of the Greenland ice sheet alone
would raise sea level some seven meters.
These then are the realities we face. But as we have
seen, international negotiations are failing to agree
on strong and timely climate action. Carbon emis-
sions, far from declining, have cumulatively risen by
49% since 1990, reaching a record high in 2011.
A recent independent study shows that even if,
optimistically, all the reduction targets and pledges
which have been made in Copenhagen, Cancun and
Durban were implemented, we would still be on a
path to an average temperature rise of 3.5-4.5°C,
with intolerable consequences.
Fig. 3: Decadal mean surface temperature anomalies relative to base period 1951-1980 - Arctic is warming
fastest (Source: update of
hanSen et al. 1999)
MARTIN LEES

Martin Lees | 57
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 2080 2100
Year
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Global Mean Surface Warming (°C)
Global Warming
max +2°C
Past observed Temperatures
Indicative future
without
global climate policy
Indicative future if cumulative
global emissions to 2050 are
limited to 1000 billion tCO
2
-e
Two scenarios are illustrated:
Red scenario illustrated potential temperature
increases if no action is taken to curb global emission
Blue scenario illustrated potential temperature
outcomes if cumulative global emissions
between 2000 and 2050 are limited to
1000 billion tCO
2
-e - gives a 75% chance of not
exceeding 2°C.
(This requires net global emissions to peak
before 2020 and then reduce rapidly to
near zero by 2100)
Source: adapted from MEINSHAUSEN et al. 2009
Fig. 4: Global emissions and warming scenarios - median projections and uncertanties of global mean sur-
face air temperature (Source: adapted from
meinShauSen et al. 2009)
The systems dynamics of climate change
We risk triggering runaway climate change, driven by “positive feedback loops“
such as:
• Albedo Effect: loss of white ice which reflects 80% of incoming radiation
• Degradation of forests and ecosystems reduces carbon sink capacities
• Melting permafrost releases methane - a GHG 20 times more damaging than CO
2
• The release of methane from clathrates (methane hydrates in the oceans) can be a
massive driver of warming
• Increasing acidification of the oceans reduces the capacity of plankton to absorb carbon
Once these feedback loops are operating, cuts in emissions
will have little effect
Fig. 5: Some critical positive feedback loops which may drive accelerating climate change
(Source:
leeS 2008)

58 | Martin Lees
PART 1
Unemployment and underemployment are now en-
demic in both developing and industrialised coun-
tries while social cohesion and political systems
are suffering under the impacts of economic failure
and globalisation. The creation of employment must
become an explicit priority of policy. Jobs can no
longer remain the residual of an economic strategy
dominated by financial considerations and aimed at
growth as measured by GDP. This is particularly im-
portant in order to provide opportunities for young
people to develop their talents and to build happy
and productive lives.
Economic Challenges
Besides these intensifying environmental and so-
cial issues, we are living also at a time of crisis in
world economic and financial affairs with growing
imbalances, instability and vulnerabilities. And the
processes of globalisation have been widening the
gaps between rich and poor: 2% of the richest peo-
ple own around 50% of the world’s wealth while the
poorer 50% own only 4% (Fig. 6). Further, the bal-
ance of economic power and influence across the
world is changing at a pace which was unanticipated
only a few years ago, with the rise of powerful new
economic actors, notably the major emerging econ-
omies of the “global south.” One
indicator of this profound change is
that China now has foreign currency
reserves of over $3 trillion.
What then is our strategy to deal
with the crucial challenges which I
have outlined? We remain commit-
ted to an unrealistic strategy based
on the presumption that our deep-
ening economic, financial and social
problems, and ultimately, the funda-
mental problems of environment and
poverty, can be resolved by stimulat-
ing demand for further consumption
so as to return as soon as possible
to the established path of exponen-
tial economic growth as measured
by GDP.
This strategy presumes that the
world economy can double in size
by 2030 and that it could double
again by 2050: this would imply of
challenge is set out clearly in a Statement, “Action to
Face the Realities of Climate Change” presented at
the Rio+20 Conference, of a Task Force convened
by President Gorbachev within the framework of
Green Cross International.
Social Challenges
Besides its devastating impacts on the natural world,
our present path of growth is also generating major
social imbalances and injustices. Inequality in wealth
and income is rising while the number of people liv-
ing in abject poverty is again increasing. According
to the World Bank (2011), some 1.3 billion people
are trapped in poverty while around 2 billion people
are living on less than $2 per day, with their basic
needs for security, employment, health, food and
nutrition unmet.
The escalating demand of a growing world popula-
tion, linked to increased prices for food and energy,
has already provoked a food crisis across the world.
And the livelihoods of the poor are under threat from
food and energy insecurity and from widening wa-
ter stress, desertification and intensifying extreme
weather events aggravated by climate change.
Fig. 6: Champagne glass distribution (
conley 2008)
MARTIN LEES

Martin Lees | 59
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
tablished in Vienna. This statement was drawn up
by a distinguished panel and was targeted for the
debates at Rio+20. However, demographic factors
were not given significant attention in Rio, covered
in three banal paragraphs out of 283 in the final dec-
laration.
The Size of World Population
Over the last 50 years, world population has more
than doubled, from 3 billion in 1960 to over 7 bil-
lion today. (Fig. 8). The total size of world popula-
tion is likely to increase further to between a low
estimate of 8 billion and a high estimate of over 10
billion by 2050. Clearly, the prospects for sustaina-
ble world development, for a stable climate and for
world peace would vastly improve if the outcome is
nearer to 8 billion than 10.5 billion. This wide range
of possible outcomes is due to the uncertainties of
future fertility and mortality trends in different parts of
the world. In 2011, the median projection of the UN
Population Division (2012), which had been around
9.15 billion by 2050, was revised upwards, reflecting
the fact that fertility rates, principally in Africa, are not
diminishing as expected.
The Distribution of World Population
We face a demographically divided world. Popula-
tion size in most of Eastern Europe, in Russia and
Japan and in Western Europe, apart from migration,
course that three new world economies would be
added to today’s economy in 40 years, driven by the
needs of a growing world population and of a rising
middle class.
While this established strategy may appear logi-
cal and feasible to policy makers preoccupied with
acute economic and financial issues, it is clearly not
feasible and not sustainable when we consider the
present and future realities of climate, environment,
energy and resources, demographic change, ine-
quality and development. For example, according
to IPCC, under this scenario, passenger vehicles
would increase across the world from 600 million
today to 1.7 billion in 2050, heavily concentrated in
congested cities.
We are in effect at a turning point in thinking, strate-
gy and international cooperation. We must first ac-
cept that our present models and strategies for eco-
nomic growth are failing in critical respects. We must
then define and implement a new path for inclusive,
equitable and sustainable world development, rec-
ognizing the systemic nature of the challenges we
face, if we are to meet the needs and aspirations
of a growing world population within the bounda-
ries of a viable environment and a stable climate.
This would not only reduce the risks and threats to
stability, peace and progress which are now emerg-
ing but would bring enormous opportunities and
co-benefits, laying the foundations of the innovative,
resource-efficient, inclusive economies and societies
of the future. To map out such a “New Path for World
Development” is now a focus of the programme of
the Club of Rome (Fig. 7).
2. The Prospects and Consequences of
Demographic Change
Within this overall perspective, I will now outline the
key aspects of demographic change, first the ques-
tion of the absolute numbers of people, then the spa-
tial distribution of population and then the changing
age structure of population and its implications.
The prospects and consequences of demographic
change are very well presented in a statement on
“Demographic Challenges for Sustainable Devel-
opment” by the Wittgenstein Centre for Demogra-
phy and Global Human Capital (2011), recently es-
Fig. 7: Logical framework for a new path for world
development (Source:
leeS, Club of Rome 2008)

60 | Martin Lees
PART 1
Another telling example is Afghanistan with a pop-
ulation of 28 million today which is set to rise to 45
million by 2025 and around 75 million by 2050. The
security implications alone of such an evolution are
of immense concern.
Putting such figures in the wider framework which I
have described, the Center for Global Development
in the US, in a recent study, concluded that climate
change impacts, during this same period of rapid
population growth, could result in a fall in food pro-
duction in Africa of 28% by 2050. The impact on
India would also be severe: a reduction of 38%, over
the same period when the Indian population is ex-
pected to increase by 400 million. Where will Nigeria
be on the present path when its population will have
risen to almost 300 million?
A further factor of increasing importance will be the
migration of refugees within and between countries
driven by sea level rise, destructive storms and ex-
treme weather events, by expanding deserts, rising
levels of pollution, degrading soils and ecological
support systems, by the lack of jobs and economic
opportunity and by insecurity and violence. In many
regions of the world, the flood of people into cities is
driven by such pressures.
is in decline. In contrast, populations in Sub-Saharan
Africa and some Asian countries are still set to dou-
ble or triple in size. China’s population will continue
to grow for two decades before entering a decline
while India is headed for a population increase of be-
tween three and four hundred million by 2050. The
size of the US population is also increasing due both
to internal growth and immigration.
Nearly all the growth in population will occur in de-
veloping countries but, within this broad grouping,
there are major differences. The demographic transi-
tion has been quite fast in some countries where fer-
tility has declined substantially in just three decades.
In around 37 developing countries fertility is below
replacement levels. But in some 20 or more Least
Developed Countries, fertility rates remain stalled at
average levels of 5.0 or above, with many others be-
tween 4 and 5. In Niger the fertility rate remains at
around 7.
The implications of such high fertility rates are om-
inous. The population of Sub-Saharan Africa which
was around 611 million in 2000 is now around 800
million. It is expected to grow to around I billion
over the coming decade and to around 1.6 billion
by 2050 with an uncertainty range of 1.3-1.9 billion.
Fig. 8: Global population numbers for the low, medium and high variants, and what happens if fertility rates
remain constant, up until 2100 (Source: undP 2011)
MARTIN LEES

Martin Lees | 61
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
1. First, to provide basic health services for all and
in particular, to ensure universal access to volun-
tary programmes of reproductive health and fam-
ily planning. At present some 215 million women
have no such access, 59% of these in Sub-Saha-
ran Africa. Together with their families, they repre-
sent around one billion people.
2. Second, a sustained effort to provide educa-
tion and empowerment, particularly for girls and
women. This has been shown to be even more
effective in reducing fertility than rising income
alone.
3. Third, the eradication of poverty is critical: many
examples demonstrate that rising income con-
tributes to lower fertility rates.
4. Fourth, explicit, sustained efforts should be fo-
cused on the creation of productive employment
which is crucial to reducing poverty and hunger,
to building productive economies and to preserv-
ing social cohesion, effective governance and
stability.
These policies and measures together – health, edu-
cation, poverty eradication and employment – would
be mutually reinforcing, within a coherent strategy
for sustainable and inclusive human development.
They would together strengthen the human capital
which is the foundation of progress. And they would
influence the trajectory of demographic growth so as
to stabilize world population between 8 and 9 billion
people by 2050.
From this brief analysis, it is clear that sustained pol-
icies to promote a reduction in the rate of growth of
world population are feasible and that they would
greatly contribute to reducing pressure on the world
environment, to reducing the risks of climate dest-
abilisation, to achieving a sustainable path of world
development and to improving the prospects for the
prosperity and security of future generations. This
should be a top policy priority in the common inter-
est of the world as a whole, but at present, it is not.
3. Urbanisation in the 21
st
Century
Let me now sketch the scale, the speed, the risks
and the implications of the rapid urbanisation of our
species.
The Changing Age-structure of Population
Besides the consequences of absolute increases in
the numbers of people, a critical aspect for the future
is the changing age structures in different countries.
In broad terms, the industrialised countries of Eu-
rope, North America and Northeast Asia, including
China after 2030, will face the consequences of de-
mographic ageing, affecting labour markets, health
care costs, public finance, and economic perfor-
mance. As phrased by Vice President Wu Yushao
of the China National Committee on Ageing, “Popu-
lation ages fast and the numbers are enormous: the
elderly population made up 5% of the total popula-
tion in 1982 and 10% in 1999 and it increases by
100 million every ten years.” (2008).
In contrast, countries in Africa, Latin America, the
Middle East and Asia will face the intense problems
of providing employment, education, healthcare
and opportunity to meet the needs and aspirations
of rapidly growing, youthful populations. A tide of
young people is entering labour markets in search of
productive employment. There are at present world-
wide around 1.2 billion young men and women aged
15-24 with many more to come. In Sub-Saharan Af-
rica alone, this group will increase from 170 million to
360 million by mid-century: hence my emphasis on
the central importance of employment.
The growth of world population will evidently put
added pressures on the natural capital and eco-
systems of our fragile planet and on the econom-
ic, social and political fabric of society. On the other
hand, if additional people have the opportunity to live
healthy, fulfilled lives, this will add to the human cap-
ital of creativity and productive work to improve the
world. This is a key policy opportunity. As stated by
the 1992 UNCED Rio Declaration, “Human beings
are at the centre of concern for sustainable devel-
opment”.
What should be the Priorities for Policy and
Action?
Fortunately, feasible policies are available to influ-
ence the trajectory of demographic growth, and they
can deliver relatively rapid results. Some key priori-
ties should be:

62 | Martin Lees
PART 1
of major cities and the World Mayors Council on Cli-
mate Change.
The growth of cities throughout history has been
driven by the aspirations of people to find better
jobs and opportunities, better access to education,
health and culture. But there is wide diversity in the
circumstances and conditions of cities. Immigration
into many cities of the developing world today is
driven less by the hope of a better future and more
by the breakdown of rural livelihoods brought about
by a combination of demographic pressures, inse-
curity and environmental degradation. As population
increases and environmental constraints tighten, the
flow of migrants into cities will increase, intensifying
the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
Cities are immensely complex systems, dependent
on their hinterlands, regions and nations. They rely
on the functioning of supporting systems to pro-
vide energy, water, food, resources, waste disposal,
transport and access to markets and security.
In the coming world of rapid change, economic in-
stability and environmental risks and constraints, cit-
ies therefore will be increasingly vulnerable to trends,
disruptions and shocks beyond their control.
We should not therefore automatically assume that
the present rapid trend towards urbanisation is in-
evitable and sustainable in the longer term. It will be
a key challenge to city administrations, to govern-
ments and to the world community to focus on and
support the policies which will ensure that continuing
urbanisation contributes to a sustainable and peace-
ful world.
4. What can Geographers contribute at this
critical Time?
Finally, what can geographers contribute at this crit-
ical time? In my view, the challenges of the modern
world are becoming so severe that they cannot be
resolved through traditional thinking and incremental
adjustments to business-as-usual. The conventional
wisdom which has guided policy in recent decades
has broken down: we need new ideas, new strate-
gies, new values and new partnerships if we are to
assure a decent future.
The proportion of world population living in cities has
risen from around 10% in 1900 to over 50% today.
According to the United Nations (2012), it was in
2008 that the shift occurred that over half of human-
ity now lives in cities. If present trends continue, this
proportion will rise to over 70% by 2050. The impli-
cations are enormous. The McKinsey Global Insti-
tute (2011) has calculated that, between 2010 and
2030, the world’s 600 largest cities will contribute
around 65% to global growth and that they will re-
quire $10 trillion in additional annual investments by
2025. This would imply the construction of addition-
al floor space equivalent to 85% of all today’s resi-
dential and commercial building stock with immense
implications for land use and the environment. To
meet this scale of urban demand, the supply of fresh
water will have to increase by some 80 billion cubic
meters per year, a rise of 40% above today’s total
urban demand.
It is clearly of the highest importance that this pro-
cess of urbanisation should be undertaken in the
most resource efficient and least environmentally
damaging way. In China, for example, where the rate
of urbanisation is most rapid, nearly half the world’s
new floor space is built each year: putting up and
using buildings accounts for around 30% of China’s
climate change emissions.
According to the International Energy Agency
(2010), cities are likely to account for over 75% of
global fossil-fuel based climate emissions by 2030.
A key domestic and international priority must there-
fore be to extend access to modern energy-efficient
technologies so as to avoid the “lock-in” of inefficient
technologies for buildings, transport and infrastruc-
ture. If efficient technologies can be deployed, this
will reduce energy-use and emissions for decades
to come and thus the risks of climate change. As
energy systems in many cases are inefficient, energy
intensity can be reduced significantly through sus-
tained policies.
The central importance of cities in achieving sustain-
able development was recognised at Rio+20, both
by governments and by civil society. Several major
international associations of cities were very active
in Rio, in particular ICLEI, the organization of Local
Governments for Sustainability which held its World
Congress of some 1,500 mayors and representa-
tives from cities across the world, the C40 grouping
MARTIN LEES

Martin Lees | 63
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
References
cao, L. & caldeiRa, K. (2008): Atmospheric CO
2
sta-
bilization and ocean acidification. - Geophysical
Research Letters, 35 (19).
conley, D. (2008): You may ask yourself: An intro-
duction to thinking like a sociologist. - New York.
hanSen, J., Ruedy, R., GlaScoe, J. & Sato, M. (1999):
GISS analysis of surface temperature change. -
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
(1984–2012), 104 (D24): 30997-31022.
International Energy Agency (2010): World energy
outlook. - Paris.
leeS, M. (2010): Hongkong Climate Dialogue. Key-
note Adress: Climate Change in the Global Con-
text. Nov. 2010.
McKinsey Global Institute (2011): The Urban World.
Mapping the economie powered cities. - http://
www.mckinsey.com/insights/urbanization/ur-
ban_world.
MeinShauSen, M., MeinShauSen, N., haRe, W., RaPeR,
S.C.,
fRieleR, K., knutti, R., fRaMe, D.J., allen,
M.R. (2009): Greenhouse-gas emission targets
for limiting global warming to 2°C. - Nature, 458
(7242): 1158-1162.
UN Department of Economie and Social Affairs
(2012): World Urbanisation Prospect. The 2011
Revision. - New York.
Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global
Human Capital (2011): Laxenburg Declaration on
Population and Sustainable Development. IIASA
Oct. 2011.
World Bank (2011): World Development Report
2012. - Washington.
I believe that geographers are well placed to make
a number of contributions along the following lines:
• In the field of research, geographers can contrib-
ute to the elaboration of the new paradigms and
indicators of growth and development which can
improve coherence between the physical, envi-
ronmental, economic, social and human facets of
policy and action which must become mutually
reinforcing to achieve sound and sustainable de-
velopment.
• Geographers can also help to develop the appli-
cation of integrated systems-thinking to under-
stand better the systemic, connected nature of
the challenges we face. This would improve the
results of intervention, strengthen resilience and
the anticipation of shocks and provide a sound
basis for the effective management of risk under
uncertainty.
• Education is a key factor in every respect: teach-
ing curricula and methodology must be adapted
to create a new generation of leaders, experts
and practitioners with the knowledge and skills
to understand and manage the complex issues
of the modern world. Also, the general public
must be made more aware of the reality of the
challenges we face in order to support essential
change. The development of educational capa-
bilities in the developing world is of particular im-
portance to meet the situation-specific challeng-
es of sustainable development.
• The interface between science and policy is of
critical importance. At present, the insights of sci-
ence are not properly reflected in the design of
policy, particularly in relation to ecosystems deg-
radation and climate change. Policy makers must
come to understand the reality and urgency of
the threats to the future. Geographers can play a
valuable role in developing coherent, longer-term
perspectives of the challenges and opportunities
ahead and, as concerned and informed citizens,
explaining the realities we face and pressing for
the urgently needed action.
I hope that this brief overview of global prospects for
demographic change and urbanisation on our fragile
planet will provide a useful contribution to your ex-
pert discussions. I wish the Congress every success.

PART 1
64 | Surinder Aggarwal
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 64-
EMERGING GLOBAL URBAN ORDER AND CHALLENGES TO
HARMONIOUS URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Surinder Aggarwal
Geographer, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I begin my lecture I would like to acknowl-
edge some of the materials and ideas borrowed
while browsing some abstracts of various sessions
under the Urbanization and Demographic Change
theme. When I look closely at those abstracts, I find
much of negativity reflected from the contemporary
urbanization performance. It means, contemporary
urbanization is causing more problems than creating
solutions. That is the kind of message I convey from
the examined abstracts.
There are four major components of my speech.
First, I would like to develop how the global urban
order is changing and shifting towards the develop-
ing countries, in particular Asia. Secondly, what are
the associated challenges with this kind of urbaniza-
tion? And third, what can be done to transform the
threats into challenges and opportunities In the last
part, as a geographer, I would like to put some re-
search questions for the consideration of the present
audience and beyond.
1. The Context
Well, to begin with, why concern about contem-
porary urbanization? Urbanization, both as a so-
cial phenomenon and a physical transformation of
landscape, is one of the most powerful, irreversible
and visible anthropogenic forces on earth. Many of
the most important and significant changes asso-
ciated with globalization are taking place in urban
areas. Conversely, globalization itself is as much
an inter-city phenomenon and cities have become
major driving force of globalization. In this sense ur-
banization is a defining phenomenon of this century
and the developing countries are at the locus of this
transformation.
For the first time in human history, more than half
of the world‘s 7 billion population lives in urban ar-
eas. Nevertheless not all regions of the world have
reached this level. The demographic shift has hap-
pened in the last few decades largely due to rapid
urban growth in the developing countries. Of course
such rapid urban shift is not for the first time as often
proclaimed. Rapid urban change did happen in late
19
th
century when countries like Germany, United
Kingdom, Canada and the US were industrializing
fast. Now it is the huge urban number of 3.5 billion
that alarms us. Of course, this kind of demographic
shift presents challenge but also vast opportunities.
Urbanization has a new face now, and weakly as-
sociated with industrialization and linked economic
development as was true in early industrializing Eu-
rope and elsewhere. Rather, quaternary and tertiary
sectors are now propelling contemporary urbaniza-
tion and economic transformation. Further, it is not
the sheer number of persons living in the urban set-
tings that is important to celebrate urbanization. It
is the quality of urbanization that will matter most.
Unfortunately, that’s not happening and we need to
be concerned and proactive to produce this qual-
itative shift. Issues like environmental degradation,
ecosystem damages, growing vulnerabilities and in-
equities and informality are the serious concerns that
need to be addressed to make urbanization process
environmentally sound and socially inclusive. These
will be addressed later. At present we recognize the
driving forces behind the present style urbanization.
New forms of advanced capitalism, neo-liberaliza-
tion and globalization have unleashed the market
forces of consumption and resource use to under-
mine the development of harmonious and just cities.
Cities still perform the functions of innovations, cre-
ativity and centrality (hubs) however to the benefit of
few. The real challenge lies before us is to convert
the challenges into opportunities by advancing new
theories of urban change, adopting new urban plan-
79.

1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Surinder Aggarwal | 65
The demographic structure, exhibits signs of
change, with more women migrants and swelling
elderly and young population cohorts. Developed
countries on the contrary, exhibit a stabilizing or even
negative urban growth which follows their declining
fertility levels. The previous speaker very clearly
mentioned about that process. Another interesting
development is also noticed in some industrialized
countries. Immigrants share in urban growth is rising
in comparison to native groups. Such countries
apprehend dominance of new immigrants in urban
politics and socio-economic spheres and a possible
reason for future ethnic conflicts. Spatially, there
is a visible counter-urbanization trend with more
expansion in the rural settings for both working and
living environments. Mega-urbanization has of course
slowed down and urban transitions have matured,
except in the transition countries of industrializing
Eastern Europe. In Latin America, big countries like
Brazil have crossed the fast urban transition and
joined the developed countries list with high urban
population share.
3. Asia: The major player of 21
st
century
urbanization
It is often stated that 21
st
century urbanization be-
longs to Asia ( Fig. 4). Of course in figures or volume.
Century or decades is not that important to cele-
brate. It is the quality of urbanization that will mat-
ter most. Despite a low urbanization level of 45%,
Asian region with 75% of the developing countries
urban population and 52% of the global is expected
to remain the major contributor to the future urban
growth. Importance of Asia urbanization is also rec-
ognized by the fact that urban areas contribute close
to 84% to their national economies, whereas they
contain only 42% of the urban population (Fig. 5).
China and India having urban population weight of
700 million, which is close to the population of the
U.S. and Europe, shall remain the major players. Af-
ter Africa it is the second fastest growing region with
average annual growth rate of 3.2%. Despite declin-
ing urban growth rate of almost one-third by 2050,
Asia will accommodate around half of the global 6.3
billion urban population.
The growth of urban population across various size
settlements is not uniform in Asia. The region is char-
acterized by mega-urbanization process. Asia con-
ning tools or models, good governance approaches
and empowering citizenry with citizen‘s right to the
city. I will elaborate about these at a later stage.
2. Emerging urbanization patterns and
demographic changes
According to 2011 Revision of World Urbanization
Prospects (2012) there is significant diversity in the
urbanization levels reached by different global re-
gions (Fig. 1). More developed regions like US and
Europe and many countries in Latin America and
the Caribbean have reached high levels of urbani-
zation as more than 70% of their total population is
urban now. Asia and Africa are following the same
path and will cross 50% mark by 2020 and 2035
respectively to catch up with the developed coun-
tries by 2050. We find that urban population is not
uniformly distributed by location and nearly 65% is
relatively concentrated within low elevation coastal
areas (Fig. 2). And such areas will contain almost
three-fourth of the global urban population by 2025.
Such a concentration has serious implications under
climate change scenarios. Moreover most of these
cities are located in the Asian region or within the de-
veloping countries, who are least prepared for such
climate and other environmental threats. Developing
countries with 73% share of global urban popula-
tion and high urban growth rates are henceforth the
new actors of urbanization. By 2030 urban popula-
tion pressure here will become two times whereas
land demand for urban expansion is expected to go
by three times. This is supposedly the greatest chal-
lange to reckon with.
Urban growth is not uniform and megacities,
global cities and emerging urban agglomeration
dominate towards a rising share and fast urban
transitions. Recent trends indicate that mega- or
emerging mega cities are slowing down in growth,
whereas mid-size cities exhibit greater buoyancy
and will absorb most of the future urban population
growth (Fig. 3). I think this is a very interesting trend
towads more balanced urban growth, of course still
hierarchically organized. Voluntary migration that
fueled early migration streams is now supplemented
and reshaped by recruitment agencies, employment
regimes and immigration policies of various
countries. Push factors which propelled urbanization
until mid 1990s are getting reversed by pull-factors.

66 | Surinder Aggarwal
PART 1
cated information and communication technology
infrastructure, they are no more third-world cities in
a conservative sense. We may consider to look at
Asia or regions of Asia, as a set of cities, rather than
a block of countries.
Roy and onG (2011) from their
book on „Worlding Cities: Asian Experiments and
the Art of Being Global“ conclude that in the glo-
balizing world, Asian cities like Singapore and Dubai
are emerging as centers of global finance while New
York and London are struggling the aftermath of the
great recession of 2008. Likewise Shanghai and
Hong Kong have become share selling capitals of
the world. Asian cities today also map their own path
and models of being global cities and not strictly fol-
lowing the master blueprint of the West. Mumbai for
example, the financial capital of India is struggling to
catch up Shanghai, as emerging global city become
competitive. So they are now in competition within
the region themselves. Cities like Mumbai, Chennai
and Bangalore boost not only India‘s economy, but
its mood. And certainly they are not un-Indian any-
more than New York is un-American. Today how-
tained only one mega-city, that is Tokyo, in 1970,
and it‘s count rose to five out of ten in 1990 to 13
out of 23 in 2011 and is projected to reach 22 out
of 37 by 2025. In 2011, thirteen megacities of Asia
contained around 11% of the total urban population
of the region and their share is expected to rise fur-
ther. Many of the Asian cities, like Singapore, Hong
Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai, are placed among
the global cities due to their specialized functions
and global connectivity. They may not be megacities
but they are global cities.
Globalization has made the category of “third world
city” as obsolete in many Asian cities and they are
proud to have their own style urban design, mod-
els of urban growth and planning governing princi-
ples. Peter Rimmer and Howard Dick in their recent
publication on „Views from the City in South East
Asia“ claim, that Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur,
Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul, Bangalore and Mum-
bai are third world cities in a limited way. Due to their
transnational connectivity, construction of sophisti-
Fig. 1: Urban population by major geographical area (in per cent of total population)
(Source: United Nations 2012)
SURINDER AGGARWAL

Surinder Aggarwal | 67
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Fig. 2: Urban agglomerations by size class and inland or coastal location (Source: United Nations 2012)
Note: The coastal areas were defined as areas between 50 meters below mean sea level and 50 meters
above the high tide level, or extending landward to a distance of 100 kilometers from shore, including coral
reefs, intertidal zones, estuaries, coastal aquaculture, and seagrass communities (World Resources Institute
2005).
Fig. 3: Growth rates of urban agglomerations, 1970-2011 (Source: United Nations 2011)
ever, Bangalore and New York and London all de-
pend on the ability to innovate. Why did Bangalore
out of all Indian cities achieve this status as hub of
IT? Skills, and human capital perhaps not geography
are the source of Bangalore‘s strength. Companies
like Infosys, and a virtuous circle was born wherein
smart firms and smart workers flocked to Bangalore
to be near each other. Quite a few other non-capital
cities such as Shanghai or Mumbai have substan-
tial international presence despite the dysfunction of
their home nations.
As in case with modern nation cities, cities in the
new industrial economies, China, India, Indonesia,

68 | Surinder Aggarwal
PART 1
global cities are not doing well on environment and
liveability aspects, despite their good economic per-
formance (Fig. 6). Lower tier cities and distant hin-
terlands have not grown as well under the shadow
of mega-urbanization and sea-board corridor urban
development. Asian style urbanization is largely
characterized by heavy global capitalism (extension
of dependency model), huge land portfolios and en-
croachment on scarce rural land, and damages to
environmental and ecosystems.
4. Why contemporary urbanization is
disturbing and discriminatory?
Globally, the contemporary urbanization processes,
as discussed above, are environmentally disturbing
and socially discriminatory. It is distancing humans
from nature and individuals from the larger society
by the division of labour and malicious landuse and
Brazil for example, embody na-
tional ambitions of wealth, power,
and recognition. Major cities in
the developing world have be-
come centers of enormous politi-
cal investment, economic growth
and cultural vitality and have thus
become sites for global signifi-
canc. According to a McKinsey
Global Institute study, almost the
entire world economy is repre-
sented by approximately 400 cit-
ies, including many Asian cities.
Chicago Council of Global Affairs
on Global Cities Index featured
three Asian cities among the
top ten, demonstrating the sta-
bility of Asias’ relevance on the
world stage. Singapore, Hong
Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing
and Mumbai represent up-and-
coming metropolises. According
to Saskia Sassen: networks of
20 global cities (many in Asia)
will determine world’s geopo-
litical future and not G2 of US
and China. Using
tayloR’s (2012)
analogy that the world today is
more about interrelationship of
cities than countries. Nations are
no longer driving globalization –
cities are. A city like Seoul is more connected with
Singapore and Hong Kong than other South Korean
cities. Absence or weak interaction with wider net-
work of national/regional cities, of course is a wor-
risome trend within this globalization process. City
ranking matrices developed by many institutions and
researchers to qualify a city global, local connectivity
has been found lacking. I conclude the first part of
my talk by a few statements.
Urbanization in Asia is not a uniform process and in-
fluenced by national or sub-regional characteristics.
It started with slow growth rate and picked rapid
speed and turned into hyper mode after 1980’s. De-
mographically, Asian urbanization process encour-
aged megaurbanization and developed a new kind
of economic and demographic primacy, wherein
global capital and export oriented economy played
decisive roles in promoting and strengthening capi-
tal/mega/global cities. At the same time major Asian
Fig. 4: Distribution of the world urban population by major areas, 1950,
2011, 2050 (Source: United Nations 2011)
Africa Asia Europe Latin America, Northern Oceania
Caribbean America
60%
55%
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1950 2011 2050
Urban population
4%
11%
20%
33%
52%
53%
38%
15%
9%
9%
13%
10%
9%
13%
10%
1% 1% 1%
East and
North-East
Asia
South-East
Asia
South and
South-West
Asia
North and
Central Asia
Pacific Asia
Urban share of GDP Urban share of GDP
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
Percentage
85.5
47.0
80.0
46.5
75.5
32.5
84.5
62.5
87.0
71.0
83.5
42.0
Fig. 5: Share of Urban Areas in GDP, Asia and the Pacific (Source:
UN-HABITAT, ESCAP 2010)
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Surinder Aggarwal | 69
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Fig. 6: Function-specific deviation scores (Major Asian Cities) (Source: Global Power City Index. Oct. 2011)
WHO (2011) estimates, concentration of PM10, also
a byproduct of energy consumption, and respon-
sible for major respiratory diseases and deaths, is
observed to be among the highest in major cities of
Asia (Fig. 7). Beijing‘s toxic air pollution has broken
records recently and both Beijing and Delhi are infa-
mous for toxic smog related health risks and deaths.
Extra regional/global impacts of mega-urbanization
like loss to ecosystems, climate change, natural and
hybrid disasters, and biodiversity loss are getting
stronger and drawing greater global attention. Ur-
banization is inherently not bad for ecosystems as
urban areas account for only 2.8% of land area, nev-
ertheless mega-urbanization, associated with urban
sprawl, natural resource exploitation and release of
ordinary and toxic wastes into their natural sinks is
largely responsible for damaging the ecosystems.
Many developing countries are already running into
ecological deficits, more so in the urban areas. The
eco-health of many water bodies is seriously threat-
ened and these are unable to provide free ecologi-
cal services of bathing, performing rituals, livelihood
generation etc., especially for the poor. World Re-
sources Institute (2005) clearly establishes mega-ur-
banization responsible for the biodiversity loss and
health of the urban ecosystems. Cities also concen-
trate vulnerability to natural disasters and to long-
term changes in climate. Urban climate stress in a
land cover changes. The nature (including urban
ecosystems) is being abused and mediated through
the processes of resource exploitation and indis-
criminate land use and land cover changes such
as unsustaiable energy use and urban sprawl. Air
and water pollution, climate change, ecological foot-
prints and increasing natural hazards and disasters
are all the evidenced outcomes.
4.1 Environmental and ecological threats
Urbanization as a major cause for colossal fossil
energy use, urban sprawl, land use/cover changes
exhibits local, regional and extra regional environ-
mental impacts. Such impacts are visible in most
cities of the developing countries through inefficient
water services, deteriorating water quality, ground-
water depletion, air and land pollution. Even though
availability and coverage of municipal drinking water
supply has significantly improved (90%-95%) during
the last decade in the cities of poor countries, waste
water disposal and treatment has not shown com-
mensurate improvement (close to 50%) and is a big
health risk to the vulnerable communities and health
of the water ecosystems. Cities consume more than
two-thirds of total global energy against 50% share
in population, however its health impacts are con-
spicous in the cities of poor countries. According to

70 | Surinder Aggarwal
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various size experience potential risks of cyclones
and floods. Such risks are noted to be high for the
cities located along the Pacific rim and the Eastern
US coastal zone. Due to enormous concentration
global climate change scenario coupled with natu-
ral and man-made hazards threaten most emerging
mega cities of today and of tomorrow. According
to United Nations (2012) urban agglomerations of
Fig. 7: Exposure to particulate matter (PM 10) in selected global cities (Source: WHO 2011)
Fig. 8: Mega-urbanization and threat to human security (Source: aGGaRwal & butSch 2011)
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al winnerss’ is becoming evident. Global inequality
has added a new dimension. As urbanization forces
accompanied with neoliberalization are advancing,
inequality manifests now within societies, particular-
ly key cities and the hinterlands, rather than across
them (between rich and poor nations).
These inequalities and inequities find manifestation in
access to housing, municipal services, quality edu-
cation and healthcare. WHO Commission on social
determinants of health (2008) identified urbanization
as the biggest social determinant of health global-
ly. The report asserts that much of disease burden
and health ineqity in the urban settings (places of
growing, living and working) is avoidable and can be
improved with action on social determinants like sex,
age, income, ethnicity and location.
A clear manifestation of the urban divide is the
presence of slums and prevalence of poverty. Slum
dwellers are either clustered in space as in Sub-Sa-
haran Africa and in other places like India scattered
within the urban fabric and most can be found in the
decaying urban centres, and at the periphery of the
city. The social and spatial divide created by slums is
not only the result of income inequalities, but also a
by product of inefficient land and housing markets,
bad or non-existent policies and poor governance
mechanisms that force many non poor/low income
families to reside in slum areas for lack of better al-
ternatives. The urban divide is not only about frag-
mented space and socio-economic differences, it is
also about inequalities in opportunity, between social
groups, age groups and men and women in access
to knowledge, use of technology and employment,
among others. UN-HABITAT and ESCAP 2010 re-
port on Asian Cities found varying degree of inequal-
ities across many leading cities of Asia (Fig. 9).
At a more radical level, Harvey argues that urban
conflicts will probably be decisive in the wake of
Western deindustrialization. He replaces the tradi-
tional concept of class struggle with the struggle of
all those who produce and reproduce urban life. With
surplus global/national capital and sharp division of
labour, urban development projects like Common-
wealth games (India), Olympics (China), musical
concerts, convention centyers, soccer world cup,
ICT parks and designed residential and commercial
complexes are making cities competitive, exclu-
sionary, and giving birth to rising social conflicts and
of human life, global lifelines of communication, and
valued goods and economic infrastructure, the po-
tential effect of disasters on megacities is enormous.
kRaaS (2003), therefore, addresses mega-cities as
global risk areas, which are exposed on the one
hand to environmental hazards and on the other
hand to man-made hazards.
Mega-urbanization threaten human and environmen-
tal security (Fig. 8). The impacts threatens, of course
are not equal on all social and economic groups as
these are influenced by human sensivities, vulnera-
bilities and thresholds. Factors like governance,
policies, institutional roles and ciitizens involvement
also produce differential impacts on the communi-
ties. Nevertheless, the vulnerable and marginalized
groups suffer most from such environmental impacts
as their sensitivities are high and preparedness low.
4.2 Urban inequities and conflicts
Cities are basically man-made environments, which
means that a society transforms natural landscapes
according to its cultural and social values and norms
In the process of mega-urban development we no-
tice that not only the urban environment is damaged,
as shared before, but also it has affected the so-
cial and economic environment and produced land-
scapes of poverty, informality inequality and mar-
ginality, largely in the developing countries and in a
limited way within the rich countries. Urban divides
with several forms - digital, income, social, urban
services, spatial (core vs. periphery) are becoming
more pronounced and sharp. According to
SaSSen
(2002), the ascendance of information industries
and the growth of global economy, both inextricably
linked and located in megacities, have contributed
to a new geography of centrality and marginality.
This centralized urban economy has given unparallel
power to the already advantaged to produce distinct
division of labour and space in urban systems. This
is resulting into economic and social conflicts and
spatial fragmentation. Contestation on competing
social and economic spaces have produced con-
flicts and disturbed the social harmony of the urban
society. Neo-colonization along with neo-liberaliza-
tion has thus produced wide social costs for many
along with narrow economic benefits for the few. On
the new trajectory of current urbanization and glo-
balization, phenomenon of ‘local losers’ and ‘glob-

72 | Surinder Aggarwal
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for action for asserting rights to the city by peaceful
movements like “Occupy Wall Street” in New York.
The approach of course gives visibility and voice to
the citizens’ concerns for producing an inclusive city.
4.3 Urban sprawl and urban expansion
One of the most significant characteristic of con-
temporary urban landscape is the phenomenon of
urban sprawl or urban expansion. Different popu-
lation growth rates and level of development gen-
erate different demands for urban space leading
to urban expansion. On the contrary, urban sprawl
has to be seen as an uneconomical and non-linear
form of land consumption which creates needless
interaction costs, unjustified resource consumption
and social conflicts. Largely driven by profit making
interest groups builders, developers, urban design
professionals, architechts, institutional finance - for
low density living, and high profile business, urban
sprawl has become the most challenging land, so-
cial conflict and environmental issue of this century.
The auto-centric urban sprawl has attained the most
unsustainable urban form and production of urban
space in both industrialized and emerging econo-
mies.
Globally, urban areas are expanding two times faster
than urban population. According to global forecasts
of urban expansion to 2030 by
Seto et al. (2012)
and World Bank (2005), urban built up area will in-
crease by 1.2 million km², by 2030, nearly tripling
movements for “city rights“ such as Occupy Wall
Street in New York. Such movements are justified
since public pays for the rising prices (a kind of city
rent) to live in this uniquely built iconic city. Symbolic
projects led urbanization can solve economic crises,
like in China and India during 2008 recession peri-
od, with diversion of labour and surplus capital, but
more than anything, it is a way to get out of crises
and not a sustainable solution for growing exclusion-
ary tendencies. World Urban Forum 5 also echoed
“Right to the City” concept as a new paradigm for
the transformation of cities, although not in radical/
legal right form. It has been interpreted as a theoret-
ical, political and conceptual framework that refers
to aspects such as enforcement, empowerment,
participation, self-realization and determination, and
protection of human rights at the city level. Taking
forward the right to the city domains include bridg-
ing the urban divide: inclusive cities; equal access to
shelter and basic urban services; respect for cultural
diversity in cities; good governance and participation
and sustainable urbanization.
Notwithstanding the theoretical debate, the concept
has relevance for the cities in the South where the
interests of the poor and marginalized are often ig-
nored for better housing, civic facilities and social
amenities due to their powerlessness. Since they as
well contribute to the city economy in a significant
way, Right to the City is one of the way to address
their deprivation, resentment and empowerment.
The recent publication of
haRvey (2013) on “The Re-
bel City” is also a good expression and approach
Fig. 9: Intra-urban inequalities (Gini Coefficients) in selected Asian cities (Source: UN-HABITAT, ESCAP, The
State of Asian Cities 2010/2011)
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KEYNOTE LECTURES
a counter-urbanization (rurbanization) trend after
experiencing the phases of suburbanization, edge
city development for both working and living envi-
ronments. On the contrary European cities are still
relatively dense and peripheral development urban
expansion is an emerging and growing phenome-
non as rental and land values rise in the central city.
At the same time peripheral development in most
metropolitan cities of the poor economies is a rela-
tively new trend and is largely illegal, unplanned, and
disjointed. The disjointed landscape includes super-
markets, malls, office space, urban villages, high-
rise residential/commercial complexes, and illegal
squatter settlements. The process is threatening the
productive agricultural land on the fringe and also
damaging natural ecosystems that provide free ser-
vices, resources and livelihood to the millions living
on the edge of the city. Satellite images for the cities
of Las Vegas, Dubai, Istanbul (Fig. 10) and Ouaga-
dougou, capital city of Burkina Faso, clearly illustrate
the global urban land area circa 2000. Within the de-
veloping countries, during the same period, urban
population is expected to double from 2 billion to 4
billion, whereas land demand will rise three times.
For the industrialized countries the situation is even
worse as population is expected to increase by 20%
and land area by 2.5 times. 50% increase in urban
expansion is shared by Asia (55% of Asia by India
and China alone). Every new resident, on average,
converts some 160 square meters of non-urban to
urban land. Globally, cities may possibly consume
as much as 5−7% of total arable land, depending on
the future rate of expansion of arable land, which is
currently 2% per annum. Urban expansion projec-
tions which includes urban sprawl establish that the
process is real.
Urban sprawl is a global phenomenon now, with
some variations, of course. Developed countries,
in particular land abundant US, increasingly display
Fig. 10: Istanbul: Urban sprawl 1975 - 2011 (Source: images and caption: NASA/USGS)

74 | Surinder Aggarwal
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of social and economic space are situated within
class and cultural context. People, cultures, ways
of life, city icons normally provide identity to a city.
Unfortunately it seems that ‚branding a city‘ to a
new building or set of buildings is a kind of new
identity for a city. New forms of urbanity (life styles of
global milieu) are emerging within the living territories
of cities and with moving in space at variety of
scales. Cities are thus becoming sites through
which ideologies are projected, cultural values are
expressed and power is exercised. They are also
becoming places of conflict resulting from division
of labour and space. Subsequently, space and time
have changed their meaning and context as these
become constricted and extraordinary dynamic for
the post-modern city. Urban expansion and urban
sprawl, a product of divergent forces, is making
urban form almost shapeless. Apparently, both
convergence and divergence forces are operating
simultaneously to produce segregated and highly
differentiated and fragmented urban landscapes.
A clear rural and urban divide is also becoming in-
creasingly ambiguous as land uses and employment
structure and lifestyles get mixed-up and that poses
a great difficulty in classification of such transition
regions in binary type rural and urban areas. Such
transition areas create challenges and conflicts for
administrative and policy implications in most de-
veloping countries where land is at premium. At the
same time we notice metropolitan border zones in
the developed economies as areas of reconciliation
and harmony through creation of opportunities of
trade and daily commuting.
Past and contemporay urban theories/models of
Chicago School, structuralist theories based on city
power relations and more recently of the Los An-
geles school are found unable to provide anything
more than partial accounts of the present city form
(internal structure of the cities) and wider relation-
ships. Chicago School theories largely explained the
agglomeration type industrial economy and its social
relations expressed in urban space. Such models/
theories developed to explain largely the internal
land use dynamics of the industrial (modern) Amer-
ican city. Centralized Chicago School models are
being challenged now by Los Angeles decentralized
city form models (dis-asembling the urban) promot-
ed by
SaSSen (2002) and others. These polycentric
metroburban models capture primarily the sprawling
such changes along with many other metropolitan
cities across the globe. Urban sprawl has thus at-
tained infamous metaphor of “City Cancer“ when it
weakens communities at the core and destroys nat-
ural resources and ecosystems at the edge.
We cannot dismiss some small efforts to contain ur-
ban sprawl, at least in the industrialized countries.
For example, with the effort of some committed
mayors and other interst groups, reurbanization of
central cities is also happenning in a limited way in
some North American cities. This aspect will be dis-
cussed later in more detail.
5. What needs to be done to produce and
create harmonious urbanization and
sustainable cities?
By harmonious urban development we mean a sym-
biosis between man and nature and across individ-
uals and society towards achieving quality of life in
the urban settings. Considering the numerous chal-
lenges and concerns of present urbanization trends,
it is time to focus on the positive aspects of urban-
ization in tackling the challenges and also adopting
new theoretical insights, new technologies, proac-
tive approaches, innovative methodologies and in-
clusive integrated planning models and frameworks
to create harmonious urban development. There
is a strong need to reorient urban thinking that is
grounded in the reality of the developing world. De-
veloping countries need systems that work and sys-
tems that effectively deliver public goods. We need
to treat policies and institutions as essential elements
of sound urban strategy. National and international
institutions need to empower cities to address the
complex environmental, energy and land issues that
they face today.
5.1 Shift in theoretical underpinnings of
contemporay urban landscape
New forces of urbanization have transformed the
role, economic base, social relations function, form,
range of demands, iconic meaning and regional
relationships of the cities across the world. At
present cities get their meaning by actors such as
architects, developers, urban designers, material
experts, planners and proprietors. These producers
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Surinder Aggarwal | 75
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
ogy transfer and capital flow is reshaping the urban
form. Here the city form, in particular for the mega/
emerging megacities, is more haphazard, unregu-
lated, fragmented and segregated when compared
with the North. Combined with the indigenous char-
acteristics including informality, socio-economic po-
larization, poverty, encroachments, fortified urban
landscapes are making the urban landscape even
more complex and variegated. Informality, typical
and ubiquitous characteristic of the city in the South
deserves acceptable consideration and realism with-
in urban theory. Los Angeles school models will have
limited explanatory power in such situations, and
hence require inventive theories to explain the land
dynamics of post colonial and post modern cities of
the South. According to
Roy and onG (2011), two
major approaches/assumptions have been domi-
nant in defining the parameters and perspectives for
investigating contemporary cities and urban condi-
tions in the developing countries; (a) political econo-
my of globalization with city as great place for capital
accumulation and remaking citizenship and society
and (b) postcolonial focus on subaltern agency with
city viewed outside the Euro-American region as a
contested place for capitalism and democracy.
The challenge for urban geographers is to debate
and refine the existing theories to reflect the cosmo-
politanism of contemporary global urban diversity,
new type of migrants and immigrants, cultural plural-
ism, social conflicts, informality and competing land
demands by new actors and stakeholders. They
neeed to integrate the prevailing and future trajecto-
ries of urbanization. It is evidently clear that “one size
shoe” models and explanations are not tenable and
we need to consider innovative urban theories/mod-
els for the unique features of the city in the North and
the city in the South. Probably a meta theory with-
in the context of social theory will be more realistic
considering the vast diversity of urban settlements,
overwhelming social and environmental issues and
the distint process of urbanization. The only uniform-
ity or global convergence appears for mega-urban-
ization, which allows for a considerate thinking for
mega-urbanization theory or models.
5.2 Conservation of urban ecosystems
Cities are basically ecological spaces. With the kind
of urban sprawl/expansion and inner city develop-
landscape form of the American city and apparent-
ly have more explanatory power particularly in con-
text to the cities in the North. Even the Los Angeles
School models are found less convincing and rele-
vant beyond the North American context. Their ex-
planatory power is weak in addressing issues and
concerns likey are not powerfufail to address under
the influence of new forces such as advanced infor-
mation and communication technologies, new forms
of governance, new economic forces of globaliza-
tion, global city networking and advanced capitalism
that shape the present post-modern city. Rising en-
vironmental and ecological concerns further compli-
cate the human-spatial relationships within and be-
yond the city limits. Contemporary actors of urban
land development like developers, builders, urban
designers and architects, mainly responsible for pro-
moting urban sprawl and the edge city forms and
iconic urban designs also complicate the predictabil-
ity of the emerging city form.The above driving fac-
tors has thus produced the city structure even more
decentralized, segregated and fragmented that ex-
presses increased socio-economic polarization and
fortress style landscapes of insecurity and fear.
On the contrary, European scholars did not pro-
mote any specific school of urban theory rooted in
land use approach, rather did more work on un-
derstanding the evolution of city morphology (mor-
phogenesis) by utilizing iconographic and desriptive
approaches. Understanding the impact of history
and culture remained major concern in following the
evolving urban form. The European city is equally
influenced now by the forces of globalization, new
technologies of information and communication and
the new urban actors,in shaping their cities and re-
gions beyond.
Urban researchers did not not develop any urban
theory/models for the cities in the South that ex-
plained the exclusive indigenious and imposed co-
lonial forms of the industrial era. Rather they applied
selectively the modified Western models and facto-
rial ecology approach to understand the urban form
and underlying social and economic structures. With
the shift in gravity of urbanization, mega-urbaniza-
tion in particular, towards the global South, recent
interest has emerged in theorizing the post-coloni-
al and post-modern city. Restructuring of national
economies wherein cities now play a critical role and
growing influence of globalization through technol-

76 | Surinder Aggarwal
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lishing a network of ecological corridors. The case
study demonstrates that there is a strong need to
integrate ecological concerns in urban planning.
5.3 Containing the urban sprawl
Among several alternatives (viz. green belt, revitali-
zation of inner city, new urbanism, neo-urbanism) to
contain urban sprawl, smart growth/smart city is the
one most talked about and a pragmatic solution. It
favours collaboration over regulation between state
and local authorities. Smart Growth Strategy (based
on 3 Es: Ecology, Economy and Equity) focuses on
creating some kind of urban growth boundary that
limits outward expansion, and encourages new
development in infill-locations in already urbanized
areas to accommodate more intense and mixed
land use development. The approach preserves
open spaces, farm land, critical environmental areas
against further urban development and to use space
more effectively by using a single comprehensive
plan that captures the vision and means for transfor-
mation. Primarily, it implies to increase housing den-
sity in areas that already have roads, water systems,
and transit access — in other words, to build upon
the built. To achieve these objectives, smart city
encourages the use of digital technology (real time
governance and control), data base management,
surveillance system, strict land use controls, efficient
public transit in inner city and pedestrianization of
roads and markets. The approach has great rele-
vance for development of all size urban settlements
in the developing countries due to its emphasis
on energy efficient land uses, public transport and
preservation of open spaces and agricultural land.
For the rich countries, among many benefits it will
strengthen revitalizing the inner cities and encour-
age the use of public transport. The only caveat is
to avoid vertical growth in the name of high density
land uses and iconic image of the city under liberal
urban design paradigm.
Among many good practices on smart growth prin-
ciples, in Maryland, US, for example, the program
guides development into „priority funding areas,“
where the infrastructure to handle increased density
already exists, as a means of reducing sprawl and
preserving farmland. In making Portland as model
of smart city growth by developing urban growth
ment happening across the world, ecosystems
damages (coupled with biodiversity loss) have be-
come equally or even more important than the en-
vironmental concerns. Ecosystems conservation
helps in producing natural capital by saving on mu-
nicipal costs (sewage, water, clean air etc.), secur-
ing livelihoods, boosting local economy (business,
tourism, and delays the tipping point of environmen-
tal degradation. Foremost, it provides almost free
ecosystem services and livelihood opportunities to
the urban poor. Considering the cost component of
capital intensive infrastructure, conservation of ur-
ban ecosystems like forests, water bodies and riv-
er beds is a formidable alternative to alleviate urban
poverty, waste water treatment and protection from
natural hazards.
Economists are seriously working on assessing eco-
nomic value of Ecosystem Services towards poverty
reduction, and reducing disease burden within the
cities and beyond. Likewise urban geographers can
take a lead among spatial scientists to bridge this
research gap by trans-disciplinary and inter-discipli-
nary collaboration towards “applied urban ecology“.
Henceforth, urban focus should be more on the ur-
ban ecology and urban ecosystem approaches to
comprehend the processes and linkages with urban
poverty, preserving ecosystems health and its man-
ifestations for climate change. We require re-orient-
ing and integrating our thinking of environmental is-
sues with urban ecosystems damages for producing
harmonious urban development.
Cities in both developing and rich countries have
shown interest in this approach even though in a lim-
ited way. The initiatives, however, are worth appre-
ciation and hopefully other countries will catch up.
For example, Cape Town a bustling metro with 3.5
million population, well diversified economy, world
renowned tourist destination and a biodiversity hot-
spot (9000 indigenous species of flowering plants)
has lost 60% original natural area and the rest is
considered endangered due to urban expansion,
water pollution and alien aggressive plants. City
Department of Environment presented a convinc-
ing case for investment in natural assets protection
and conservation, rather than business as usual, to
boost local economy, protect environmental degra-
dation, expected gains from tourism, waste water
treatment and protection from natural hazards. The
city was able to save biodiversity hotspots by estab-
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Surinder Aggarwal | 77
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
the positive impacts of urbanization and allow more
democratic and inclusive process of migration to
make it an instrument of growth rather a deterrent.
What is needed is to streamline the inclusive process
of settlement of the poor to minimize informality of
urban economy. Sound urban land policy is equally
crucial as it influences urban sprawl, environmental
degradation and settlement of the poor. Serious at-
tention is not given to this component of urban de-
velopment as land is the most contested element of
power and profit for many stakeholders. Strong and
fair land regulations are required that facilitate the in-
clusive growth and reduces informality on the urban
landscape. Developing countries also need systems
that work and systems that effectively deliver public
goods. Public goods systems are absolutely neces-
sary to induce private investment to create jobs, to
get people to save and to use the financial system.
Treat policies and institutions as essential elements
of any new urban strategy. National and international
institutions need to empower cities to address the
complex environmental and energy issues that they
face today. On the moral and ethical grounds, the
right to the city approach deserves attention and
may be debated at national and sub-national level
for securing social justice and inclusiveness on fun-
damental needs of the ordinary citizen.
Urban and regional planning requires a new so-
cial face to address and incorporate the national
and regional/provincial policies into a holistic plan-
ning framework at the city or city region level. The
master plan approach, embedded primarily in land
use planning, has not addressed adequately the
new challenges of environment degradation and in-
equity issues. Misuse and abuse of prime land by
the powerful stakeholders has risen considerably
and restricts the benefits of access to land by the
poor and marginalized groups. This is abundantly
true for most cities in the South. Likewise growth
of urban sprawl, informality and slums are among
many externalities produced by the archaic urban
and regional planning approach. Lack of effective
leadership, governance and participatory planning
further aggravated chaotic urban growth. To correct
and ameliorate such planning deficits, the planning
profession, as individuals and professional groups,
remained unsuccessful to assert and impress upon
the primary decision makers for effective changes
in land use based urban planning. To improve the
prevailing dismal state of cities, as projected by most
boundary concept, the city has developed a part-
nership with IBM for technology linked solutions.
Many cities across the world are now taking advan-
tage of ICT infrastructure to develop smart transport,
home-based business, smart card services. Still the
approach has not taken off with wider practice, and
needs promotion in the developing countries where
the need is equally significant as the cities there are
growing very fast and urban sprawl is a critical issue.
5.4 Preservation of historical and cutural
heritage
We mention here another less explored action for ur-
ban development, primarily with context to the cities
in the south. Cities while going through their stages
of growth construct and shape their form, build pub-
lic assets, create way of life. Cities in the developing
countries have not given much attention to preserve
their endowed historical and cultural heritage, as in
the West which has so much of self pride, owner-
ship and belongingness to the city, and if managed
seriously has tremendous financial resource value
through tourism promotion. Western cities have a lot
to share from their experience to their counterparts
in the East. UNESCO World Heritage Cities Pro-
gramme (2005) structured along a two-way process,
with 1) the development of a theoretical framework
for urban heritage conservation, and 2) the provision
of technical assistance to states parties for the im-
plementation of new approaches and schemes is
good initiative towards the objectives.
5.5 Policy responses and tools to manage
urbanization
Urbanization is emerging as a major driver of econ-
omy, wellbeing, and also a challenge for protecting
environment, ecosystems, and urban divide. Hence-
forth clear national and sub-national urban policies
need to be formulated and executed for a regulat-
ed, efficient and inclusive urban growth. The chal-
lenge and need is greater for the countries in the
South. National planning to facilitate urbanization to
manageable levels, with fair distribution and environ-
mentally sound performance can be a desirable pol-
icy priority. In the developing countries attempts by
governments to control rural-urban migration flows
have all ended in failure. It is time, rather, to focus on

78 | Surinder Aggarwal
PART 1
• How to cultivate ecological thinking among vari-
ous city stakeholders and new actors?
• To what degree the locally (or nationally) specific
social transformation within the cities can be ex-
plained by views and theories of a more general-
izing nature?
• Are post-colonial cities following the pathways of
US and European cities, or do they require dis-
tinctive theorizations ‘from the south’ with emerg-
ing distinctive urban forms?
Thank you so much for your patient hearing!!
References
aGGaRwal, S. & butSch, C. (2011): Environmental
and Ecological Threats in Indian Megacities. - In:
RichteR, M. & weiland, U. (eds.): Applied Urban
Ecology. - Chichester: 66-81.
haRvey, D. (2013): Rebel Cities: From the Right to
the city to the Urban Revolution. - Vero, London.
Institute for Urban Strategies (October 2011): Glob-
al Power City Index 2011. The Mori Memorial
Foundation.
kRaaS, F. (2003): Megacities as global risk areas. -
Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 147 (4):
6-15.
Roy, A. R. & onG, A. (2011): Worlding Cities: Asian
Experiments and the Art of Being Global. -
Malden, Oxford.
SaSSen, S. (2002): Global Networks, Linked Cities. -
New York.
Seto, K.C., GüneRalP, B. & hutyRa, L.R. (2012): Glob-
al forecasts of urban expansion to 2030 and di-
rect impacts on biodiversity and carbon pools.
- In: Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences of the United States of America, 109
(40): 16083-16088.
tayloR, P. J., deRuddeR, B., Saey, P. & witlox, F.
(2006): Cities in Globalization. Practices, policies
and theories. London
UNESCO (2005): World Heritage Cities Programme.
- http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/666.
UN-HABITAT, ESCAP (2010/11): The State of Asian
Cities. - Fukuoka.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, Population Division (2012): World Urbani-
zation Prospects, the 2011 Revision. - New York.
WHO (2008): Commission on Social Determinants
of Health: Closing the Gap in a Generation. - Ge-
neva.
global reports, good governance and management
practices should become integral part of innovative
urban planning process. Urban planners, architects
and urban designers need to focus upon holistic
solutions with growing relevance for transdiscipli-
nary and interdisciplinary approaches to integrate
environmental, ecological, and social concerns for
the development of environmental friendly, equitable
and harmonious cities.
6. Questions to ponder over
Based on my shared thoughts, I conclude the
speech by suggesting specific questions that can
be pondered over to produce a harmonious urban
world.
• Is globalization and neo-liberalization going to
create/facilitate sustainable and just cities de-
spite the use/transfer of new technologies, capi-
tal flows and access to information and commu-
nication systems?
• Has present style and form of urbanization real-
ly transformed the quality of life/happiness of the
communities, particularly in the developing coun-
tries?
• How to regulate Asian type (China and India in
particular) urbanization to make it fairly distribut-
ed, environmentally sound and socially inclusive?
• What kind of cities in Asia will lead to harmonious
and sustainable development? Cooperative vs
competing?
• How do cities in Asia or in different regional group-
ings network with cities in their wider hinterlands?
• How do we regulate the uncontrolled process of
fragmented urbanization to save land and eco-
systems in the rural-urban interface regions?
• What kind of models need to be developed to ad-
dress spatial reconfiguration (reordering the city)
to accommodate the disjointed urban growth,
agglomeration economy and informality at differ-
ent scales and places?
• How does a rapidly urbanizing and polarizing
world embrace the contemporary urban issues,
and how can urban design translate them into
consequential and workable urban form?
• Should we continue with mega-urbanization style
urban growth or promote medium and small size
cities for harmonius and sustainable develop-
ment. If yes, how?
SURINDER AGGARWAL

Surinder Aggarwal | 79
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
WHO (2011): Map Production: Public Health Infor-
mation and Geographical Information Systems.
- Geneva.
World Bank (2005): World Development Indicators
2005. - Washington DC.
World Resources Institute (2005): Millennium Eco-
system Assessment, 2005: Ecosystems and Hu-
man Wellbeing. - Washington DC.

PART 1
80 | Eduardo de Mulder
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 80-
by extracting natural gas and oil from reservoirs; or
by loading the surface with giant water reservoirs
for hydropower generation. But these impacts are
confined to the upper parts of the Earth crust only,
at a maximum to about six kilometers. Please keep
in mind that it’s just one permille of the Earth radius
which is 6,370 kilometers. There are no indications
that impacts of human activities would reach much
deeper soon.
So, what do we know about our planet Earth today?
Speaking about planet Earth, we should be pre-
pared to go downwards first. ‘Down to Earth’ is the
title of this congress. But many people have mixed
feelings about the subsurface. The realm below our
feet is often perceived as the domain of scary crea-
tures, darkness, dirt, danger, evil, decay and death.
The underground has a negative connotation. The
public, including many intellectuals and policy mak-
ers have generally no clue about the subsurface, let
alone the processes that govern it and how these
may determine their lives. Perception of the un-
derground may vary with cultures. So what do we
really know about our planet? Anyway, a lot more
than 50 years ago. We have witnessed revolutionary
progress in our knowledge of this planet. Here I will
focus on two aspects on the anatomy and compo-
sition of our planet and on the processes. When I
was a junior field-geologist quite some time ago, I
was involved in a geological mapping campaign in
our Dutch swampy deltaic area with a lot of ditches
to jump. The subsurface was primarily explored by
making drill holes, mostly by hand, and describing
the sediments in a small booklet. From these notes
we made geological sections and eventually these
were compiled in geological maps, which are basi-
cally topographic maps with the shallow geological
conditions printed on top. Making such maps was a
national responsibility and every country did that in
its own way. Today, geologists still go in the field and
GLOBAL PLANETARY CHANGE AND HUMAN GLOBALISATION
Eduardo de Mulder
Initiator and Executive Director of the UN International Year of Planet Earth
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen!
Many thanks to the organizing committee to inviting
me here to give a speech to so many people on this
topic “Global Planetary Change and Human Globali-
zation”. In just 50 years time the world has changed
dramatically. For the first time ever, we could see our
blue planet from outer space following the launch of
Sputnik in October 1957. By that time new scientific
evidence had been collected to proof Alfred Wege-
ner’s theory of continental drift. Knowing the mech-
anisms driving this phenomenon caused a paradigm
shift in geosciences. This year we celebrate the
100
th
anniversary of this landmark publication. Yes,
the world has changed indeed. Humans became a
geologic factor, beginning to interfere with the natu-
ral Earth forces and started to make distinct human
imprints on geographic maps creating a new era on
the geological time scale, the Anthropocene. These
observations may trigger us to raise some big ques-
tions about our planet and how we humans interact
with it. Today I would like to share with you some of
these questions. So, what do we know about plan-
et Earth today? How do we humans interact with
system Earth and how would that impact its bearing
capacity? How can we Earth scientists, that means
geologists and geographers, contribute to sustaina-
ble development?
But before taking off and diving into our planet’s in-
terior, a few words of caution and relativism: I said
that we humans have become a geological factor.
So, we do generate modifications in the topography
of riverbeds, coastlines, sediment budgets, perma-
frost etc. But I would also like to stress that by all
that, we are not really changing or threatening our
planet as a whole. Human activities do not yet trig-
ger major tectonic forces as continental spreading,
mountain building, nor the convection currents in the
Earth mantle. Yes, we may ignite small Earthquakes
84.

1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Eduardo de Mulder | 81
succession until they started rising again recently.
Simultaneously, annual productions of such mate-
rials increased. But the world’s registered reserves
of most commodities rose as well. How come as
we are talking about non-renewable resourses that
normally would take millions of years to be created?
This paradoxical situation may only be explained by
new discoveries. New generations of geo-scien-
tists, using new exploration techniques, found large
new resourses of almost all metals and minerals, in-
cluding oils and natural gas. Apparently the Club of
Rome did not include human resourses, more spe-
cifically human ingenuity in their still primitive 1972
computer models, when predicting the future state
of the planet. By today, the proven world reserves for
crude oil are at least forty years. And there is suffi-
cient natural gas available and economically acces-
sible on this planet for the next 100 years at today’s
production rates. So, it seems, that the Earth has
very few secrets left. We roughly know how the Earth
is builtup and where most of its reserves are located.
As science and technology will continue to proceed,
we may anticipate further transparency of our plan-
et’s anatomy and new discoveries of traditional and
new commodities in the next few decades. By un-
derstanding the mechanisms that drive continental
spreading some 50 years ago, we basically learned
how our planet works. Supercontinent Pangaea
broke up some 200 million years ago resulting in the
geographic distribution of today’s continents. How-
ever, geo-scientists soon realized that Pangaea had
been just the last of a series of such supercontinents
and that there have been predecessors. The penul-
timate supercontinent is called Rodinia, assembled
about 1.100 million years ago and broke up 750 mil-
lion years ago. Now we know that there have been
about five such cycles of supercontinent formation
and successive breakups, all driven by convection
currents in the mantle. Geoscientists keep busy ex-
ploring our planet for the oldest rock fragments from
the oldest cratons that constituted the oldest conti-
nents. Such cratons are about 3.5 billion years old,
while the oldest rock fragments, some zircon crys-
tals so far identified are 4.4 billion years old. Just
150 million years younger than the origin of the Earth
itself. This is the grant story of the super-large scale
processes that shaped our planet. But what about
micro-scaled processes? Just three decades ago,
exciting discoveries were made at the grain-fluid
interface level and about the active role of biota in
such processes. Sediment particles interact with mi-
make such drill holes, but these are part of a wide
array of other sources of information, including ge-
ophysical and remote sensing techniques. Through
GPS all data are sent in three dimensions to a sta-
tion, which automatically plots the data points on a
digital map and stores the geological information in
large digital databases. From these databases many
types of geological maps can be produced, almost
instantaneously and for various applications. In the
next few years all companies and organizations that
penetrate the Dutch subsurface will be forced by law
to copy these into a public database. Vice versa, all
public organizations wanting to construct anything in
or at the ground will be obliged to check the existing
subsurface information first before building to avoid
redundant penetration of the subsurface. Moreover,
since the launch of the “International Year of Planet
Earth” in 2007, geological survey organizations in
117 countries embarked on the OneGeology pro-
gramme. That programme aims to make all geolog-
ical map information digital and by translating that
into one singular computer language and legend,
this will result in a digital map of the world, includ-
ing the oceans, with free access for all participating
nations. Eventually, OneGeology will provide a real
third dimension to international geographical search
systems as Google Earth. Such digital geological
maps provide information about the structure and
composition of the upper parts of the Earth crust.
But if we speak about the anatomy of this planet, we
must look much deeper as well. In the late 1960s,
Earth scientists began to apply scanning techniques
used in the medical sector for geological purposes.
Seismic tomography was born which identifies seis-
mic anomalies to depths of about 2,000 km deep in
the Earth mantle. We may actually observe realtime,
how crustal plates are spreading and colliding and
how they are becoming absorbed by mantle mate-
rials in the subduction zones. Together and in com-
bination these techniques have made our planet far
more transparent than when I was a field geologist.
The resource industry has benefitted enormous-
ly from such advances in technology and from the
vastly increased understanding of the Earth’s anat-
omy. Some of you may remember that the Club of
Rome in 1972 predicted rapid and catastrophic de-
pletion the Earth resourses and consequently rising
commodity prices (
MeadowS et al. 1972). In fact,
the opposite was true. Commodity prices dropped
significantly and remained low for three decades in

82 | Eduardo de Mulder
PART 1
more than a century and a half. In particular, after
World War II. Between 1950 and 1995 living stand-
ards more than tripled, both in industrialized and in
the developing countries. And between 1999 and
2010 it almost doubled again worldwide. Simulta-
neously, life expectancy increased spectacularly. To-
day, people eat more and better quality food and use
more Earth resourses than ever before. Environmen-
tal awareness, that began to develop since the mid
1970s converted into political action since the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Simultaneously,
the media gave significant attention to the environ-
ment while fuelling the educational systems world-
wide. Environmental protection resulted in trans-
forming large areas into natural parks or reserves,
sterilizing these for all types of development. Con-
currently large areas of arable land degraded. Both,
land degradation and environmental protection add-
ed pressures to land development and availability of
physical space for growing urban populations.
And finally, science and technology. As mentioned
before, so far shortages in Earth resources were
overcome through science and technology, more in
particularly by human ingenuity. The same holds for
resolving major food security problems in Asia and
Latin America through the green revolution. I will
come back to that later.
So, in combination these five trends demonstrate
that urban space is becoming a more and more
precious resource. This demands for unconvention-
al solutions. And more people need more food and
access to clean drinking water. More and wealthier
people also demand for more Earth resources, as
everything that does not grow should be extracted
from the Earth. The same people also produce more
waste, which puts additional pressures on the en-
vironment. But on the other hand there is one re-
source that’s not under pressure on the contrary.
That is the human brainpower. More people on Earth
imply more potential human brainpower and ingenu-
ity. If managed well and in concerted action, this re-
source brought a man to the moon in 1969, revealed
the human genome in just 10 years time, developed
a medicine that weakened HIV/AIDS, doubled inte-
grated computer circuits every two years and com-
bated hunger through the green revolution. In line
with these achievements and fueled by accessible
data and information stored in ever larger databas-
es, 30 % more human brainpower may quite well be
croorganisms and groundwater molecules with dis-
solved chemical compounds. As ground water flows
and its composition changes over time, such pro-
cesses are never in complete balance. Quantity and
diversity of microorganisms in the soil is enormous
and there is more life below our feet than above.
Organic molecules degrade chemically of biological-
ly. Recent research revealed that organic contami-
nants, like chlorinated hydrocarbons, may fuel biota
with energy and carbon while degrading into less
harmful products. Over time any such contaminate
will degrade. Soil bio-degradation capacity depends
on biota availability and on ground water supply and
its charge. This natural process might serve as a
powerful tool for mediation policies. These findings
gave a much better insight in the micro-scale geo-
logical processes and in the power of microorgan-
isms in the subsurface. Knowing the basic principles
of the Earth’s processes and how the Earth works
paved the way to forward modeling and predicting
the impacts of human interaction with a much better
known planet Earth.
To that end we quickly review here some human fac-
tors and more in particular trends in human globali-
zation or in global human behavior. Here we will dis-
cuss briefly five of such trends for the next decades.
We’ll have a look first at population. The UN predicts
that 9,3 billion people, that’s according to their mid
scenario, will live on this planet by 2050 (UN Popula-
tion Division 2011). From then onwards that number
would remain about constant until 2300. Until 2050,
the Earth should prepare for a 30% human popu-
lation growth and societies should make room for
accommodating its new inhabitants.
Urbanization: The UN estimates again, that in 2050
there will be 2.9 billion more people living in urban
centers than today. That will boost the world’s ur-
banization to almost 70%. Now it’s just above 50%.
Ongoing urbanization will put major pressures on
local geo-environmental conditions and in particu-
lar to urban space, as there are often physical limits
to urban growth. Urban land will become more and
more expensive.
Living standard: Living standard is normally ex-
pressed in growth domestic product per capita
adjusted for purchasing power parity, PPP. As a
longterm trend, living standard has been rising for
EDUARDO DE MULDER

Eduardo de Mulder | 83
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
entific organizations. To collect the support from
politicians we approached United Nations. That was
done through UNESCO, our co-initiator. In 2005, the
United Republic of Tanzania volunteered to be the
UNmember country to propose programmation of
the International Year of Planet Earth of Planet Earth
in the UN system. Following an intensive lobbying
campaign in Paris and New York, the IYPE was pro-
claimed by the UN General Assembly in December
2005. A separate, non-profit corporation was then
created with a board and a secretariat. The secre-
tariat was based in Norway and sponsored by the
Norwegian and Dutch governments. UN proclama-
tion, in turn, triggered national geo-scientific com-
munities to create their own national chapter of the
IYPE. That was eventually done in 80 countries and
regions where tens of thousands of volunteers ac-
tively contributed to organize a wide variety of public
events. In IYPE we determined ten themes on the
interaction between the Earth sciences and socie-
ty. The megacity theme was spearheaded by IGU,
and more in particular, by Professor Frauke Kraas.
For all themes brochures were produced and trans-
lated into 15 languages. The national committees
strongly focused on outreach and that made IYPE
particularly successful. We organized three major
international events and 45 nations did so at nation-
al levels. Such events were typically highlighted by
the participations of national champions, politicians,
presidents and even a king made public statements
in support of the geo-sciences in their countries and
so attracting significant media attention. The lega-
cy of the IYPE Triennium has been abundant and
very significant. It includes the emergence of the
young Earth-scientists group, YES it is called, with
now 3,000 active members. And, also as I said, the
OneGeology project, which is a concerted action for
transparent Earth. Following the IYPE, student num-
bers rose in at least 11 countries. Several Geo-parks
were opened, a dedicated scientific book Series was
printed by Springer on the IYPE themes, to mention
just some of the many legacy items.
The title of this presentation is “Global Planetary
Change and Human Globalization”. I briefly dis-
cussed the global change of planet Earth through
its 4.5 billion years of existence. Geoscientists dis-
covered the roots of our continents and came quite
close to its earliest beginnings. This demonstrates
how fast the geosciences have evolved and that we
are well underway to understand how our planet
able to resolve many of the anticipated challenges
that a growing humanity will face in the few decades.
So, what can geo-scientists, geologists and geogra-
phers in particular contribute, to address such chal-
lenges? I recall what geo-scientists have been doing
and will continue to: make the Earth more transpar-
ent, reduce uncertainty in prediction models and
better understand how our planet works. These
steps in science and technology constitute the basic
ingredients for finding new resources. Geoscientists
will continue to do so, by further improve technolo-
gies and they will be successful as they were in the
past half century. They will thus bridge the time gap
until next generations may fully rely on carbon free
energy supply. Future geo-environmental challenges
will be combated by continuous investments in sci-
ence and technology. Special attention will be given
to the underground biota, which will probably proof
to be a great new resource. Lack of urban space will
be resolved by building more skyscrapers, and more
interestingly, by building underground where space
is abundant and risks are low while achieving very
substantial energy savings. In the past ten years, ex-
cavating techniques have become saver, faster and
cheaper. China is taking the lead in this respect to-
day but also in Moscow 15 % of the new construc-
tions will be built underground.
We geoscientists might know what we may contrib-
ute to address such challenges, but unfortunately,
the general public, nor the politicians and decision
makers are aware of this. That urges to promote
the use of our sciences to society. Often, geo-sci-
entists were not quite successful in such endeav-
ors. But that changed when the International Un-
ion of Geological Sciences and UNESCO began a
worldwide campaign to raise public awareness for
the important role of the Earth sciences for socie-
ty in 2001. I am pointing here at the International
Year of Planet Earth. For this enterprise we used
the successful German ‘Jahr der Geowissenschaf-
ten’ in 2002 as a model. To implement at least parts
of our ambitions, we extended the period from one
year to three years: starting in 2007 and running to
the end of 2009. The first step was to collect sup-
port within the geo-family. I am happy to report
that the International Geographical Union was one
of the very first Unions that embarked on this en-
terprise by becoming a founding partner. Ten more
such founding partners were identified, including all
Geo-Unions and some major international geo-sci-

PART 1
84 | Eduardo de Mulder
graphical Union, an UNproclaimed International Year
of Global Understanding. This initiative builds on the
Brundtland statement ‘think globally act locally’. The
added value of the IYGU is including cultural diver-
sity, which has been largely ignored in debates on
sustainable development so far.
Well, crustal plates are driven by convection currents
in the Earth mantle, people are driven by their cultur-
al backgrounds and roots, even in times of signifi-
cant human globalization.
Thank you very much for your attention!
References
Meadows, D.H., Randers, J. & Meadows, D.L.
(1972): Limits to Growth: A Report for the Club of
Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind.
- New York.
UN Population Division (2011): World Population
Prospects: The 2010 Revision, Highlights and
Advance Tables. Working Paper No ESA/P/
WP.220. - New York.
actually works. I also showed that planet Earth has
become close to transparent from the crispy crustal
plates into the rather viscose lower mantle. We need
such knowledge to predict the Earth system’s re-
sponse to human-induced geo-environmental pres-
sures, which have grown to geological dimensions.
The important question is, how much geo-environ-
mental pressures can planet Earth accommodate
before its response will seriously affect our societies.
That question basically points to the concept of
sustainable development. Addressing human basic
needs brings us to the second part of the title. Hu-
man globalization. Five trends in human globalization
and development were explored generating some
the most relevant future human needs and challeng-
es: food, water, urban space and Earth resources
and the surplus of waste. Human ingenuity fueled by
30% more and culturally quite diverse brainpower by
2050, greatly ignored as a resource so far, will help
addressing such challenges. Geoscientists trained in
geo-environmental issues should play a major role.
That role should, however, be better exposed to
society as was done for example through the Inter-
national Year of Planet Earth. The IYPE served also
as a model for an initiative by the International Geo-
EDUARDO DE MULDER

1.4
Bruno Messerli | 85
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 85-
ature increase of more than 2°C, but less than 4°C,
because we would certainly learn through an in-
crease of extreme events and sea level rise: Natural
disasters are always also social catastrophes. By the
way, in a report of the Club of Rome (
RandeRS 2012),
we find the prediction that the danger threshold of
2°C will be passed by 2050: The younger generation
of geographers, here present, will be the witnesses
of this process. But let’s keep in mind, China, In-
dia and USA are emitting close to 50% of the global
CO
2
, without participating in the Kyoto protocol. No
doubt, these human induced natural driving forces
need a forward-looking Global Policy with the nec-
essary control instruments. Otherwise, as OECD
writes in the Outlook 2050, we shall have significant
costs of inaction, both in economic and in human
terms (OECD 2012).
Figure 2 gives us an overview of the global changes
in demography, economy and technology. I am us-
ing the data of the American environmental historian
John
Mcneill (2005). He tried to reconstruct the pro-
cesses in the 20
th
century.
Behind these impressive and alarming figures of
growth stands an unequal world with very poor
and very rich countries. Moreover, 40 years ago the
Club of Rome published the book ‘Limits to Growth’
(
MeadowS et al. 1972). Did we learn something? Is the
financial crisis an early warning of ‘limits to growth’,
as it is discussed in some competent publications?
Only 8 years ago, the results of a fascinating confer-
ence with a limited number of participants from all
over the world at the Free University of Berlin were
published under the title ‘Sustainability or Collapse’
(
coStanza et al. 2005). All the same, it is a pity that
the figures of McNeill in Figure 2 were reconstruct-
ed for the whole of the 20
th
century, because most
probably about 70% to 80% of these data were
produced only in the second half of the 20
th
century
GLOBAL CHANGE AND GLOBALISATION -
CHALLENGES FOR GEOGRAPHY
Bruno Messerli
Geographer, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
First of all I thank all the organizers for a session con-
cerning Global Change and Globalisation.
I read the 32 abstracts of the sessions submitted
under this key topic and I was impressed by the va-
riety of titles and texts. I am persuaded that Global
Change and Globalisation will become very serious
challenges for Geography from the local to the glob-
al level and from now to the end of our century and
beyond.
1. Global Change in Nature and Society –
The Situation of Today
Figure 1 shows the increasing human impact on
climate change from 1870 to 2100, based on the
predicted CO
2
values. You see the slow increase
of the worldwide temperature from about 1870 to
1960 and then a more pronounced increase until
today, showing a global average warming of about
1°C, but in the arctic regions it is about the dou-
ble. Major volcanic events interrupted this process
for one or for some years, but without changing the
general warming process. Between 1870 and 2000
the most important 6 eruptions are mentioned here,
beginning with the Krakatau in Indonesia 1883 and
ending with the Pinatubo in the Philippines 1991.
But now, with the beginning of the 21
st
century, we
are not only reaching a point of uncertainty about
the future, but also a point of decision connected
to the following scenarios: Can we limit the increase
of temperature to the so-called danger threshold of
2°C, a scenario which we could still call ‘Environ-
ment oriented’. But if we think on the growth of the
world population and the world economy, then the
most realistic assessment is probably this compro-
mise between the ‘environment oriented’ and the
‘economy-growth oriented’ scenario. This most re-
alistic ‘compromise scenario’ would mean a temper-
94.

86 | Bruno Messerli
PART 1
Fig. 1: Climate Change Simulation 1870 - 2100 (Source: ucaR 2007)
Fig. 2: Global Environmental History of the 20th Century (Mcneill 2005)
BRUNO MESSERLI

Bruno Messerli | 87
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
2. Global Change: New-Old Challenges for
Geography
2.1. Linking Natural and Social Sciences –
Geography as a Bridge Builder
The unlimited growth processes in the second half
of the 20
th
century found a reaction in three deci-
sive events with a high global significance. We could
it call also the awakening of a global environmental
consciousness with its three vital political and scien-
tific impulses: First, in the last months of 1971, the
UNESCO started the ‘Man and Biosphere’ research
programme, accompanied by appeals of UNESCO
for a new and innovative cooperation between natu-
ral and social sciences. Second, some months later
in 1972, the first global conference ‘On the Human
Environment’ took place in Stockholm, invited by
the government of Sweden. The MAB programme
was mentioned several times in the declarations and
recommendations. In 1972 Climate Change was not
yet a hot scientific and political topic and the expres-
sion ‘Sustainability’ was not yet existing. The neg-
ative effects of the fast growth in demography and
economy were visible in processes of degradation,
deforestation, soil erosion, pollution, etc. and these
damages should and could be avoided or corrected.
At least, these topics dominated the thinking in the
Stockholm conference 1972. The third event was in
the same year the publication of the famous book
‘The Limits to Growth’ (
MeadowS et al. 1972) by the
Club of Rome. For 40 years science and society
have been in a fierce debate about this book. How-
ever, if one compares the forecasts with real data
of today, the limits might be much closer than one
thinks.
Figure 4 brings us back to the UNESCO – Pro-
gramme Man and Biosphere, because it played a
very special role for Geography. Looking back to the
1970s I must say that UNESCO had visionary and
long-term thinking personalities to start 14 different
programmes, covering the main ecosystems of the
world. In this time period it was not easy, working in
a small Geographical Institute, to create an efficient
cooperation between natural and social sciences.
We tried it with the following schematic representa-
tion of a regional economic ecological system in
a well delineated region or in a so-called test area
(
MeSSeRli & MeSSeRli 1978). You see on the left side
or even in the last 50 years. Then we would real-
ise the unbelievable speed of human induced global
change and globalisation processes much more dis-
tinctively. What a challenge for Geography to analyse
these processes at the local and national level, and
link them with the available data about the changing
natural systems and resources.
As a summary of this turbulent and dramatic devel-
opment we could quote the statement of Sir John
Beddington, Chief Scientist to the UK government:
‘by 2030, a perfect storm that combines food, wa-
ter and energy shortages will unleash public unrest
and international conflict’ (
beddinGton 2011). This
courageous declaration may show the results of our
rapidly progressing global change and processes of
globalisation. Can we continue like that, or do we
have to change the Global Change? Of course we
can discuss the year 2030, will it begin before or af-
ter this year? But more important is the question,
where are the most vulnerable regions for shortages
of food, water and energy?
Figure 3 shows a map drafted by the ‘Scientific Advi-
sory Council on Global Change for the German Gov-
ernment’ in 2007. Food and water shortages, con-
nected with a potential increase of extreme events
are concentrated mainly in the monsoon belt, in the
latitudes between the equator and 30° to 35° North
and South, where probably more than 70 % of the
world population is living. In this zone we find most
of the poor developing countries. But also in the
economically successful countries like India we see
just this year big damages in agriculture due to miss-
ing monsoon rains. In several discussions with spe-
cialists of the IPCC (International Panel on Climate
Change) I have heard that this monsoon system
is very complex and it is still very difficult to make
any predictions about future changes. Let’s keep in
mind, natural catastrophes are also social and eco-
nomic catastrophes, causing migration and political
instability. It is indeed a challenge for Geography
to invest much more in basic and applied research
partnerships with universities in this critical zone in
order to understand the highly different ecosystem
services and the depletion of natural resources.

88 | Bruno Messerli
PART 1
Fig. 3: Hotspots for Conflicts (Source: WBGU 2007: 4, altered and simplified by N. Buchmann, member of
WBGU - German Advisory Council on Global Change 2008)
Fig. 4: Schematic representation of a regional economic-ecological system
(Source:
MeSSeRli & MeSSeRli 1978: 205)
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1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
and human geography? We can’t discuss this im-
portant topic more extensively, at least Professor
Eckart Ehlers gave some fascinating explanations in
the opening ceremony. All the same it is interesting
to see, that IGU had 1968 a commission ‘Man and
Environment’ with Gilbert White as president, even
before the foundation of the UNESCO – MAB Pro-
gramme. This corresponds again to our title: New-
old challenges for Geography. To be very clear, we
should not neglect the basic research in physical
and in human geography, but we are living in the so-
called geological period of the Anthropocene (Ehlers
2008) and one of the most important challenges is
the cooperation of natural and human geographers
in common projects, mostly with a focus on sustain-
ability.
2.2. Ecosystem Services and Resource
Use – Global Research Programmes
It is exciting to read in the OECD book (Organisa-
tion for Economic Co-operation and Development)
‘Environmental Outlook to 2050’ the following com-
ment: ‘Continued degradation and erosion of natural
environmental capital are expected to 2050 and be-
yond, with the risk of irreversible changes that could
endanger two centuries of rising living standards.
The costs and consequences of inaction are signif-
icant, both in economic and human terms’ (OECD
2012: 20). In this connection the terms ‘ecosystem
services’ and even ‘payment for ecosystem servic-
es’ are becoming very urgent new topics. An im-
the natural system with their
natural resources and with their
suitability and on the right side
the socio-economic system with
the economic, political, social
and cultural factors or sub-sys-
tems and in the middle the Land
Use System, the Ecosystem or
the Landscape. Impacts from
outside are the demand e.g.
natural resources, marketable
products, etc. and political inter-
ventions e.g. land use planning,
environmental protection, etc.
Either this community uses the
natural resources in a sustaina-
ble way, then the people have a
long-term income or even a prof-
it, or they overuse or misuse the natural resources,
then the damages produce high costs and endanger
the livelihood of this community. The land use system
is a highly sensitive indicator for changing natural and
human driving forces. Who could have thought that
this basic scheme from the 1970s would develop
in the 1990s to a much more fundamental scheme
(Fig. 5), which includes not only biodiversity, water,
food and climate, but also health (pollution of water
and air), urbanisation and migration. If we think on
the big and expensive floods in New Orleans and
Bangkok in the last years, then we realise the high
significance of the interaction between physical and
human driving forces on land use and land cover,
especially if there is on a certain place an urban area
with millions of people. Who could have thought that
20 years later, the Third Nobel Laureate Symposi-
um in Stockholm, May 2011, just as a preparation
for Rio 2012, formulated in their report the following
message: ‘Ecosystems and social systems are dy-
namic and inextricably linked’. Please, think who are
these Nobel Price Laureates - most of them got their
Nobel Price for basic research in physics, chemis-
try, medicine and economy - and they develop such
a common priority formula for the future in order to
define a research path for sustainability.
Now this development of a basic idea over 40 years
provokes some questions: Geography is a discipline
with a physical and a human part. Why were so few
geographical institutes involved in the MAB – Pro-
gramme? How was it possible that in the 1970s
geographical institutes were separated in physical
Fig. 5: Land Use Land Cover Change (Source: Simplified draft, basic ideas
in: Global Land Project - GLP, 2005)

90 | Bruno Messerli
PART 1
ferent continents: We are overloaded with work, we
have too many students, we have a responsibility for
our surrounding region, we have to concentrate on
a certain topic and in general: The global dimension
was a little bit suspect! It was so difficult to explain
that global processes have an increasing impact on
the local and regional level and that a better knowl-
edge on the regional and local level are fundamental
for a more precise knowledge on the global level.
2.3. The significance of a science – policy
dialogue: Rio 1992 and Rio 2012
The most important event about Global Change
and Globalisation was certainly the so-called ‘Earth
Summit’ in Rio de Janeiro 1992: The main results
were the Agenda 21 with its 40 chapters, formulated
in a quite concrete manner, and the accepted con-
ventions on Climate Change and on Biological Di-
versity. Most interesting for us was the fact, that half
an year before Rio 1992, ICSU invited to a well pre-
pared scientific conference in Vienna 1991 with the
title “An Agenda of Science for Environment and De-
velopment into the 21
st
Century (ICSU 1992). I could
participate in Vienna and in Rio and I realised not
only the significance of the scientific contribution,
but also the interest of the political delegations in Rio
on the scientific data and proposals from Vienna.
I apologize for using a very personal experience to
show a successful science - policy dialogue about
mountain research and development for the Rio
conference 1992 and for a special mountain chapter
in the Agenda 21. Thanks to such a good dialogue
we could persuade the political authorities about
the high significance of the natural and cultural re-
sources in mountain regions: Water resources for a
large portion of the world population, most sensitive
indicators of climate change, treasures of biological
and cultural diversity in mountain regions, recrea-
tion areas for an increasingly urbanised world pop-
ulation, etc. Science produced the necessary data,
policy and diplomacy brought it up in the prepara-
tory conferences for Rio and the result was a spe-
cial mountain chapter in the Agenda 21. The effects
were fantastic. I mention only three points: 2002
became the UN – International Year of Mountains,
between 1998 and 2011 eight mountain resolutions
were accepted by the UN – General Assembly, 2012
in the conference Rio + 20 the mountains received
pressive example, reduced to some figures, is the
publication of Robert
coStanza (1997), 5 years after
Rio 1992. He analysed with a big interdisciplinary
team of 12 co-authors 17 ecosystems, covering the
world, and calculated the value of these services for
humanity in market prices. The result was in mon-
etary value 33 trillion $/year and the global gross
national product in these years was only 18 trillion
$/year. Of course there are a lot of uncertainties in
this calculation, described also by the authors, but
all the same it shows very clearly the much higher
value of the ecosystem services than all the human
economic – technological activities. A more concrete
example: The greater Himalaya is the water tower for
more than 10 countries including China and India.
All these countries depend on the water from the
highlands for food production, urbanisation, indus-
trialisation and growing population, but the mountain
people, responsible for quantity and quality of the
water resources, are living in severe poverty. They
don’t know anything about ‘Ecosystem Services’.
By the way, following the UN – population division,
China and India will have about 3 billion people in
2050, this was 1965 the whole world population.
Therefore Geography must become a much more
active partner in global and regional programmes on
‘Ecosystem Services and Resource Use’. It was de-
cided in the London science conference ‘Planet un-
der Pressure’, end of March 2012, that the existing
four global programmes (IGBP, IHDP, DIVERSITAS
and WCRP) should be merged with the title ‘Future
Earth’: A new global platform for sustainability re-
search, launched in London 2012, beginning 2013
and ending after 10 years. The leading persons and
institutions hope to attract several billion EUROs in
research funding per year and this initiative should
link global environmental change and fundamen-
tal human development questions. I am a little bit
sceptical if such a complex mechanism can work
successfully together, would it not be better to con-
nect the existing programmes with new aims and
ideas. All he same, I hope that Geography will play
an active and innovative role in these new initiatives. I
say it so accentuated, because as president of IGU I
tried very hard to motivate the geographical commu-
nity to cooperate in these global programmes. I was
even asked by the director of ICSU, why there were
not more geographers with their natural and human
science education involved in global programmes?
I still hear the arguments of geographers from dif-
BRUNO MESSERLI

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KEYNOTE LECTURES
nomic sciences to understand the human driving
forces and the impacts on nature and resources
in order to prepare the ground for a new thinking
about responsibility and sustainability. With the
most significant front page of the last issue of the
IGU-Commission on Geographical Education (Fig. 6)
we may see that Geography, as a bridge builder be-
tween social and natural sciences, connecting ‘Man
and Biosphere in 1971’ (UNESCO) or 40 years later
‘People and Ecosystems in 2011’ (Nobel Price Lau-
reates), should have a special place in the different
types of schools all over the world. In the memo-
randum of the Nobel Price Laureates 2011 I found
the wonderful sentence: ‘In view of the Earth Summit
2012, we call for serious action that goes beyond
praising green growth but revives the spirit of 1992,
recognizing that fundamental changes are needed
to our governmental, economic and educational
systems’. I thank the IGU-Commission on ‘Interna-
tional Research in Geographical and Environmental
Education’ for publishing since 1991 these volumes.
In such a critical moment of global change and glo-
balisation, geographical and environmental educa-
tion must become a higher priority in IGU and in the
three paragraphs in the final declaration ‘The Fu-
ture We Want’. Looking back I would say, that this
success had positive feedbacks on policy and on
science. Policy realised, especially in the developing
world, that poor and marginalised mountain people
are the stewards of very important natural resources
and science realised, that the necessary knowledge
about the natural and human conditions are missing
in many parts of the world’s mountains. If we want to
understand the value of these resources, for instance
mountain water for irrigation and food production
in the surrounding lowlands, half of the worldwide
biodiversity hotspots are in mountain regions, the
worldwide retreat of glaciers, etc., then we need a
better knowledge and a scientific strategy in order
to understand from the local to the global level the
highly diverse natural and human driving forces. The
public and political awareness for mountain ecosys-
tems and mountain people after Rio 1992 was an
essential stimulus to science and policy.
For Rio+20 in 2012 we quote a short comment from
the South Centre in Geneva, an Intergovernmental
Organization of Developing Countries: ‘Although
there was negative media portrayal about the Sum-
mit in Rio 2012, it did have some achievements.
At least the Rio principles of 1992 were reaffirmed,
including common but differentiated responsibil-
ities. There was an agreed outcome document,
something that cannot be taken for granted, after
the failure of the WTO to conclude its Doha agenda
or the Copenhagen climate conference’. To close
this chapter we add a sentence of the OECD Envi-
ronmental Outlook to 2050: ‘Without new policies,
progress in reducing environmental pressure will
continue to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of
growth’ (OECD 2012). In this sense a courageous
engagement in science – policy dialogues is a very
important challenge for a future oriented Geography,
may it be a dialogue with local authorities or an in-
tervention at a national level, may it be a support of
a regional initiative or a cooperation at a global level.
2.4. International Research in Geo-
graphical and Environmental Edu-
cation
The physical sciences have perhaps too much dom-
inated the problems of climate and global change:
We need very urgently the human, social and eco-
Fig. 6: IGU – Commission on Geographical Educa-
tion: Vol. 21 (Source: IGU 2012)

92 | Bruno Messerli
PART 1
the 1800s, our imprint on the global environment
is so large that we risk triggering a number of
abrupt or even irreversible global environmental
changes. The big question is how we can be-
come planetary stewards instead and strike a
long-term balance between human well-being
and sustainable use or Earth’s ecosystems.
3. Social – ecological innovations for planetary op-
portunities: There are ample examples out there
to demonstrate the tremendous capacity we
humans have in finding innovative solutions to
improve our lives. However, innovation is not al-
ways for the better. Aspects of innovation may be
driving the world in the wrong direction, directly
schools all over the world. In this sense it would be
highly interesting to include certain results of the ‘In-
ternational Year of Planet Earth’ 2008 (Leadership
Prof. E. De Mulder) and the conception of a new IGU
initiative (Leadership Prof. Benno Werlen) for an UN
International Year of Global Understanding (Fig.7).
This new initiative aims to bridge the awareness gap
between local acts and global effects and to connect
local actions and global challenges (
weRlen 2012).
Let’s close this chapter with a picture of an old man,
originally made by Leonardo da Vinci, presented by
UNESCO in an exhibition and adapted to our year
2012. Today it is even more significant than about
30 years ago. Fig. 8: This man is 70, when he was
10 years old: 1952! His grandchildren are around
10, when they will be 70: 2072! How did the world
look like some years after the Second World War in
1952, and how does the world with its climate and
resources will look like in 2072? 120 years of dif-
ference between grandparents and grandchildren:
Two different generations - two very different worlds!
What a responsibility in the same family!
3. Do we need a Change of Global Change?
Sustainability or Collapse?
The report of the last Nobel Laureate Symposium on
Global Sustainability (2011) in Stockholm has three
highly relevant chapters for our future:
1. Linking People and Ecosystems: In our globalised
society, there are virtually no ecosystems that are
not shaped by people and no people without the
need for ecosystems and the services they pro-
vide. The problem is that too many of us seem
to have disconnected ourselves from nature and
forgotten that our economies and societies are
fundamentally integrated with the planet and the
life-supporting ecosystems that provide us with
hospitable climate, clean water, food, fibres and
numerous other goods and services. It is high
time we reconnect and start accounting for and
governing the capacity of natural capital to sus-
tain development.
2. From Hunter – Gatherer to Planetary Stewards:
Believe it or not, for most of human history we
have existed as hunter-gatherers. Now, thanks
to the dramatic fossil fuel-driven expansion since
Fig. 7: UN International Year of Global Understand-
ing. An Initiative of IGU (
weRlen 2012).
Fig. 8: UNESCO 1981: Exhibition for the 10th anni-
versary of the MAB – Programme, changed to the
reference year 2012
BRUNO MESSERLI

Bruno Messerli | 93
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
opposed to a sustainable future. The challenges
we face is to use this innovative capacity to re-
connect ourselves with the biosphere (Chapter 1)
and stay with the safe boundaries of the planet
(Chapter 2) in order to safeguard human devel-
opment in the long term. It is time to introduce
innovations that are sensitive to the fundamental
bonds between social and ecological systems.
Some additional remarks in the context of our pres-
entation: The first chapter is a continuation of the
Man and Biosphere Programme, which became well
known 40 years ago through the first global con-
ference on the ‘Human Environment’ in Stockholm
1972. The second chapter may show the history
of Homo Sapiens with probably less than 100,000
years in Europe, most of this time period as hunt-
er–gatherer. About 10,000 years ago is beginning a
certain agriculture and only in the 20
th
century we
are reaching a global dimension with a planet un-
der pressure. The world population was about one
billion at 1800, two billion at about 1925 and today
more than 7 billion. We repeat
Mc neill (2005) on
Figure 2: ‘Nothing like this has ever happened in
human history. The mere fact of such growth, and
its unevenness among societies, made for profound
disruption in both environment and society’. Finally,
with the third point we need very urgently social–
ecological innovations on the planetary dimension
for ‘Future Earth’. Here we repeat the OECD (2012)
quotation: ‘Urgent and holistic action is needed now
to avoid the significant costs and consequences of
inaction, both in economic and human terms’ and
we repeat the title of the MIT publication (
conStan-
za et al. 2007): Sustainability or Collapse! Are these
three points not also fundamental challenges for the
future of Geography in science and education, in ba-
sic and applied research?
Rediscovering Geography: New relevance for Sci-
ence and Society (Fig. 9). This was a report of the
US - National Research Council 1995, authored by a
committee of the US - National Academy of Scienc-
es. Again: New-Old Challenges for Geography! This
appeal from 1995, just some years after Rio 1992
hits exactly the situation of today, just some months
after Rio 2012: Rediscovering Geography: New
relevance for Science and Society!
References
beddinGton, J. (2011): Royal Geographical Society,
Newsletter Nr.1. - London.
coStanza, R., d‘aRGe, R. & de GRoot, R. (1997): The
value of the world’s ecosystem services and na-
tural capital. - Nature, 387: 253-260.
coStanza, R., GRauMlich, L.J. & Steffen, W. (eds.)
(2007): Sustainability or Collapse? An Integrated
History and Future of People on Earth. Berlin-
Dahlem Workshop Reports. - Berlin.
ehleRS, E. (2008): Das Anthropozän. Die Erde im
Zeitalter des Menschen. - Darmstadt.
ICSU (1992): An Agenda of Science for Environment
and Development into the 21
st
Century. - Cam-
bridge.
Mcneill, J. (2005): Modern Global Environmental Hi-
story. A turbulent and dramatic scenario. Update
of the IHDP, Bonn: 1-3.
MeadowS, D., MeadowS, d., zahn, e. & MillinG, P.
(1972): Die Grenzen des Wachstums. Bericht
des Club of Rome zur Lage der Menschheit. -
Stuttgart.
MeSSeRli, B. & MeSSeRli, P. (1978): Wirtschaftliche
Fig. 9: Rediscovering Geography, new Relevance
for Science and Society (US National Research
Council 1995)

PART 1
94 | Bruno Messerli
Entwicklung und ökologische Belastbarkeit im
Berggebiet (MAB Schweiz). - Geographica Hel-
vetica 4: 203–210.
Nobel Laureate Symposium on Global Sustainabili-
ty 2011: Executive Summary of Scientific Back-
ground Reports. Stockholm, May 16 - 19. Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences - Stockholm.
oecd (2012): Environmental Outlook to 2050. The
Consequences of Inaction. OECD – Publishing.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264122246-en.
RandeRS, J. (2012): Eine globale Prognose für die
nächsten 40 Jahre. Der neue Bericht des Club of
Rome. - München (Deutsche Ausgabe).
UCAR (2007): Climate Change Simulation 1870 –
2100. University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research. - In: Understanding Climate Change.
Boulder, USA. - https://www2.ucar.edu/news/
understandidng-climate-change-multimedia-
gallery.
US National Research Council (1995): Rediscove-
ring Geography – New Relevance for Science
and Society. Authored by a committee of the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences. - http://books.nap.
edu/catalog.php?record_id=4913#orgs.
wbGu (2007): World in Transition: Climate Change
as a Security Risk. Summary for policy-makers.
- Berlin.
weRlen, B. (2012): IGU - International Year of Global
Understanding (IYGU). - Jena.
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1.4
Stephan Baas | 95
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 95-
DISASTER RISK AND CRISES: CHALLENGES FOR
FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY
Stephan Baas
Natural Resources Officer, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations - FAO
at global level. And not to forget the hidden and of-
ten neglected small disasters which do not make it
into the news and do not trigger any international
emergency support. They threaten the livelihood se-
curity of millions of people every year, basically every
day. The variety of risks and challenges to food and
nutrition security is a huge topic, and impossible to
cover all its complexities within 30 minutes. I want to
focus this talk on some recent data and thoughts,
which are crucial for our call for enhanced action and
investments into food and nutrition security and risk
management, and the realization of the basic right
to food for all, now and in the future. I hope these
thoughts will inspire you to carry on discussions in
your sessions or in your research afterwards. Please
do not expect too many solutions from me; many
of the solutions we need, we do not yet have ready
to hand; we have to develop and constantly update
them in the future along the way we go.
My presentation applies a perspective of develop-
ment planning. I will first review some important
global trends we face when trying to achieve food
and nutrition security for all. I will do that mainly from
a natural resource management angle, and will call
your attention on land and water systems at risk, as
recently presented in FAO’s report “The state of the
world’s land and water resources for food and ag-
riculture” (SOLAW) (FAO 2011). Thereafter my talk
will focus on some selected types of disasters and
crises, which specifically effect food and nutrition se-
curity. I will introduce in brief what FAO recommends
to address risks to food insecurity in developing
countries, and in particular how to possibly reduce
the exposure of smallholder farmers, herders and
fisherfolk to the impacts of disaster and crises. I will
conclude with some suggestions about key needs
on the way forward towards risks reduction for food
and nutrition security.
1. Introduction
Thank you Professor Braun for this very kind intro-
duction. Ladies and Gentlemen, colleagues and
friends, it’s my pleasure to be here on behalf of the
Natural Resources Department of FAO and provid-
ed with this opportunity to talk to you about food
and nutrition security and some of the risks affecting
food and nutrition security.
The access for all to sufficient, healthy and nutritious
food is a basic human right. For most of us in this
room, getting food means basically going to the
supermarket or to the fridge. There is a tendency
to forget that for many people in the world it is still
very difficult to produce or access their daily food. In
particular in Least Developed Countries poor peo-
ple often do not get their daily meals. In the past
decades agriculture and food and nutrition security
had fallen behind other development priorities. Only
recently, particularly emphasized at Rio+20 this year,
food security has been brought back to the top of
the international development agenda; and rightly
so. We need food every day. It is our mandate and
joined obligation to ensure food and nutrition for all,
now and in the future.
Stable access to food for all at all times is indeed a
big challenge with many risks attached, which we
have to identify, analyze, understand and counter-
act. The 2008 food crisis showed in several countries
how food insecurity can quickly turn into civil unrest.
The increasing numbers of mega-disasters like re-
cent floods in Pakistan or Thailand, the Fukushima
cascading disasters and the long lasting droughts in
Australia, the Horn of Africa, and this year in the Sa-
hel and the U.S., are alerting. These disasters create
severe suffering, damage and losses; and beyond
these events themselves, impacts on food produc-
tion and food prices are visible at national but also
103.

96 | Stephan Baas
PART 1
and the way we use our lands; (ii) socio-economic
framework conditions with wide spread poverty as
a key issue in many developing countries, which are
anyway the most food insecure, or (iii) weak institu-
tions or governance, to name only three of them. All
these factors together create contextual vulnerabili-
ty. This vulnerability is underlying the situations when
countries and people face shocks, disasters and cri-
ses. In the following slides will focus on key produc-
tion factors, namely the natural resources base, on
which agricultural production mainly depends. Using
the example of two determinants, I will discuss the
potentials for future food production: (i) the World’s
land surface and (ii) world water use in relation to
agricultural production.
Crop production is the main source of global food
production and also contributes intensively to live-
stock feeding. 12% or 1.5 billion ha of the global
land surface is currently used for crop production. As
compared to the land resources used for cropping at
present, agriculture demands 70% of all fresh water
resources at a global level. We can expect that in the
context of the global trends - as flagged before - the
competition about the access to natural resources
is going to further increase, and that is not only for
the purpose of agricultural production. Let us have
a closer look first at the land: Are there potentials for
future production increase?
Is there enough land available to enhance cropping
areas? The next slide gives an indication of how
much land is under use.
2. Food and Nutrition Security: underlying
drivers of risk
Let me start with the biggest challenge ahead. The
UN (2012) anticipates that by 2050 global population
will have grown to 9.6 billion people. This of course
induces the need for more production of food. Our
estimates, taking the global population growth but
also changing consumption patterns into consider-
ation, indicate that to feed all these people we will
need to produce 60% more food globally than we
do today. And as part of that, a 100% increase has
to happen in developing countries (relative to 2009
levels). That is indeed a huge undertaking, and we
should not forget that this is not only about food
production itself, it’s also about ensuring healthy and
nutritious food. But where do we stand now - what
is our current reference point from which to start
achieving the gains needed?
Global figures show that currently about 925 mil-
lion (August 2012) people go to bed hungry - every
day; in spite of the fact that in principle we produce
enough food for all today. Beyond that about 2 billion
people globally are affected by nutrition deficits and
malnutrition. In some countries over 35% of the total
population suffers from hunger or malnutrition. Not
the most encouraging point of departure, unfortu-
nately, for the demands ahead of us.
What risks will influence food and nutrition securi-
ty? There are several global trends shaping food and
nutrition security now and in the future. Population
growth was already mentioned. Urbanization trends
are another factor: already
50% of the global population
lives in cities, in 2070 we ex-
pect that it rises up to 70% -
with big implications for food
production and consumption
patterns. The ongoing globali-
zation of trade is another global
trend; and, as we all know, cli-
mate change puts another lay-
er on top of all. Besides main
global development trends we
have to look at several location
specific drivers of risk: these
include, for example, (i) nat-
ural resources management
and environmental processes,
Fig. 1: Arable land availability (Source: adopted from FAOSTAT 2008 and
FAO 2011)
STEPHAN BAAS

Stephan Baas | 97
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
figures between 1961 and 2009, we see that land
expansion for agriculture production was only about
10 %, whereas in the same period irrigated area has
more than doubled up to 301 mha. Irrigated land is
more than twice as productive as rainfed cropland.
In 2009 ca. 19% of the world’s croplands were ir-
rigated; those lands yield some 36% of the global
harvest. The trend of rapidly expanding irrigation ar-
eas as observed during the last 20 years, however
will slow down in the future. By 2050 irrigated areas
are excepted to increase up to 318 million ha only
(SOLAW study, FAO 2011). Additionally irrigated are-
as will contribute to a limited degree only to the food
production increase needed. It is thus crucial to fur-
ther improve water access, management and water
use efficiency in environmentally sustainable ways.
Nevertheless, we must recognize that both available
land and water resources impose limitations to fu-
ture agricultural production increase.
With regard to water availability for agricultural pro-
duction, which we consider the even bigger con-
straint as compared to land access, we have to
bring in mind that already today one third of the
world population lives under water scarcity. Water
The data goes back to 2005 to 2007. It compares
arable land in use between developed countries and
selected developing regions. The green color in-
dicates where changes in land use for agricultural
production are likely to happen by 2050 (FAO pro-
jected data, 2011). The projections range low: only
70 million ha (less than 5%) increase by 2050. This is
for several reasons. First, there is not enough arable
land available to expand, and second is that land
quality differs. Most of the best land is already under
use. An additional explanation for limited increase
is that agriculture is not as attractive as it used to
be; profit margins for smallholder farms are shrinking
and many of them are moving away from agriculture,
with impacts on land use patterns and changing
production intensities on the currently used areas. In
developed countries and some other countries like
China or Vietnam, we even observe signs of overall
decrease in land use for cropping; in some cases as
result of unsustainable ways of land use, which has
led to land degradation in an irreversible way.
Looking at the fresh water resources we note that
the areas under irrigation have substantively in-
creased during the last 40 years. If we look at the
Fig. 2: Water use for irrigation (Source: FAO 2011)

98 | Stephan Baas
PART 1
Alerting in the context of food security is,
that in the future these systems at risk may
produce less food than now. For those of
you who are interested to look at this study
in more detail please refer to FAO website
1
.
3. Potentials for enhancing
future food production and access
The critical question when we look at the
natural resource endowment and the ex-
isting systemic production risks is: how
can we actually increase our production
to meet increasing demands? What our
economists say is that growth and higher
productivity have to be achieved mainly through yield
increases, which is indicated in the green bars of the
next graphic. Yield increase means higher yields per
crop. Alternatively crop intensification could be en-
hanced, meaning to increase the use intensity of the
land like for example through reducing fellow peri-
ods or increasing times of irrigation. The scope to
increase crop intensity however is small and as ear-
lier discussed the scope for area expansion is also
very limited. Additionally, yield increase means we
need better cropping material, but it also implies, we
need more fertilizer and more pesticides to protect
the crops, which in turn again has a high risk of en-
vironmental impacts; there are immense challenges
ahead.
scarcity is a relation between demand, availability
and access to water in those countries. The study
(SOLAW, FAO 2011) mentioned earlier has mapped
out various risks to which different agricultural pro-
duction systems are already exposed today; the size
of circles on the map shows their severity and the
geographical spread shows how widely they vary
across continents and agro-climatic zones.
Blue circles represent water related risks, the brown
ones are land related. Furthermore the map points
out risks related to loss of biodiversity and or pollu-
tion. The study report presents many in-depth ex-
amples from arid zones, highlands with high popu-
lation densities, small island states or forests areas.
Fig. 3: Systems at Risk at a Glance (Source: FAO, SOLAW 2011)
Fig. 4: Responding to increasing demand (Source: adopted
from Bruinsma 2009)
STEPHAN BAAS

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4. Disasters and Crises: main threats for
food and nutrition security
4.1 Natural Hazards
In addition to the constraints already mentioned,
there is climate change on top of all, which is likely
to affect production and the livelihoods of all of us
in the near future. The predicted impacts on agri-
culture yields are dramatic, particularly in the trop-
ics and subtropics located in developing countries.
But there are not only losers in terms of agricultural
production potential under climate change; there are
also potential winners of changing climate condi-
tions, particularly in the northern hemisphere. One
impact of climate change already felt today in many
parts of the world, as reported in the special re-
port of the IPCC (2012) on risks of extreme events
and disasters, is that also the likelihood of extreme
events is increasing. This adds a further challenge to
achieve the UN’s goals on food and nutrition security
for 2015 and more even 2050 and enhances expo-
sure to extreme events and disaster risks .
Disasters and crises destroy livelihoods, reduce food
production and increase hunger. They reverse devel-
opment and poverty reduction gains. There is a clear
link between shocks and hunger, which is the fra-
gility of our current food production systems. There
are about 2.5 billion smallholders worldwide who are
particularly and regularly exposed to extreme events
But production is not the only path through which
we can enhance food security in the future. Let us
look at another opportunity. Compared to the physi-
cal limitations on land and water there is a big scope
actually along the food supply chain to reduce food
losses and thus enhance indirectly food availability.
A recent large scale study on food losses and waste
was launched by FAO in 2011 in cooperation with
partners. It alerts that currently every year we lose
30% of the agricultural crop and the food produced
along the supply chain.
This graphic shows different types of food item clus-
ters like fruits and vegetables, root and tuber crops,
meat, cereals, fish and seafood etc. It shows high di-
mensions of losses in primary production in some of
these commodities, but also that very high amounts
are lost in post-harvest processing, distribution
and consumption. A generic pattern found behind
the data is, that the losses in developed countries
are predominantly in consumption and distribution,
whereas the losses in developing countries are
largely in post-harvest and primary production pro-
cesses. If we manage to reduce these losses, it may
create scope to get more of the production con-
sumed as food in the future. This change of course
also induces new challenges in face of potential food
chain security risks, which may also increase.
Fig. 5: Reducing food losses and waste (Source: FAO 2011)

100 | Stephan Baas
PART 1
In absolute numbers 2.7 billion people were affected
and 1.1 million died worldwide from natural disas-
ters since the year 2000. In spite of these dramatic
numbers, a good message is that through improved
disaster risk reduction measures, the curve of lives
lost is not further increasing. This is an indicator that
we need to continue into the direction of proactive
disaster risk reduction including prevention, mitiga-
tion and preparedness actions.
4.2 Food chain and socio-economic
crises
Other threats to food and nutrition security are
caused by food chain crises and transboundary
pests and diseases. Transboundary threats are for
examples avian influenza, locust infestations, dioxin
and many others. They have a major impact on the
food production and food chains. Just one example:
the occurrence of avian influenza, which was very
much in the press some years ago (in Asia since
2003 and reached Europe in 2005 and other regions
in the following years). Since then it is not anymore
most often to climate risks. On the other hand these
figures indicate that there is scope and the need to
take more proactive actions for reducing risks and
impacts of disasters.
Natural disasters threaten food and nutrition security
and food stability. Over the last 30 years the occur-
rence of natural disaster has constantly risen, except
of 2011 where the number of recorded disasters
slightly decreased. Particularly climate-, weath-
er- and water related hazards, such as floods and
droughts, are dramatically increasing. About 230 mil-
lion people are affected annually. Recent figures from
UNISDR (2013) calculate about 1.7 trillion US dollars
of economic losses over the last eleven years; with
a tendency of increase. In 2011 alone the economic
losses caused by reported and documented natural
disasters was 200 billion, which represented twice
as much as the available overseas development as-
sistance budget in the same year. More recently also
several developed countries where hit heavily. The
physical and economic loss of infrastructure etc. in
developed countries is extremely high.
Fig. 6: Avian Influenza - 2012 Outbreaks (Source: FAO, January to July 2012)
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 confirmed outbreaks
19 January - 19 July 2012
Legend
Domestic Wild
1 month
Confirmed (H5N1)
1 month
Confirmed (H5)
Past 5 months
Confirmed (H5N1)
Past 5 months
Confirmed (H5)
Indonesia PDSR
April 2012
Israel
Egypt
Bhutan
Nepal
India
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Cambodia
China
Viet Nam
Indonesia
STEPHAN BAAS

Stephan Baas | 101
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KEYNOTE LECTURES
present in the media and one may assume it is under
control now. The map shows data from 2012
There are still outbreaks and it is very important to
maintain systems of regular detection, prevention
and quick action to avoid wider spread of this type
of this highly contagious epidemic disease. A suc-
cess story for the elimination of one risk caused by
transboundary animal diseases was the eradication
of the rinderpest, after 20 years in 2011.
Food price volatility is another threat for food security
as drastically experienced in 2008. The 2008 food
crisis, already mentioned earlier, has lead to major
distortions in many countries.
Protected crises are another severe and long last-
ing cause of food insecurity and high risk exposure
of local people. Long-term assistance of agencies
like FAO is often requested in protracted crises sit-
uations. From the food and nutrition security per-
spective a protected crisis is defined as a complex,
prolonged and recurrent emergency for more than
7 years. Currently there are 22 protected crisis
worldwide. In those countries FAO and other agen-
cies play a major role in assisting at household and
community levels through livelihood promotion pro-
grams, inputs supply for agriculture and food assis-
tance to reduce chronic food insecurity and nutrition
deficits. As part of the protracted crises situation
people in these countries are often exposed/more
vulnerable to the impacts multiple hazards. Typical-
ly there are weak institutions, limited services and
no assistance to reduce risks and protect against
crisis for food and nutrition security, and to ensure
framework conditions and security that allow people
to continue to produce food and ensure their liveli-
hoods. The proportion of undernourished people is
three times higher in countries with protracted crisis
than in other developing countries.
5. Addressing disaster risk reduction for
food and nutrition security
What can countries do to prevent disasters and cri-
ses or to reduce their impacts? In order to provide
some guidance to countries FAO has developed
a framework called Resilient Livelihoods: disaster
risk reduction for food and nutrition security. In this
framework, resilience is understood as the ability of
a system and its parts to anticipate, absorb, accom-
modate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous
event in a timely and efficient manner, including the
preservation, restoration or improvement of basic
structures and functions. Resilient livelihoods sys-
tems have the ability to (i) withstand a threat and re-
lated crises and to buffer their impacts, and (ii) adapt
to a new livelihood pathways in the face of crises.
The framework promotes the shift from emergency
response oriented ways of working towards a proac-
tive risk reducing approach. The focus on resilience
comprises and links the whole range of interventions
before, during and after a shocks (including preven-
tive action, preparedness, response, recovery and
rehabilitation measures), and bridges development
and emergency humanitarian assistance. Working
along the humanitarian-development continuum,
the framework builds on the argument that proactive
disaster risk reduction can avoid or mitigate the neg-
ative impacts of disasters on the economic growth
patterns in affected countries. Investing in proactive
disaster risk reduction is more cost efficient than re-
sponse operations to compensate losses and repair
damages.
The next graphic shows the four thematic pillars of
FAO’s framework programme on disaster risk re-
Fig. 7: FAO Food Price Index
(Source: FAO, August 2012)

102 | Stephan Baas
PART 1
comes? Who does what? This is what contingency
plans are needed for.
Equally important as the message that we have to
address all these four pillar one by one, is that we
have to also address them in an integrated way so
that they mutually reinforce each other: at global, at
national and at local level. If, for example, we only
invest into good early warning tools, which indeed
are very important, but forget to put institutions in
place who create awareness at local level about the
availability and value of the warning systems, and
ensure that people take action upon the warnings,
then they don’t help much.
Disaster management systems worldwide are signif-
icantly improving, but they still focus too much on
responsive actions and within those on fixing infra-
structure, transport, housing electricity and commu-
nications. An overall priority is of course on saving
lives; but more emphasis should be given at the
same time to protecting and saving also the liveli-
hood systems of vulnerable people applying longer-
term perspectives for victims such as small scale ag-
ricultural producers. We need to act from the global
to the local and back, and we need to integrate and
work in an interdisciplinary way, including all disci-
plines which affect food and nutrition security; we
must link the thematic pillars for DRR which I just
mentioned.
A lot of advocacy is still needed, to get these sys-
temi c approaches in place. Knowledge manage-
ment is fundamental, capacity development at all
levels including in our own agency, to make this tran-
sition happen from reactive to proactive risk man-
agement. We must foster and build more strategic
partnerships with research institutions, with exten-
sion services, civil society and the private sector.
A final word on the interface of disaster risk reduction
and climate change: as disciplines they were coming
from two different origins, as we know. But from the
agricultural perspective, we recommend that they
should be addressed in an integrated way, because
if we go to the farmers they do not distinguish be-
tween the two. They feel and address both challeng-
es it in a joined way. So we argue for merging the
agendas to the degree possible while recognizing
that at both ends of disaster risk reduction and cli-
mate change adaptation, there are issues, which the
duction for food and nutrition security. The first is
about the enabling institutional environment. This
dimension is key to build operational and sustaina-
ble institutional structures for disaster risk reduction
planning and implementation within the recurrently
disaster exposed countries.
In this context FAO focuses particularly on the (1) in-
stitutional environment in agricultural forestry, fisher-
ies, ministries and departments and assists them in
shaping up as more active and capacitated partners
for proactive risk management.
At the same we recommend to put high importance
on (2) information management, and early warning
systems including for natural hazards, transbound-
ary pests and diseases, food and nutrition securi-
ty, and also climate and weather reports; in short
all kind of alerts and warnings, which are relevant
for the farmers to plan, and be aware in time of ex-
treme events expected to happen. The longer the
lead times are, with which we can provide alerts
and warnings, the better. The risk alerts and hazard
warnings are fundamentally important to save lives
and assets, and for people to be aware ready when
needed to cope with a disaster.
FAO further promotes (3) measures to strengthen
and diversify the production and livelihood systems
of farmers herders and fisherfolk with risk reducing
technologies in agriculture, natural resource man-
agement, fisheries and forestry; there are plenty of
suitable technology known already. The challenge is
that we have to enable people, including the poor
and disadvantaged groups to get access to them,
and share the relevant know how; but it’s also about
developing together with research institutes and
farmers new risk reducing technologies and infor-
mation systems in a variety of disciplines, including
agronomy, geography, plant and animal breeding
etc.
Finally there is the need for timely (4) preparedness
to respond, for example through stock piling of
food water and seeds at national, provincial, local
and household levels, but also of fertilizers and farm
inputs. Needs have to be anticipated through con-
tingency and action plans in case of emergencies.
People need to know exactly what they shall do in
case the flood or thypoon comes, and how to pro-
tect their livestock; and also what to do if a drought
STEPHAN BAAS

Stephan Baas | 103
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KEYNOTE LECTURES
References
bRuinSMa, J. (2009): The resource outlook to 2050:
by how much do land, water use and crop yields
need to increase by 2050? - Expert Meeting on
How to Feed the World in 2050. - Rome, FAO
and ESDD. - ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/012/
ak542e/ak542e06.pdf.
FAO (2013): Resilient Livelihoods – Disaster Risk Re-
duction for Food and Nutrition Security Frame-
work Programme. - Rome.
FAO (2011): The state of the world’s land and wa-
ter resources for food and agriculture (SOLAW)
– Managing systems at risk. Food and Agricul-
ture Organization of the United Nations. - Rome,
London.
FAO (n.d.): Food Price Index. - http://www.fao.org/
worldfoodsituation/wfs-home/foodpricesindex/
en/.
FAOSTAT (2008): Agri-Environmental Indicators. -
http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html.
field, C.B., baRRoS, V., StockeR, T.F., Qin, D., dokken,
D.J.,
ebi, K.L., MaStRandRea, M.D., Mach, K.J.,
PlattneR, G.-K., allen, S.K., tiGnoR, M. & MidG-
ley, P.M. (eds.) (2012): Managing the Risks of Ex-
treme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate
Change Adaptation. A Special Report of Working
Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change . IPCC. - Cambridge, New York.
The World Bank (2010): World Development Re-
port 2010: Development and Climate Change.
- Washington DC.
United Nations (2012): World Population 2012. -
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/popu-
lation/publications/pdf/trends/WPP2012_Wall-
chart.pdf.
UNISDR (2013): Disaster Data and statistics. - http://
www.preventionweb.net/files/31737_20130312
disaster20002012copy.pdf.
Endote
1 http://www.fao.org/nr/solaw/en/
other community of practice is not addressing. By
tackling them together and as integrated aspects of
development we cover wider grounds and make use
of synergies.
6. Conclusions and some ways to look
forward
Finally, let me share some thoughts about ways
forward to further strengthen disaster risk reduc-
tion for food and nutrition security. First, agriculture
production objectives and environmental objectives
require to be addressed together in order to achieve
sustainable solutions. We were not good enough in
bringing these two disciplines together in the past.
Second, we must continue to move from reactive
crisis management towards more proactive risk
reduction approaches; this implies that we should
better link and integrate humanitarian and develop-
ment assistance. We must invest much more into
long-term approaches and establish funding mech-
anisms, which support the systemic understanding
and management of vulnerabilities, risk and resil-
ience building. These thematic aspects of strategic
disaster risk reduction are still significantly under-
funded. We also need to strengthen governance
mechanisms towards more sustainable fair and
transparent food systems at local, national, regional
and global levels. And finally, we need to invest more
on data generation, research, multidisciplinary analy-
sis, knowledge management and extension service.
These are lessons and the way forward on a kind
of meta level. Finally we also need geography: we
need geographical information systems, geospatial
analysis and based on that sound planning for food
and nutrition security now and in the future. And we
need more geographers to contribute to our actions
to achieve food and nutrition security and enhanced
risk reduction. Thank you very much!

PART 1
104 | Derek Gregory
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 104-
and ‘eventlessness’. The more or less regular arrival
of ‘freshest advices’ – often remarkably stale, giv-
en the distance over which the news had to trav-
el – imposed a structuring, episodic temporality on
knowledge of the wars, and yet readers were si-
multaneously aware that they also lived in the un-
settling gap between what they knew had already
happened perhaps months earlier – a battle won, a
son survived – and what might have happened ‘in
the meantime’ but of which they as yet knew nothing
(
favRet 2009).
This is an arresting insight, because it suggests that
modern war-time is not a purely twentieth-century
construction (
dudziak 2012). Favret has no truck with
Virginia Woolf’s identification of a gulf between the
Napoleonic Wars and the Second World War. Writ-
ing in 1940,
woolf (1940, 1975) had claimed that
‘Wars were then remote, carried on by soldiers and
sailors, not private people. The rumours of battle
took a long time to reach England… Today we hear
the gunfire in the Channel. We turn on the wireless;
we hear an airman telling us how this very afternoon
he shot down a raider… Scott never saw sailors
drowning at Trafalgar; Jane Austen never heard the
cannons roar at Waterloo.’
For that reason,
woolf (1940,1975) thought, there
was a silence in their writings. And yet
favRet hears
something in that silence: ‘Precisely in these regis-
ters of the mundane and the unspectacular, registers
that have mistakenly been read as signs of immunity
– or worse, obliviousness – British romantic writers
struggled to apprehend the effects of foreign war.’
As this suggests,
favRet’s interests direct her at-
tention to literature – especially poetry – and in do-
ing so she eminds us that the emergence of public
spheres in eighteenth-century Europe involved more
than spaces of rational articulation, which is why she
constantly appeals to a landscape of affect. Yet the
DEADLY EMBRACE - WAR, DISTANCE AND INTIMACY
Derek Gregory
Geographer, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
One of the most dangerous conceits of the early
twenty-first century is that waging war at a distance
is a peculiarly contemporary phenomenon. Yet the
capacity to conduct offensive military operations far
from home has existed for centuries, most obviously
under the tattered banners of colonialism and im-
perialism, and to understand what is novel about
today’s long-distance war we need a much surer
understanding of its history. But we also need to
map its changing geography, because the ‘friction of
distance’ is not a crudely physical variable exhaust-
ed by the equations of spatial interaction. Instead,
it is oiled by a series of techno-cultural and politi-
co-economic processes that are embedded in the
pursuit of military violence. To simplify my discussion
I’ve chosen to focus on just three issues (there are
of course many others): news, logistics and weap-
ons. In each case I will identify a key moment in their
modern formation – successively, the Franco-Prus-
sian War, the First World War and the Second World
War – and sketch out the volatile geographies that
these have inscribed within later modern war.
Public information and military conflict
How do publics know about wars carried out far
from home? This is the central question that pre-
occupies Mary Favret in her War at a distance:
romanticism and the making of modern wartime.
She focuses on what she insists were ‘world wars’
at the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the
nineteenth centuries, wars that convulsed multiple
theatres across the globe and which were in some
substantial sense addressed to the world, and re-
covers the ways in which, as she puts it, ‘distant vio-
lence became at once strange and familiar, intimate
and remote, present and yet not really there.’ That
seemingly contradictory formulation, in which op-
posites revolve around one another, reflects
favRet’s
conviction that modern ‘war-time’ was composed
of a dialectic between what she calls ‘eventfulness’
113.

1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Derek Gregory | 105
the value of a telegraph than since the opening of
this disastrous war.’ Once again newspapers pub-
lished maps so that readers could follow events. But
most of them showed the territory from the French
border to Berlin – the direction in which the war was
expected to unfold – so you can imagine the sur-
prise and even shock when the war proceeded in
exactly the opposite direction and Prussian troops
finally laid siege to Paris. Readers around the world
watched with bated breath.
Their ability to make sense of – and to trust in – what
they saw was shaped by a turbulent geography
of truth. The Sydney Morning Herald was deeply
suspicious of all news coming through the United
States, which it was convinced was coloured by a
pro-Prussian bias, and preferred news that arrived
through the ‘red line’, a composite threaded togeth-
er by the telegraph wires from London via Suez to
India and Galle and the London newspapers that
accompanied the latest dispatches on the ships
from Galle (though how to reconcile newsprint three
months old with more recent telegraphic dispatches
was another question). By now it was clear that the
news business was now defined by its immediacy
and commodified through its shock value; crowds
gathered on the Sydney waterfront clamouring for
the latest intelligence as soon as the mail-ship was
due. It was equally clear that this immediacy was
mediated. The imaginative geographies of distant
wars were fashioned not only by first-hand reports
and second-hand commentaries, but also by what
sources were to be believed, which reports were to
be discounted, and how the gaps between detailed
‘correspondence’ and telegraphed ‘flashes’ were in-
terpolated.
The power of an immediacy increasingly if uneasily
coupled with credibility was dramatically reinforced
by the radio, which became a vital means of public
information during the Second World War: as
woolf
(1940, 1975) said, listeners could now hear the sound
of war, perhaps most startlingly for British audiences
when the BBC broadcast Wynford Vaughan-Thom-
as’s recording of an air raid over Berlin on the night
of 3 September 1943. At the same time the news-
reel made it possible to see the war unfolding on the
silver screen. This audio-visual immediacy installed
a peculiar intimacy amongst those gathered round
the wireless at home or sitting together in front of
the flickering screen. In his remarkable autobiogra-
response to distant violence was increasingly also a
matter of report, comment and discussion, and it is
within that register – in the formation of the ‘public
sphere’ as Habermas understood the term – that we
can calibrate the closing gap between eventfulness
and eventlessness.
For this reason I’m drawn in my own work to the
modern war correspondent, a figure usually traced
back to the Crimean War (1853-1856) and to W.H.
RuSSell’s remarkable reports for the Times. By then
the electric telegraph was being used to send terse
dispatches to major European capitals, but the
Times prized
RuSSell’s long-form letters precisely
because they were calculated ‘to serve far more im-
portant purposes than those of momentary amuse-
ment.’ Despite that disparaging comparison, how-
ever, the rapidity of telegraphed news was already
sounding alarm bells in the corridors of power, and
news was increasingly about the moment (
kelleR
2001). By the time of the Franco-Austrian War just
three years later European armies were resigned to
the presence of journalists on the battlefield and to
news of their victories – or defeats – being wired to
publics across the continent (
MaRwil 2010). These
were major developments, but it is the American
Civil War (1861-65) that is usually described as the
‘first telegraph war’. This was, in part, because the
telegraph played a key role in the conduct of mili-
tary operations, but it was also because there was
now a voracious public appetite for the immediacy
of telegraphed news. So much so, in fact, that the
enterprising Louis Prang sold maps and coloured
pencils with newspapers so that readers could trace
the daily, even hourly progress of the war.
The decisive innovation introduced by the telegraph
was that it enabled information to move without a
human agent to carry it. By this means the speed of
transmission increased and so too did its geograph-
ical range. Too often we think of the public sphere
(as
habeRMaS did himself) as a national construct, but
– for war as for much else – what mattered more
and more was the emergence of a transnational
public sphere. And it is for this reason that I think the
most crucial episode was the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870-71. According to the Sydney Morning Her-
ald on 26 September 1870, ‘the rapid progress of
events … is one of the most striking phases of mod-
ern warfare.’ Indeed, a week later its editors con-
fessed that they ‘had never realized more completely

106 | Derek Gregory
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one enthusiastic commentator crowed. ‘Much dam-
age of military importance was done … No less than
seven square miles of Hamburg were laid in ruins.’
The difference was illusory, but it was not simply a
product of patriotism or propaganda (though it was
undoubtedly that): it was also a product of position,
one a view from below and the other a view from
above.
Similar questions – of immediacy, of truth, of point of
view – reappeared during what for many was the first
television war, Vietnam. But they were now given a
new and even more unsettling twist. Vietnam has
been called the ‘living-room war’, but the phrase was
intended to be ironic: even as the war was ‘brought
home’ on the nightly television news, many critics
doubted that American audiences paid much atten-
tion to it or, if they did, saw it as little more than an-
other diversion (
aRlen 1997). Information was yield-
ing to – even being transformed into – entertainment.
That concern has been aggravated by the rise of the
Military-Industrial-Media-Entertainment network and
more specifically by what
hoSkinS & o’louGhlin call
‘diffused war’, where ‘media operations’ have be-
come a central part of military operations (
deR deRian
2010, hoSkinS & o’louGhlin 2010). To be sure, points
of view have multiplied. Today’s ‘citizen journalists’ –
like the brave people on the streets of Homs or Da-
mascus – can capture video on their cellphones and
upload the images to YouTube with a rawness and
a rapidity that we’ve never seen before, and since
they are often shooting (sometimes in both senses)
in places where professional journalists cannot ven-
ture, their videos are often re-broadcast on major
news channels (usually with caveats about the foot-
age being ‘unverified’). But the military are not far
behind. In the early months of the US-led invasion
of Iraq, military blogs mushroomed with informal ac-
counts of the occupation and the insurgency from
the point of view of ordinary US soldiers – usually far
from the viewpoint of the few Iraqi bloggers – and
since then the US and other advanced militaries take
great care to manage their media presence. Most
have their own websites, and their version of events
is regularly posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
and YouTube.
These developments reveal both a spectacular
contraction of the gap between eventfulness and
eventlessness – sometimes we seem to live in a per-
petual present in which absence is virtually erased
phy, The world of yesterday, completed just before
his suicide in 1942,
zweiG captured what I’m trying
to get at:
‘My father, my grandfather, what did they see? Each
of them lived his life in uniformity. A single life from
beginning to end, without ascent, without decline,
without disturbance or danger, a life of slight anxi-
eties, hardly noticeable transitions. In even rhythm,
leisurely and quietly, the wave of time bore them
from the cradle to the grave. They lived in the same
country, in the same city, and nearly always in the
same house. What took place out in the world only
occurred in the newspapers and never knocked at
their door. In their time some war happened some-
where but, measured by the dimensions of today,
it was only a little war. It took place far beyond the
border, one did not hear the cannon, and after six
months it died down, forgotten, a dry page of histo-
ry, and the old accustomed life began anew’. (
zweiG
1943)
But now, he continued:
‘There was no escape for our generation, no stand-
ing aside as in times past. Thanks to our new or-
ganization of simultaneity we were constantly drawn
into our time. When bombs laid waste the houses
of Shanghai, we knew of it in our rooms in Europe
before the wounded were carried out of their homes.
What occurred thousands of miles over the sea
leaped bodily before our eyes in pictures. There was
no protection, no security against being constantly
made aware of things and being drawn into them.’
(
zweiG 1943)
This too was a partial and partisan process, and here
too there was a geography of truth, an effect not
only of the blue pencil of the censor but also of the
positions available to reporters. When Pathé News
showed the Blitz to British audiences, for example,
its condemnation of what it represented as indis-
criminate terrorism against innocent civilians was in-
tensified by its ability to show the effects of bombing
on the ground: the viewpoint was, naturally enough,
that of those crouching beneath the bombs. But
when the same newsreels covered the Allied bomb-
ing of German cities like Cologne or Hamburg, the
reports were, of equal necessity, all from above: their
viewpoint was shared with the bombers. ‘The car-
goes of our bombers shattered military objectives,’
DEREK GREGORY

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KEYNOTE LECTURES
to that of fortresses,’ Field Marshal Helmuth von
Moltke had declared: ‘One more railway crossing
the country means two days’ difference in gathering
an army, and it advances operations just as much.’
The Franco-Prussian War was certainly a significant
way-station in military logistics, but events did not
work out quite as von Moltke had envisaged. The
railways speeded the mobilization of Prussian troops
but, as Wolmar explains,
‘The Germans had expected to fight the war on or
around the border and had even prepared contin-
gency plans to surrender much of the Rhineland,
whereas in fact they found that, thanks to French in-
competence, they were soon heading for the capital.
The war, consequently, took place on French rather
than German territory, much to the surprise of Molt-
ke, upsetting his transportation plans, which had re-
lied on using Prussia’s own railways. The distance
between the front and the Prussian railheads soon
became too great to allow for effective distribution,
and supplies of food for both men and horses came
from foraging and purchases of local produce.’
(
wolMaR 2010)
The most significant change in military logistics had
to wait on the First World War. Before 1914,
van cRev-
eld (2004) argues, ‘armies could only be fed as long
as they kept moving, living off the countryside they
traversed.’ This was precisely
wolMaR’s point in the
passage I have just quoted; even as late as 1870
van
c
Reveld (2004) calculates that ammunition formed
less than 1 per cent of all military supplies. But in
the first months of the First World War, he continues,
‘the proportion of ammunition to other supplies was
reversed’, and with it the calculus of supply: ‘It now
became relatively easy to support an army while it
was standing still, almost impossible to do so while
it was moving forward fast.’ What brought this about
was the accelerated industrialization of war.
‘The products of the machine – shells, bullets, fuel,
sophisticated engineering materials – had final-
ly superseded those of the field as the main items
consumed by armies, with the result that warfare,
this time shackled by immense networks of tangled
umbilical cords, froze and turned into a process of
mutual slaughter on a scale so vast as to stagger the
imagination.’
(van cReveld 2004)
and events around the world assume a more or
less simultaneous presence – and an extraordinary
convergence between the technologies used by
modern news media and those used by advanced
militaries to conduct their campaigns. This is surely
new. I suspect that in the nineteenth century and for
much of the twentieth publics had a keen apprecia-
tion of the difficulty – and the danger – of delivering
the news, but as that sensibility has become dulled,
as what Susan Sontag once famously defined as a
‘quintessential modern experience’, ‘being a spec-
tator of calamities taking place in another country’,
becomes a commonplace, we run the risk of be-
coming habituated to the display of military and par-
amilitary violence in other places (
SontaG 2003). The
conventions of contemporary journalism still allow
us to care about individual victims but often far less
about the countless, nameless others.
Logistics and the business of war
In August 1870 the Montreal Gazette was convinced
that the telegraph had transformed the military as
well as the media, heralding a newly mobile form of
war:
‘Modern science has brought each dependency of
the Empire within swift reach of the controlling cen-
tre. The communications are ever open while the
command of the sea remains... There converge in
London lines of telegraphic intelligence ... [and] it
needs but a faint tinkle from the mechanism to des-
patch a compelling armament to any whither it may
be called... The old principle of maintaining perma-
nent garrisons round the world suited very well an
age anterior to that of steam and electricity. It has
passed out of date with the stage coach and the
lumbering sailing transport.’
But that confidence was premature and even mis-
placed. Information may well have flashed around
the world, or at least parts of it, but the ‘despatch’
of ‘compelling armament’ – of troops, supplies and
ammunition – remained a formidable challenge.
Other observers, often closer to the front lines, were
persuaded that it was the railway – what
wolMaR
(2010) calls ‘the engine of war’ – that was delivering
decisive change to the business of war. ‘We are so
convinced of the advantage of having the initiative in
war operations that we prefer the building of railways

108 | Derek Gregory
PART 1
the supply chain coincided with Obama’s surge of
US troops from 2009, and the Pentagon knew that it
needed to increase capacity and reduce its reliance
on the Pakistan Ground Lines of Communication.
It put in place an alternative, even longer and cor-
respondingly more expensive Northern Distribution
Network running across Europe and Central Asia.
The new route involved all sorts of compromises,
most notably with governments in Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan, so that Obama’s supposed ‘good war’,
the war of necessity in Afghanistan, has involved a
series of accommodations with regimes whose hu-
man rights records rival those of the Taliban. In both
cases the external supply chains have been shaped
by geopolitics.
Once the convoys reach Afghanistan, a different set
of problems arises. Most supplies moves by road,
but the supply chain has been privatized so that
the movement of these convoys is not in the hands
of the U.S. Army but is the preserve of local con-
tractors organized until recently through a contract
known as Host Nation Trucking. This multi-million
dollar contract provided trucking for over 70 per
cent of the total goods and material distributed to
U.S. troops in the field, around 6,000 to 8,000 truck
missions every month. Security for the convoys was
also privatized, and a congressional report in 2010
found that within Afghanistan ‘security for the U.S.
supply chain is principally provided by warlords’.
2
These regional and local brokers owe their position
within a volatile and violent power-geometry to their
ability to manage security within their territory; as the
report acknowledged, ‘the business of warlordism’
is thus ‘to seek rents from those who would occupy
[or transit] that space’ and the brokers charge a pre-
mium for the right of passage. There is also credible
evidence that security contractors stage attacks on
competitors’ convoys in order to increase demand
for their own services and that part of the protection
payments exacted by the brokers work their way
through a clandestine series of channels to the Talib-
an and other militant groups. In sum, the report con-
cluded that ‘protection payments for safe passage
are a significant potential source of funding for the
Taliban. Within the HNT contractor community many
believe that the highway-warlords who provide secu-
rity in term, make protection payments to insurgents
to coordinate safe passage.’ A subsequent US Army
Task Force confirmed these findings and described
the system as ‘reverse money laundering’.
van cReveld confined himself to land war – he ad-
dressed neither war at sea nor war in the air – and
most of his discussion is limited to war in Europe.
But his point is still a sharp one. In order to move
those vast quantities of artillery shells and bullets,
the railway was vital: standard gauge lines to bring
troops and supplies to the rear, and then networks
of light railways laid rapidly up to the front to bring
the shells to the guns.
wolMaR is emphatic that one
of the reasons – and, I should add, only one of the
reasons – that the First World War came to a grind-
ing halt, with so many men ‘scratching away in the
skirting boards of Belgium and France’, was pre-
cisely because day after day fresh troops could be
supplied to the frontlines, and so too could the am-
munition that killed them in such terrible numbers.
In some degree the agility anticipated by the Mon-
treal Gazette has at last been realized by the con-
temporary reliance on special forces and drones to
conduct remote operations – new versions of ‘small
wars’ – but in
van cReveld’s view the logistical burden
for regular armies and conventional military opera-
tions has not markedly eased. This is not to say that
nothing has changed: advanced militaries depend
even more than their twentieth-century forebears on
oil in its various forms and supply has increasingly
been outsourced to private contractors. But
buhauG
&
GleditSch still insist that ‘the main factor to limit
the military reach of armed force is not the range of
the artillery or the combat radius of attack planes.
The largest obstacles to remote military operations
relates to transportation and logistics’ (
buhauG & Gl-
editSch 2006).
The war in Afghanistan provides a vivid illustra-
tion. For most of the war supplies for NATO forces
reached Afghanistan through the Pakistan ‘Ground
Lines of Communication’.
1
Shipments would ar-
rive in Karachi, and were then trucked to two main
border crossings, the Chaman gate in Baluchistan,
leading west to Kandahar, and the Torkham Gate
at the Khyber Pass, the shortest direct route to Ba-
gram and Kabul. The overland supply chain was
2,000 km long, and as vulnerable as it was extend-
ed. By 2008 insurgent attacks on the convoys had
intensified, and relations between the US and Pa-
kistan were often fractious and at best ambiguous:
Islamabad frequently closed the border in response
to U.S. incursions and air strikes as the war spilled
over from Afghanistan. The increasing precarity of
DEREK GREGORY

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KEYNOTE LECTURES
tions had transformed the geography of the killing
zones themselves, and the most consequential for
my present purposes was the incorporation of air
power into the arsenal of modern war. Many ear-
ly commentators were convinced that the primary
role of military aircraft would be for reconnaissance
– and they did play a vital role in ground assaults
and artillery ranging – but in the last years of the war
Zeppelins and giant Gotha bombers attacked Par-
is and London, and British bombers carried out air
raids on German towns on the frontier. Compared
to the carnage of the trenches and the devastation
caused by shelling, this amounted to little; yet what
these attacks did, unquestionably, was dramatically,
desperately to rewrite the geography of war. Military
violence was no longer confined to a battlefield, and
civilians far from the front were exposed to death
and injury in ever greater numbers. As
douhet wrote
after the war:
‘By virtue of this new weapon, the repercussions
of war are no longer limited by the farthest artillery
range of guns, but can be felt directly for hundreds
and hundreds of miles... The battlefield will be limited
only by the boundaries of the nations at war, and all
of their citizens will become combatants, since all
of them will be exposed to the aerial offensives of
the enemy. There will be no distinction any longer
between soldiers and civilians.’
(
douGhet 1942)
I don’t need to remind anyone in this splendid city that
it was during the Second World War that air power
– and the principle of indistinction – was pushed to
its destructive limit. Bombing’s execution depended
on a doubled logic of abstraction and sociality. It was
abstract in the sense that cities were transformed
from places in which hundreds of thousands of peo-
ple lived into targets: mathematical co-ordinates on
a navigation chart, crude outlines on a skeletal map,
spectral traces on a dimmed screen. It was also
abstract in the sense that large numbers of people
were involved in planning and carrying out each raid,
and this technical division of labour allowed for a dis-
persion, even a deferral of responsibility so that most
of those involved were removed from the violence
that was the culmination of the kill-chain.
But bombing is also social, and this too enables
those involved to overcome the resistance to killing.
Every technical division of labour is also a social di-
The previous paragraphs are little more than carica-
tures of a complex and evolving situation, but they
bring into view a new political economy of war, en-
cased in a neoliberal armature and entangled with
the profit-seeking logics of the ‘new wars’. Yet they
also reveal another, older political economy in which
the friction of distance persists even in the liquid
world of late modernity. Contrary to Thomas Fried-
mann’s fantasies, the world is not flat – even for the
US military. In a revealing essay on contemporary
logistics Deborah Cowen has shown how the United
States has gradually extended its ‘zone of security’
outwards, not least through placing border agents
around the world in places like Port Qasim in Paki-
stan so that the US border becomes the last not the
first line of defence through which inbound flows of
commodities must pass (
cowen 2012). Affirming the
close connection between military and commercial
logistics, the US Defense Logistics Agency envis-
ages a similar supply chain for its outbound flows
that aims to provide ‘uninterrupted support to the
warfighter’ (‘full spectrum global support’) and a
‘seamless flow of materiel to all authorized users.’
And yet, as I have shown, the friction of distance
has constantly confounded the extended supply
chains for the war in Afghanistan. This is no simple
metric (‘the coefficient of distance’) or physical effect
(though the difficult terrain undoubtedly plays a part).
Rather, the business of supplying war still produces
volatile spaces in which – and through which – the
geopolitical and the geo-economic remain locked in
a deadly embrace.
Weapons and killing at a distance
The issue of killing at a distance is not a new one,
as Goliath discovered to his cost, but the invention
(and more or less continuous innovation) of firepow-
er radically transformed the battlefield. According to
MéGRet, ‘with the increasing reach of weapons, few-
er and fewer men were necessary to hold a mile-long
battlefront – an estimated 20,000 between 1700 and
1850 at a time of smooth-bore guns, to 12,000 by
1870, to as little as 1,500 by 1917 with the introduc-
tion of the magazine fed-rifle’ (
MéGRet 2012). When
keRn argued that the First World War was ‘conduct-
ed at unprecedented long range’, however, it was
not the rifle that he had in mind, the machine-gun
or even the artillery battery: he was thinking of the
global scale of the conflict (
keRn 1983).
But muni-

110 | Derek Gregory
PART 1
explained that ‘we’re so far away’ that ‘it’s a highly
impersonal war for us’.
5
In contrast, the missions undertaken by Predators
and Reapers have almost all been in uncontested
air space – the exception is Libya – which removes
the threat of ground-to-air missiles or fighter inter-
cepts, and in any case they are flown by pilots who
are out of harm’s way at air bases in the continental
United States (though Launch and Recovery crews
are stationed in theatre to maintain the aircraft and
handle take-offs and landings). Conversely, the im-
aginative geography of the target is now far more
refined, and in one (highly conditional) sense even
intimate. The strikes conducted from or facilitated by
these remote platforms are not against areas of cit-
ies or target boxes in the rainforest but against small
groups or individual human beings.
6
The capacity to
be so precise – to contract the Circular Error Prob-
able from miles to metres – is in part the product
of new weapons and targeting systems, but in part
the product of the near real-time, high-resolution
full-motion video feeds captured by the sensors on
these platforms. Yet this is not war reduced to a vid-
eogame, as so many critics allege. Late modern war
plainly requires many of the skills developed through
playing video-games, including hand-eye coordi-
nation, multi-tasking and spatial acuity, but those
involved in these operations insist that they do not
mistake the one for the other. In any case, videog-
ames are not exercises in detachment: they are pro-
foundly immersive, and those flying these missions
repeatedly say that they are not 7,500 miles from
their targets but eighteen inches away – the distance
from eye to screen. Moreover, unlike conventional
strike aircraft that fly in and out of the target zone at
high speed, these remote platforms ‘dwell’ over the
target for hours at a time, needing only a change of
crew in the Ground Control Station, and after a strike
they are required to remain on station to carry out a
bomb damage assessment that is often an inventory
of body parts, so those involved see in graphic detail
the consequences of their actions (
GReGoRy 2011b).
When bomber crews set out from the East of Eng-
land in the Second World War none of those on
the base – from the ground crew up to the Station
Commander – knew anything about the success
or otherwise of the mission unless and until the air-
craft returned and the crews were de-briefed. Today
Predators and Reapers are ‘unmanned’ but they are
vision of labour, and each group involved in the kill-
chain developed a camaraderie and esprit de corps,
with a strong sense of mutual responsibility.
Stein-
beck captured that to perfection in his account of the
training of a bomber crew, Bombs Away!, written for
the US Army Air Force in 1942. While he knew very
well that flight crews had to master what he called
‘the mathematics of destruction’, his focus was on
the creation of the ‘bomber team’ and its instinctive
and carefully cultivated sociality.
3
These considerations continued to animate bomb-
ing after the war, and even today militaries still rely
on conventional strike aircraft to conduct bombing
raids. By the end of the war, however, some sen-
ior American officers were already dreaming of even
longer-range missions that would be flown from the
continental United States and guided by remote
control – on VJ Day General Arnold predicted that
‘the next war may be fought by airplanes with no
men in them at all’ – and the seeds of today’s Pred-
ator and Reaper strikes over Afghanistan, Pakistan
and elsewhere were sown during the Vietnam War.
4
For all the continuities, however, these remote op-
erations have transformed abstraction and sociality.
To most bomber crews during the Second World
War the target was at once a remote objective and
an imminent danger. The danger was visceral – the
searchlight batteries sweeping the sky, the judder-
ing explosions of anti-aircraft fire, and the prowling
enemy fighters – but the crews were often remark-
ably detached from the field of fire they created
thousands of feet below them. One pilot from RAF
Bomber Command recalled, ‘It’s one good thing
about being in an aeroplane at war: you never touch
the enemy. You never see the whites of their eyes…
You drop a 4,000 pound cookie [high explosive
bomb] and kill a thousand people, but you never see
one of them.’ Or another, describing area bombing
by night: ‘Those sparkling lights on the velvet back-
ground, they weren’t people to me, just the target.
It’s the distance and blindness which enabled you to
do these things’ (
GReGoRy 2011). The same was true
in Vietnam. One journalist reported that a B-52 strike
was a ‘chillingly spectacular event’ for those on the
ground, but for the aircrew, ‘sitting in their air-con-
ditioned compartments more than five miles above
the jungle’, it was little more than ‘a familiar tech-
nical exercise.’ They ‘knew virtually nothing about
their targets, and showed no curiosity.’ One of them
DEREK GREGORY

Derek Gregory | 111
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KEYNOTE LECTURES
Strike that threatens to put a missile anywhere on
earth in less than an hour. Cyberwarfare presents still
newer possibilities and an ever expanding horizon
of danger, given the dual-use capability of so many
computer systems and the acute dependence of the
physical spaces of modern life on the animations of
codespace (
GReGoRy 2011c).
The near and far
Even as we contemplate the expanding horror-hori-
zon of long-range war, we ought not to lose sight of
the close-at-hand. Even our most advanced forms
of warfare continue to be close in. In
henneSSey’s
view,
‘Modern conflicts are not de-localized, inhumane
and digital. If we learnt anything from Iraq and Af-
ghanistan it has been that no war can be fought at
a distance. The close combat with the Taliban in the
green zone of Helmand or the Mahdi army through
the rubble-strewn streets of Basra was as unpleas-
antly human and personal as war can be.’
(
henneSSey 2010)
On same calculations 94 per cent of all American
combat deaths in Afghanistan have occured within
one mile of the enemy, and David Bell claims more
generally that ‘since 1975 the United States, with the
exception of two short campaigns against the army
of Saddam Hussein, has largely fought against irreg-
ular, insurgent forces, and actual combat has mostly
taken place at much closer range than it did for the
average infantryman of either world war.’
(bell 2012)
Maybe so; in any event it is a sensibility to the in-
terdigitation of the far and the near that we need to
encourage. Blogging from a war-torn and occupied
Baghdad, a courageous young Iraqi woman ap-
pealed to her audience around the world:
‘Don’t the Americans realize that “abroad” is a coun-
try full of people - men, women, children who are
dying hourly? “Abroad” is a home for millions of us.
It’s the place we were raised and the place we hope
to raise our children - your field of war and terror.’
6
And I believe that one of the existential challenges for
human geography in the global North is to capture
and to convey the relationship between the distance
embedded in an extensive network of pilots, sen-
sor operators, mission controllers, military lawyers
and senior commanders. Some of them are in the
continental United States, some at US Central Com-
mand’s Combined Air Operations Center in Qatar,
but all of them have access to the video feeds via
Ku-band satellite and fibre optic cable, and most of
them are in real-time contact via radio and online
messaging. In this way, the envelope of sociality – of
shared responsibility – is enlarged far beyond that
envisaged by
Steinbeck (1942).
Taken together, these transformations in abstraction
and sociality produce a new geography of the killing
space. When one Predator pilot in Iraq, describing
his familiarity with the visual field on his screen, said
that he ‘knew people down there’ he was referring
to American troops: ‘Each day through my cameras
I came to recognize the faces and figures of our sol-
diers and marines’. Similarly, one commander insist-
ed that ‘there is no detachment. Those employing
the system are very involved at a personal level in
combat.’ And he continued: ‘You hear the AK 47 go-
ing off, the intensity of the voice on the radio calling
for help, you are looking at him, eighteen inches away
from him re, trying everything in your capacity to get
that person out of trouble.’ You can see, I hope, how
this new, late modern audio-visual field contains – in
fact produces – its own geography (and, more tech-
nically, interpellates its subjects). ‘These guys are up
above firing at the enemy, they love that, they feel
like they are protecting our people, they build this
virtual relationship with the guys on the ground, and
the guys on the ground sometimes seek out the pi-
lots by e-mails after a successful strike to say thank
you.’ In other words, the time-space compression
of network war is highly selective. Its high-resolution
imagery is embedded in a scopic regime that makes
‘our’ space seem familiar, even in ‘their’ space, which
space remains obdurately Other (
GReGoRy 2012).
As with news and logistics, here too distance is not
a physical absolute; it is a techno-cultural artefact.
I also think it a mistake to turn it into a moral ab-
solute: if you think it’s wrong to kill people who are
7,500 miles away, over what distance do you think
it acceptable? 5,000 miles? 500? 50? In any case
Predators and Reapers are not the only means of
killing at a distance. Militaries still have an incompre-
hensibly vast stock of long-range missiles, and the
US Air Force is experimenting with its Prompt Global

112 | Derek Gregory
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ld’, - Loyola University Chicago International Law
Review, 9 (1). - http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/pa-
pers.cfm?abstract_id=1986548.
RoSleR, M. (2008): Bringing The War Home (1967-
1972) & Bringing The War Home: House Beauti-
ful (2004). - http://theexposureproject.blogspot.
ca/2008/11/martha-roslers-bringing-war-
home-1967.html
SontaG, S. (2003): Regarding the pain of others. -
London, New York.
Steinbeck, J. (1942): Bombs away. - New York.
van cReveld, M. (2004): Supplying war: logistics from
Wallenstein to Patton. - Cambridge.
wolMaR, Ch. (2010): Engines of war: how wars were
won and lost on the railways. - London.
woolf, V. (1940): The Leaning Tower. - Brighton.
woolf, V. (1975): The Moment and Other Essays.
San Diego, New York: 130-131.
zweiG, S. (1943): The world of yesterday. - New York.
Endnotes
1
The following discussion summarises Derek
Gregory, ‘Supplying war in Afghanistan: the frictions
of distance’, at http://www.opendemocracy.net/
derek-gregory/supplying-war-in-afghanistan-
frictions-of-distance, 11 June 2012. The reverse
process – withdrawing military equipment from
of ‘our’ wars and the security of our everyday lives.
Something of what I mean can be seen in Martha
Rosler’s Bringing the war home, originally composed
during Vietnam and re-worked during the Iraq war,
in which she used a series of photo-montages to re-
stage military violence in the American domestic in-
terior. In my view a genuinely human geography must
explore in something more than the usual deadening
cadence of academic prose those multiple connec-
tions between here and there. For as John France
warned, ‘distant wars in distant places have a habit
of creeping up on us’ (
fRance 2011). Indeed they do;
not only by threatening our physical safety (though
they may well do that) but also by allowing us to take
their violence for granted, shutting our eyes and ears
to the cries of their victims, and thereby diminishing
ourselves. When we choose to ignore the connec-
tive imperative between here and there, between us
and them, our geographies become something less
than human.
References
aRlen, M. (1997): The living room war. - New York.
bell, D. (2012): ‘In defense of drones: a historical
argument’. - New Republic, 27 January 2012.
buhauG, H. & GleditSch, N.P. (2006): ’The death of
distance? The globalization of armed conflict’. -
In:
kahleR, M. & walteR, B. (eds.): Territoriality and
Conflict in an Era of Globalization. - Cambridge:
187-216.
cowen, D. (2012): ‘The geography of logistics: mar-
ket authority and the security of supply chains’.
- Annals of the Association of American Geogra-
phers, 100: 1-21.
deR deRian, J. (2010): Virtuous war: mapping the
Military-Industrial-Media-Entertainment network.
- London, New York.
douhet, G. (1942): Il domino dell’aria, trans. as The
command of the air. - Rome.
dudziak, Cf. M. (2012): War Time: an idea, its history
and its consequences. - New York.
favRet, M. (2009): War at a distance: the making of
modern wartime. - Princeton, NJ.
fRance, J. (2011): Perilous Glory: the rise of Western
military power. - New Haven, CT: 16.
GReGoRy, D. (2011): ‘“Doors into nowhere”: Dead
cities and the natural history of destruction’. -
In:
MeuSbuRGeR, P., heffeRnan, M. & wundeR, E.
(eds.): Cultural memories. Dordrecht u.a.: 249-
283.
DEREK GREGORY

Derek Gregory | 113
1.4
KEYNOTE LECTURES
Afghanistan – is proving to be no less complicated
or dangerous: see my ‘Retrograde logistics’, at
http://geographicalimaginations.com/2013/04/01/
retrograde-logistics, 1 April 2013.
2
Warlord, Inc. Extortion and corruption along the
U.S. supply chain in Afghanistan, Report of the
Majority Staff, Subcommittee on Security and Foreign
Affairs, Committee on oversight and government
reform, US House of Representatives, June 2010.
3
See my ‘Of bombs and men’, at http://
geographicalimaginations.com/2013/01/30/of-
bombs-and-men.
4
See Derek Gregory, ‘Lines of descent’, in Peter
Adey, Mark Whitehead and Alison Williams (eds)
From above: the politics and practice of the view
from the skies (Hurst/Oxford University Press): 41-
69.
5
‘Doors into nowhere’; ‘Lines of descent’.
6
Predators and Reapers are not firebombing whole
cities or vast tracts of rainforest, but I don’t think that
Dresden or Vietnam should be the moral standard
against which we judge ourselves.
7
Riverbend, Baghdad Burning, 1 July 2005.

esday

esday
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.1 From the Idea via the Bid to the Final
Conception
2.2 IGC 2012: Facts and Figures
2.3 The Social Activities Programme in Detail
2.4 Geography and School at IGC 2012
2.5 Evaluation of the IGC 2012
2.6 Organisers’ View
2.7 Financial Report
2.8 Thank you
2

PART 2
116 |

2.0
| 117
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 117.
This second part of the conference documentation
provides an overview of the organisational aspects
related to the International Geographical Congress.
We will first describe how the scientific programme
was conceptualised. By going back to the bidding
process in Glasgow 2004 and the preparation of the
application, we will show how the concept of the IGC
2012 emerged over more than a decade from 2000
until 2012. We will then describe the actual steps of
the preparation, focusing on organisational aspects.
This section is followed by a chapter in which we
present some characteristics of the IGC 2012 par-
ticipants, provide an overview of the programme and
describe the attendance of different parts of the pro-
gramme. After that, we will focus on some aspects
of the programme in more detail. First, we will briefly
REPORT
Local Organising Committee of the IGC 2012
portray the social activities programme that accom-
panied the scientific programme and provided spac-
es for networking and exchange outside the session
rooms. The following section focuses on geography
and school describing the international geographical
Olympiad, the school outreach programme and the
symposium held on geography and its didactics. Af-
ter that, we will present some results from the partic-
ipants’ evaluation followed by a financial statement.
We then close our report with words of thanks. In the
appendix, there is to be found the congress news-
papers and a list of all presentations and posters
that were accepted at the IGC 2012. The DVD en-
closed in the appendix contains a documentary film
of the IGC 2012 and PDF versions of the circulars,
the book of abstracts and the programme book.

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.1
From the Idea via the Bid
to the Final Conception

PART 2
120 | Holger Kretschmer
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 120-
The concept of the IGC 2012 combined traditional
elements such as the sessions of the IGC commis-
sions and task forces with innovative elements such
as sessions on four key topics in order to focus the
congress content on current research topics.
For more than 135 years, the IGC has been the cen-
tral platform for scientific exchange between geogra-
phers from all over the world. As the main congress
of the International Geographical Union, the meet-
ings of the individual commissions and task forces
are at the centre of the congress. The core of this
exchange consists of broad thematic discussions
as well as the development, expansion and main-
tenance of international networks within geography.
The IGC is thus the central starting point for the sci-
entific repositioning and reorientation of the IGU.
For the first time ever, the congress in Cologne went
beyond this traditional role. With the concept “Down
to Earth” and the four related key topics, the con-
gress established its own thematic emphasis. For
each major thematic complex, the specialist ses-
sions were augmented through a keynote speech
by two prominent personalities from the world of sci-
ence, politics or business.
The four major thematic complexes were:
• Global change and globalisation
• Society and environment
• Risks and conflicts
• Urbanisation and demographic change
New target groups
Besides the thematic focus, the IGC in Cologne at-
tempted to find new target groups. With special dis-
counts, funds and events for young scientists, the
Local Organising Committee (LOC) made the IGC
FROM THE IDEA VIA THE BID TO THE FINAL CONCEPTION
Holger Kretschmer
2012 the “youngest” IGC ever. With a symposium
for teachers held in German, the LOC anchored the
IGC 2012 within the local and regional geographic
community.
The motto “Down to Earth”
The “Down to Earth” concept not only reflected the
contents of the congress, but also symbolised a re-
turn to a simpler congress culture. The registration
fees could thus be kept low, meaning that students
and young scientists from all over the world had an
opportunity to participate. In order to achieve this
aim, the congress took place in the university build-
ings, simultaneously establishing a close connection
to science and research.
Organisational Structure
Local Organising Committee
As the main congress of the International Geograph-
ical Union, the IGC was formally hosted by the IGU
and the German Geographic Society (Deutsche Ge-
sellschaft für Geographie, DGfG). The local organi-
sation of the congress was conducted by the De-
partment of Geography at the University of Cologne.
To prepare the International Geographical Congress
2012, a Local Organising Committee (LOC) was
created. It was established at an early stage of the
planning process and grew throughout it. Prof. Dr.
Frauke Kraas and Prof. Dr. Dietrich Soyez chaired
the committee, which also consisted of Dr. Carsten
Butsch, Ursula Dörken, Dr. Holger Kretschmer, Kon-
stantin Ntageretzis, Dr. Valerie Viehoff, Wolfgang
Schmiedecken and Dr. Dorothea Wiktorin. The
Committee was responsible for planning, organising
and carrying out the congress.
133.

2.1
REPORT
Holger Kretschmer | 121
tions was made for every session in order to mini-
mise “no-shows” during the congress (Tab. 1).
The work of the International Geographical Con-
gress 2012 (IGC 2012) began many years ago, long
before the congress came into existence. It began
before the call for papers in summer 2011, before
the call for session proposals in autumn 2010 and
before the 2004 decision to hold the congress in
Cologne. The real work of IGC 2012 started in 2000
with the idea of holding the first IGC in Germany in
more than 110 years. In order to realise this idea,
the Cologne-based Local Organising Committee
developed a preliminary plan and then presented a
detailed application to the International Geographi-
cal Union during several meetings, among them with
the Executive Committee, namely in Helsinki, Wash-
ington and Moscow. At the 2004 IGC in Glasgow, it
was after a secret voting process announced that
Cologne had won out against Beijing and Santiago
de Chile for the 2012 spot. Over the next eight years,
organisers carried out preparations, from developing
a motto and determining the concentration to final
planning. The preparations culminated in late August
2012, when what was the largest IGC to date took
place at the University of Cologne.
The following section describes the path from the
idea to the preparation of an application for the bid-
ding process to the final conception of IGC 2012
and presents its key conclusions. We have attempt-
ed to represent events chronologically as much as
possible, though some planning stages extended
over longer stretches while others took place simul-
taneously. Some important milestones in the course
of preparation had considerable influence on the
shape of the congress. These milestones were often
closely tied to specific places, which are well suited
to serve as anchor points along the way.
Support from the University and the Department
of Geography
While the LOC supervised the overall organisation of
the congress, several groups and institutions sup-
ported it during the organisational process, such as
the scientific committee, administrative and techni-
cal staff of the University of Cologne, the staff of the
Department of Geography and more than 200 stu-
dent volunteers. The Department of Geography in
particular supported the organisational process with
technical equipment and hundreds of working hours
provided by the staff members. In the six months
before and during the congress, the support by the
Department was particularly outstanding. Special
teams were formed to implement the plans of the
committee. These reflected the main working areas
of the organisation and included catering, confer-
ence office/registration desk, exhibition, field trips,
finances, graphics, maps and layout, iGeo, keynote
speaker, liaison with the IGU; poster sessions, press
& media, preparation of the venue, social events,
Symposium Geography and School, school pro-
gramme, technical equipment, Young Researchers’
Forum, volunteer programme, website & online reg-
istration.
Development of Scientific Programme
The sessions and presentations were selected in a
two-step application process in order to guarantee
a selection of sessions at the cutting edge of current
research. The first step began with an open call for
sessions within the frame of the four key topics pub-
lished on the IGC 2012 website in June 2010. By the
deadline of 1 April 2011, more than 200 proposals
had been submitted. The review and final selection
of sessions was carried out by the Scientific Com-
mittee at a meeting in Cologne in May 2011. Part of
the second step was an open call for papers and
posters regarding specific sessions. Abstracts were
handed in via the online paper submission system
before the closing deadline of 15 December 2011.
As a result of several requests, the LOC extended
the deadline, meaning that the call was eventually
open from 1 July 2011 until 31 January 2012. The
final review was the responsibility of the sessions
chairs. However, the Scientific Committee devel-
oped the review guidelines and supervised the re-
view process. Each session contained 4–5 individual
presentations. A list with two substitute presenta-
Development of Scientific Programme – Key Topics
Summer 2006 Definition of Key Topics
Summer 2009 1st Open Workshop on Key Topics
Autumn 2009 Nomination of Scientific Committee
Spring 2010 2nd Open Workshop on Key Topics
Summer 2010 Call for Sessions
Spring 2011 Review by Scientific Committee
Summer 2011 Session-based Call for Papers
Spring 2012 Review by Session Chairs
Tab. 1: Development of Scientific Programme

122 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
An Idea is Born – Cologne / Bonn 2000
In 2000, what had long seemed impossible – an in-
ternational geographical conference on German soil
– became conceivable. The Germany of the 1930s
and 1940s burnt itself firmly into world history, but
ten years after the opening of the Brandenburg Gate
and the reunification of the two German states, the
memory of a warmongering nation gave way to a
new image, that of a reliable member of the global
community. The transformation set the stage for an
IGC in Germany.
The Decision – Glasgow 2004
The Cologne LOC submitted a bid to host the IGC
2012 at the IGC 2004 in Glasgow (Fig. 1 & 2). The
basic idea of the proposal was this: create an af-
fordable IGC open to all researchers. “The guiding
principles for an International Geographical Con-
gress in Cologne,” the proposal stated, “are back-
to-basics and no-frills approaches in a traditional
university setting.” The conference was conceived
to be “cost-efficient, academic, focused on young
talent, co-operative, boundary-spanning, interdisci-
plinary, visionary“.
For instance, the proposal called for a 30% reduc-
tion of the participant fee of the IGCs held in Seoul
(2000) and Glasgow, as well as discounts for young
researchers. Another unique selling point of the pro-
posal was the idea that the IGC should be held at
a large university: “Most of the conference activities
will take place at the main campus of the Universi-
ty of Cologne. It is located in the ‘inner greenbelt,’
an urban park area adjacent to the inner city of Co-
logne. The three main buildings to be used for the
conference offer a large variety of modern lecture
and seminar rooms with capacities between 20 and
2000, cafeterias, public telephones and internet ter-
minals, cash dispensers, etc.“.
The proposal had the backing of both local and in-
ternational institutions. The bid was submitted by
the Department of Geography at the University of
Cologne, supported by the Seminar for Geography
and its Didactics and the Department of Econom-
ic and Social Geography (both also located at the
University of Cologne). Moreover, the concept was
approved by the leading Germany’s geographical
institutes, professional associations, the German
geographical societies and other important scientific
organisations, such as the German Research Foun-
dation. About the exact reasons as to why Cologne
was chosen by the national delegates to host the
IGC in 2012 one can only speculate. However, it is
certain that the proposal of the Cologne Local Or-
ganising Committee convinced the assembly of IGU
member states in Glasgow.
Promoting the Conference – Tunis 2008
At the IGC 2008 in Tunis, the organisers took the
opportunity to inform IGU members about prepa-
rations for Cologne (Fig. 3 & 4). Using an informa-
tion booth to establish contact with participants of
the Tunis conference, the Cologne LOC informed
people about the planning process and provided
facts about Cologne and the surrounding region.
By 2008, the event’s conception had incorporated
several new facets. Besides the conference mot-
to “Down to Earth”, the organisers had identified
four key topics that would structure and focus the
congress. These key topics were the outcome of a
consultation process with geographers at various
German universities. The idea was to supplement
the traditional sessions of the commissions and task
forces with a new element to make the IGC more
attractive for new groups. The key topic idea was
modelled on the biannual conference of the German
Geographical Society (Deutscher Geographentag),
which has been combining theme-focused sessions
with working group meetings for years.
Another important piece of news revealed in Tunis
was the IGC 2012 logo. Its distinctive green and blue
colour scheme was created to give the congress an
instantly recognisable “face” early on. Both the in-
formation booth and the information flyers displayed
the new logo.
IGC 2008 was just the beginning of a series of in-
formational events for IGC 2012. Over the next four
years, the LOC was present at a variety of congress-
es to report on the latest state of planning. The LOC
set up booths in accompanying exhibitions and
promoted the event with a lecture series. In the four
years before IGC 2012, the LOC travelled to 28 geo-
graphy-related conferences (Tab. 2, Fig. 3-12).
HOLGER KRETSCHMER

Holger Kretschmer | 123
2.1
REPORT
CITY/COUNTRY DATE CONFERENCE LOC REPRESENTATIVES
Tunis/Tunisia 12.-15.08.2008 International Geographical Congress/IGC Frauke Kraas, Wolfgang
Schmiedecken, Dietrich Soyez
Vienna/Austria 19.-23.09.2009 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geographie/DGfG, German
geographers biennial meeting
Carsten Butsch, Frauke Kraas,
Holger Kretschmer, Wolfgang
Schmiedecken, Dietrich Soyez
St. Dié-des-Vosges/
France
30.09.2.10. 2009 Festival international de géographie/FIG Dietrich Soyez, Valerie Viehoff
Washington DC/USA 14.-18.04.2010 Association of American Geographers/AAG Annual Meeting
2010
Tabea Bork, Carsten Butsch,
Dietrich Soyez
Tel Aviv/Israel 12.-16.05.2010 IGU Regional Conference Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez
St. Dié-des-Vosges/
France
6.-9.10.2010 Festival international de géographie/FIG Valerie Viehoff
Chandighar/India 18.-21.11.2010 National Association of Geographers in India/Annual Meeting Carsten Butsch
Seattle 10.-16.04.2011 Association of American Geographers/AAG Annual Meeting Dietrich Soyez
Sherbrooke/Canada 10.-12.05.2011 79th Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le Savoir/
Acfas, Colloque 433: “Qu’advient-t-il de la géographie”
Dietrich Soyez
Roskilde/Denmark 23.-26.05.2011 4th Nordic Geographers Meeting (S, P) Dietrich Soyez
Urumqi/P.R. China 23.-25.07.2011 Geographical Society of China/GSC Annual Meeting 2011 Dietrich Soyez
RGS with IGB London/UK 31.08.– 2.09.2011 Royal Geographical Society/RGS with IGB Valerie Viehoff
St. Dié-des-Vosges/
France
7.-10 .10.2011 Festival international de géographie/FIG Valerie Viehoff, Dietrich Soyez
Santiago de Chile/Chile 14.-18.11.2011 IGU Regional Conference Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez
Tokyo/Japan 26.-29.03.2012 Association of Japanese Geographers/AJG Annual Meeting,
with an embedded workshop on the preparations of the IGU
Regional Conference Kyoto 2013
Dietrich Soyez
Yogyakarta, Indonesia 01.-08.10.2006 Decentralisation – Advantages or Disadvantages Frauke Kraas
Metro Manila and
Cagayan de Oro,
Philippines
18.-01.04.2007 Challenges of Urbanisation, Urban Driving Forces I Frauke Kraas
Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap, Cambodia
18.-31.10.2007 Challenges of Urbanisation, Urban Driving Forces II Frauke Kraas
Bangkok and Chiang Mai,
Thailand
17.-29.02.2008 Challenges of Urbanisation: Urban Coherence I Frauke Kraas
Hanoi, Vietnam 10.-20.12.2008 Challenges of Urbanisation: Urban Coherence II Frauke Kraas
Siem Reap and
Battambang
11.-21.10.2011 Urban Heritage Management in Secondary Towns and
Cities: Regulatory Frameworks, Community Participation and
Financial Challenges
Frauke Kraas
Kuala Lumpur and
Penang, Malaysia
01.-11.03.2009 Challenges of Urbanisation - “The role of civil society in
urban development
Frauke Kraas
Cologne and Berlin,
Germany
22.8.-01.09.2009 Challenges of Urbanisation - The Role of Civil Society in
Urban Development
Frauke Kraas
Delhi, India 31.10.-7.11.2009 Urbanisation and Global Change in India: Environments,
Health, Resources, Infrastructure and Governance (EHRIG)
Frauke Kraas
Luang Prabang, Laos 03.-10.07.2010 Challenges of Urban Heritage and Governance in Southeast
Asia
Frauke Kraas
Hanoi, Vietnam 01.-03.12.2010 Socio-economically Sustainable Urban Development Frauke Kraas
Jakarta, Yogyakarta &
Solo/Indonesia
23.-31.10.2010 Urban Public Space and Governance Frauke Kraas
Cebu and Cagayan de
Oro/Philippines
27.03.-06.04.2011 Regional Urban Networks: Urban Environmental and Risk
Management in Southeast Asia
Frauke Kraas
Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon 29.09.-08.10.2011 Urban Regional Networks: Sustainable Urban Future Frauke Kraas
Tab. 2: Conferences during which the concept of the IGC 2012 was presented

124 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
Fig. 1: Glasgow 2004 Fig. 2: F. Kraas and D. Soyez in Glasgow 2004
Fig. 3: Tunis 2008 Fig. 4: Tunis 2008
Fig. 5: Vienna 2009 Fig. 6: Washington DC 2010
HOLGER KRETSCHMER

Holger Kretschmer | 125
2.1
REPORT
Fig. 7: Tel Aviv 2010 Fig. 8: Tel Aviv 2010
Fig. 9: Chandigarh 2010 Fig. 10: Seattle 2011
Fig. 11: Urumqui 2011 Fig. 12: Tokyo 2012

126 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
Cologne 2009 and 2010
To ensure that the agenda of IGC 2012 and its key
topics reflected the current state of scientific re-
search, open workshops took place in June 2009
and January 2010 (Fig. 14-15).
2009
More than 60 geographers from the German-speak-
ing countries followed the invitation to the 2009
workshop (Fig. 14 & 15). They discussed key topics
and worked on spelling out their content by nam-
ing the relevant issues that should be included and
identifying sub-topics that should be excluded. The
meeting resulted in an assortment of proposed sub-
themes demarcating each key topic’s framework
(Tab. 3).
2010
The 2010 workshop convened by the DGfG and the
LOC also took place in Cologne (Fig. 16). After an
intentionally broad-based and open discussion of
the first workshop, the goal of the second workshop
was to elaborate on the four agenda items and elim-
inate unintended overlaps while improving continuity.
Based on the results of the first workshop, the mem-
bers of the scientific committee drafted four calls for
session proposals. These drafts were developed in
small groups and then rewritten as part of specific
calls for sessions.
Scientific Committee
The scientific committee was actively involved in
shaping the congress agenda and supported the
organisation committee by helping to identify a re-
search focus and ensure the quality of the content
(Fig. 17-19). In addition to preparing the second
workshop, the scientific committee played an im-
portant role in drafting the call for session proposals.
It also reviewed the proposed session topics and
established norms and standards for reviewing sub-
mitted papers and posters.
The 26-member committee consisted of eight Ger-
man-speaking researchers and 16 researchers from
outside Germany, as well as the two chairs Frauke
Kraas and Dietrich Soyez (Tab. 4). Additionally, the
scientific committee was supported by Carsten
Butsch, Holger Kretschmer and Valerie Viehoff, who
coordinated the work of the committee with planning
activities in Cologne and supported the committee.
Final Conception
It took more than six years of work before the con-
cept for IGC 2012 was largely complete. By the time
the call for session proposals and key topics were
presented to the Executive Committee of the IGU in
the winter of 2010 and the call for papers and post-
ers was publicly announced in summer 2011, the
conference agenda was for the most part set.
IGC 2012 was divided up into two thematic parts.
The purpose of the first was to showcase the va-
riety of the field of geography. As in past IGCs, this
task – the backbone of IGC 2012 – was carried
out by the Commissions and Tasks Forces of the
IGU. The second part represented something new
for the IGC. Its purpose was to focus on the disci-
pline’s most burning topics. To this end, a second
strand of the IGC 2012 programme was formed by
HOLGER KRETSCHMER
Global Change and Globalisation
Critical Regional Hotspots of Global Change and
Globalisation
Global Crisis, Global & Regional Governance
Resource Management under Global Change
In the Shadows of Globalisation
Human Health & the Environment
Innovativeness for Globalisation
SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Society and Environment in Time and Space
Society and Environment in Application
Society and Environment – Methodological Aspects
Society and Environment – Focus on Water
RISKS AND CONFLICTS
Key Topics – United by Risk
Risks and Conicts – Theories, Methods and Real-Life Cases
URBANISATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
New Forms of Urbanity
Resources, Risks and GC
Urban Governance
New Dimensions: Shrinking Cities
Sustainable Urban Development
Gender
Social Coherence
Tab. 3: Subthemes of the key topic’s framework

Holger Kretschmer | 127
2.1
REPORT
GLOBAL CHANGE AND GLOBALISATION
Professor
Huib Ernste
Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands
Professor
Hans Gebhardt
Heidelberg University, Germany
Professor
Rüdiger Glaser
University of Freiburg, Germany
Professor
Xiubin Li
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,
China
Professor
Nigel Tapper
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Professor
Hervé Thiery
Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Professor
Raquib Ahmed
University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Professor
Hans-Rudolf Bork
University of Kiel, Germany
Professor
Boris Braun
University of Cologne, Germany
Professor
Patrick Nunn
The University of the South Pacific, Suva,
Fiji
Professor
Christian Schulz
University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Professor
Yvette Veyret
Paris West University Nanterre, France
Tab. 4: Members of the scientific committee
RISKS AND CONFLICTS
Professor
Helmut Brückner
University of Cologne, Germany
Professor
Derek Gregory
University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
Canada
Professor
Detlef Müller-Mahn
University of Bayreuth, Germany
Professor
Jean Radvanyi
Institut national des langues et civilisations
orietales (INALCO), Paris, France
Professor
Johann Stötter
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Professor
Ben Wisner
Oberlin College, United States
URBANISATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
Professor
Surinder Aggarwal
University of Delhi, India
Professor
Taoufik Agoumy
Mohammed V–Agdal University, Rabat,
Morroco
Professor
Martin Coy
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Professor
Zaiga Krisjane
University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
Professor
Boon Thong Lee
Nilai University College, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Professor
Günter Thieme
University of Cologne, Germany
Fig..13: Concept of the IGC 2012

128 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
mission members to adjust their research focus or
set a new course. At the same time, the congress
is a breeding ground for new commissions and task
forces and offers perspectives on new possible top-
ics for the IGU.
The IGU general assembly, which convenes at IGC,
selects which commissions to create. Each commis-
sion has a term of four years. The decision of the
general assembly to create a commission in a giv-
en area indicates the significance of the area for the
field of geography. The commissions met at the IGC
2012 and their mandate was either extended for four
years or they were approved as new commissions
for a period of four years (Tab. 5).
Key Topics
Further sessions at IGC 2012 were arranged around
the four key topics: “Global Change & Globalisa-
tion”, “Society & Environment”, “Risks & Conflicts”
and “Urbanisation and Demographic Change”. It
was the first IGC in which a LOC set agenda items
outside the commission’s topics. Each topic had its
own keynote speeches, sessions and poster pres-
entations (Tab. 6 and 2.2, Fig. 9-17).
C12.22
Islands
C12.23
Karst
C12.24
Land Degradation and Desertication
C12.25
Landscape Analysis and Landscape Planning
C12.26
Land Use and Land Cover Change
C12.27
Latin American Studies
C12.28
Local and Regional Development
C12.29
Marginalizsation, Globalizsation, and Regional and
Local Responses
C12.30
Mediterranean Basin
C12.31
Modelling Geographical Systems
C12.32
Mountain Response to Global Change
C12.33
Political Geography
C12.34
Population Geography
C12.35
Sustainability of Rural Systems
C12.36
Toponymy (Jointly with the International
Cartographic Association)
C12.37
Transformation Processes in Megacities
C12.38
Transport and Geography
C12.39
Urban Commission: Urban Challenges in a
Complex World
C12.40
Water Sustainability
the four key topics. The topics were selected prior to
the preparation of the bid for hosting the IGC 2012
using an open, participatory process that drew on as
many geographers as possible. The topics emerged
from a broad academic consensus about what con-
stitutes today’s most important research areas in
geog raphy (Fig. 13).
Commissions & Task Forces
The work of the IGU mostly takes place in commis-
sions and task forces. These bodies not only rep-
resent a broad spectrum of the discipline, but also
serve as work groups that study current research
questions. The commissions and task forces are an
essential part of the IGU and are crucial for advanc-
ing geographical research. They made up the core of
IGC 2012, managing the content of more than half
of all sessions.
In addition to serving as a venue to present the work
of the IGU, the IGC serves as a testing ground for
commission agenda. By encouraging internal dis-
cussions and exchange between thematically linked
commissions, IGC provides an opportunity for com-
C12.01
Applied Geography
C12.02
Arid Lands, Humankind, and Environment
C12.03
Biogeography and Biodiversity
C12.04
Climatology
C12.05
Coastal Systems
C12.06
Cold Region Environments
C12.07
Cultural Approach in Geography
C12.08
Dynamics of Economic Spaces
C12.09
Environment Evolution
C12.10
Gender and Geography
C12.11
Geographical Education
C12.12
Geographical Information Science
C12.13
Geography of Governance
C12.14
Geography of the Global Information Society
C12.15
Geography of Tourism, Leisure, and Global Change
C12.16
Geoparks
C12.17
Global Change and Human Mobility
C12.18
Hazard and Risk
C12.19
Health and Environment
C12.20
History of Geography
C12.21
Indigenous Knowledges and Peoples’ Rights
Tab. 5: Commissions of the IGU
HOLGER KRETSCHMER

Holger Kretschmer | 129
2.1
REPORT
Fig. 18: Scientific Committee Fig. 19: Members of the Scientific Committee
(N. Tapper, Boon Thong Lee, J. Radvanyi)
Fig. 14: Workshop Cologne 2009 Fig. 15: Workshop Cologne 2009
Fig. 16: Workshop 2010 Fig. 17: Scientific Committee

130 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
Two keynote lectures were devoted to each of the
conference’s four topics. In the first, a prominent
personality from politics, economics or academics
(other than geography) discussed the topic’s general
significance. In the second lecture, an internation-
ally renowned geographer provided an overview of
current research. The keynote talks above were held
(Tab. 6, Fig. 20-27).
Keynote lectures
The function of the keynote lectures was to convey
a sense of the global importance of each of the key
topics and the state of geographical research. The
lectures placed the topics in a larger context and
highlighted their connections to the discipline of
geog raphy in general.
MONDAY, 27 AUGUST 2012 – SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Klaus Töpfer (Former Federal Minister of Environmental Affairs and Former Director of UNEP)
“On the Way to the Anthropocene: Consequences for Scientific Research, Societal Understanding and Political Responsibility“
Anne Buttimer (Geographer, Former IGU President, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland)
“Diverse Perspectives on Society and Environment: Retrospect and Prospect“
TUESDAY, 28 AUGUST 2012 – URBANISATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
Martin Lees (Former Secretary General, Club of Rome)
“Demographic Change and Urbanisation within the Boundaries of a Fragile Planet“
Surinder Aggarwal (Geographer, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India)
“Emerging Global Urban Order and Challenges for Harmonious Urban Development“
WEDNESDAY, 29 AUGUST 2012 – GLOBAL CHANGE AND GLOBALISATION
Eduardo de Mulder (Initiator and Executive Director of the UN International Year of Planet Earth)
“Global Planetary Change and Human Globalizsation”
Bruno Messerli (Geographer, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland)
“Global Change and Globalisation – Challenges for Geography“
THURSDAY, 30 AUGUST 2012 – RISKS AND CONFLICTS
Stephan Baas (Natural Resources Officer in the Climate, Energy and Tenure Division, FAO Rome)
“Risk and Conflicts”
Derek Gregory (Geographer, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada)
“Deadly Embrace: War, Distance and Intimacy“
Tab. 6: Keynote lectures at the IGC 2012
HOLGER KRETSCHMER
Fig. 20: Keynote speaker: Klaus Töpfer Fig. 21: Keynote speaker: Anne Buttimer

Holger Kretschmer | 131
2.1
REPORT
Fig. 26: Keynote speaker: Stephan Baas Fig. 27: Keynote speaker: Derek Gregory
Fig. 22: Keynote speaker: Martin Lees Fig. 23: Keynote speaker: Surinder Aggarwal
Fig. 24: Keynote speaker: Eduardo de Mulder Fig. 25: Keynote speaker: Bruno Messerli

132 | Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
• Funding Opportunities in the EU
• Strategic Decisions: The Path to Professorship
• Careers in Science
School and Geography Symposium
Another part of IGC 2012 was a German-lan-
guage symposium entitled “Wege zu einem kom-
petenzorientierten Geographieunterricht” (“Paths
to skills-based geography instruction”), which gave
geography instructors at the high school and uni-
versity levels a forum for discussion. Each session
– systematic thinking, methods, spatial orientation,
communication – featured one presentation on the
fundamentals of skills-based instruction and two ex-
amples from practice. The practical examples were
presented by instructors who shared their ideas
and experience with a wider audience. A detailed
description of the symposium and the schools pro-
gramme can be found in part 2.4.
iGeo
The 9th International Geography Olympiad (iGeo)
was held in Cologne prior to the 32nd IGC from 21-
26 August. The event was jointly organised by the
Department of Geography, University of Cologne,
and the German Geographical Society (Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Geographie, DGfG) under the aus-
pices of the IGU and overseen by the IGU Olympiad
task force. A detailed description of the iGeo can be
found in part 2.4. For more information on the Inter-
national Geography Olympiad, see also the home-
page www.geoolympiad.org.
Events
The IGC 2012 activities programme gave confer-
ence participants the opportunity to meet outside
the academic setting. The programme included an
opening ceremony at Cologne Philharmonic Hall, a
closing ceremony in the University of Cologne’s main
auditorium, a reception with the mayor and a con-
gress dinner (Tab. 7). A detailed description of the
social activities programme can be found in part 2.3.
Sessions
In addition to keynote speeches, the conference
featured sessions covering the key topics. The con-
tent of the sessions was determined by a two-stage
process – an open call for session proposals (1 July
2010 to 31 March 2011) and a call for papers and
posters (1 July 2011 to 8 January 2012) for each of
the 144 approved sessions. While the call for ses-
sions was managed and reviewed by the scientific
committee, the final selection of papers during the
call for papers was reviewed by the session chairs
as experts in the session topics. In order to ensure
an equal review process, the results were proofed
by the scientific committee. The review process itself
was carried out via the web-based congress man-
agement system “CONVERIA”.
Posters
The LOC placed emphasis on increasing the atten-
tion given to posters. In distinction to past IGCs,
IGC 2012 contained two 90-minute sessions, and
kept parallel, competing events to a minimum.
Poster s were submitted at the same time as papers
for oral presentation during the joint call for papers
and posters. To boost the event and spotlight the
work of researchers in the poster sessions, prizes
were awarded for best poster in each category and
a relaxed discussion atmosphere with drinks and
snacks was prepared.
Young Researchers’ Forum
The LOC also wished to create an innovative pro-
gramme specially tailored to students, Ph.D. candi-
dates and post-docs. The result was the Young Re-
searchers’ Forum. The forum included workshops,
sessions, a poster competition and an activities pro-
gramme. The workshops were particularly popular:
• Managing a Ph.D. Thesis (whole day)
• Project Management (whole day)
• Publishing in English: Why, Where and How?
• Academic Writing for Young Researchers
• Funding Opportunities in Germany
HOLGER KRETSCHMER

Holger Kretschmer | 133
2.1
REPORT
OPENING CEREMONY AT THE KÖLNER PHILHARMONIE
(Cologne Philharmonic Hall)
Date: 26.08.2012
Start: 3:00 pm
Location: Cologne Philharmonic Hall
RECEPTION WITH THE MAYOR OF COLOGNE
Date: 27.08.2012
Start: 8:00 pm
Location: Old City Hall
CONGRESS DINNER
Date: 28.08.2012
Doors Open: 7:30 pm
Start: 8:00 pm
Location: Gilden im Zims
Price: 60.00 €
Tab. 7: Events of the social activities programme

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.2
IGC 2012: Facts and Figures

PART 2
136 | Carsten Butsch
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 136-
participants from Austria, but there were also 109
participants from Japan. China, which will host the
congress in 2016, had 98 participants. 93 partic-
ipants came from France, 85 from Russia and 84
from the United Kingdom. From the United States,
for which the AAG congress usually serves as the
focus of geographical exchange, 72 of the 88 regis-
tered participants were in attendance. An additional
comment is necessary in this case: quite some time
in advance, colleagues from the United States sig-
nalled to us that the planned dates for the IGC Co-
logne might constitute a serious barrier for potential
US attendees, as there would be a collision with the
start of the academic year in many of the country’s
institutions for higher education. While being aware
of these potential problems, the LOC was in no po-
sition to take into consideration these problems, as
local constraints with regard to the availability of the
required capacities at the University of Cologne did
not leave any other options. The conference also
saw good attendance levels from Germany’s neigh-
bours, with 52 visitors from Poland, 50 from Switzer-
land, 39 from the Netherlands and 21 from Belgium.
There was a large presence from India (43 partici-
pants) and 50 academics from Australasia: 17 from
New Zealand and 33 from Australia.
Representatives from Central and South America
were fewer in number, with 30 from Brazil, 18 from
Chile and 13 from Mexico, and limited numbers from
Participant Statistics
The original plans for IGC 2012 assumed that be-
tween 1,200 and 2,000 people would attend the
conference. In reality, 3,007 individuals from 84
countries registered for at least one day. Of these,
there were 2,554 full participants (those who at-
tende d the whole conference and paid the full con-
ference fee), 400 school students and 50 journalists.
If the 195 volunteers who helped organise the con-
ference are also taken into account, then all in all
3,199 people were in attendance, making IGC 2012
the largest geography congress ever. By the July 15
deadline, 2,864 academics from 89 countries had
registered and paid. Table 1 shows the number of
registrations arranged according to the type of fee
paid. The table does not include school students
and journalists, but it does contain the 310 people
who registered in advance but who did not attend.
Of these 310 people, 115 came from Germany. Re-
grettably, registrants from five nations – Afghanistan,
Congo, Georgia, Morocco and Pakistan – could not
make it to Cologne, leaving the conference without
representatives from these countries.
The regional distribution of academics in attend-
ance attests to the global interest in IGC 2012. The
large share of participants from Germany (1,052
persons/41%) was to be expected, but the other
59% contained some real surprises. There were 109
IGC 2012: FACTS AND FIGURES
Carsten Butsch
ACCOMPANYING
PERSON
FREE
(UNIVERSITY STAFF)
PARTICIPANT PHD STUDENT STUDENT TOTAL
Full Ticket 71 41 1308 438 247 2105
Two-Day-Ticket 3 0 106 30 20 159
Day-Ticket 21 35 249 68 30 403
Symposium 0 0 197 0 0 197
Total 95 76 1860 536 297 2864
Tab. 1: Registered participants according to type of fee paid
159.

2.2
REPORT
Carsten Butsch | 137
the remaining countries of the region. For instance,
there were only two participants from Columbia and
Ecuador. A relatively small number of participants
came from Africa, the majority of them from South Af-
rica. Travel restrictions (obtaining visas, for example)
and travel costs certainly played a major part in the
low numbers (although the Executive Committee of
the IGU Solidarity Fund attempted to eliminate some
of these obstacles by offering travel grants). For in-
stance, none of the eight registrants from the Con-
go participated in the congress. Even though IGC
2012 was very well attended on the whole, the IGU
should consider intensifying their efforts to persuade
- and enable - academics from developing and new-
ly industrialising countries to attend, especially those
from South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. It
is worth highlighting in this context, however, that
the increasing dominance of the English language as
Fig. 1: Registrations for the IGC 2012 (Worldmapper map by B. Hennig: territories are resized according to
number of registrations by country)
Fig. 2: Participants at the IGC 2012 without Germany (Worldmapper map by B. Hennig: territories are resized
according to number of participants by country)

138 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
had been hoped for. IGU’s Executive Committee has
recently intensified its initiatives to include more of
these communities, for example the Africa Session
during the IGC Cologne (as well as IGU travel grants)
and a specific Africa Initiative showing initial positive
results. Much more has to be done, however.
The IGU Solidarity Fund facilitated transportation to
IGC 2012 by offering almost 50 travel grants. The
prerequisite for such a grant – application forms
could be downloaded from the IGC and IGU home-
pages – was active participation either in the form of
a presentation or a poster. Altogether, 164 applica-
tions were submitted to the IGU Secretary-General
and Treasurer (all but one of the applicants were un-
der the age of 40), and 56 travel stipends were grant-
ed in varying amounts; 47 of these were accepted
(i.e. participants collected their grant in Cologne in
cash) while the others went unused. Of these, 26
applicants received long-distance grants of € 800.
21 participants, travelling from countries in Europe,
each received grants totalling € 400. An overview of
recipient nationality is shown below in Table 2.
Conference Programme
The IGC 2012 conference programme consisted of
two main pillars: (1) the sessions of the IGU com-
missions and task forces and (2) the sessions of the
conference’s four key topics. For both of them, the
session topics were selected in a two-stage process.
By the announcement of the call for papers (1 July
2011), 22 commissions and tasks forces had offered
65 sessions. For the four key topics, there was a call
for session proposals that ran from 1 July 2010 to 1
April 2011. A total of 188 proposals were submitted
for the four key topics. In its meeting in May 2011,
the International Scientific Committee selected from
this group 139 sessions – 32 sessions for “Global
Change & Globalisation”, 36 sessions for “Society
& Environment”, 36 sessions for “Risks & Conflicts”
and 35 sessions for “Urbanisation & Demographic
Change”. The call for papers was posted jointly for
the commission sessions and the key topics on 1
July 2011. The deadline for paper submissions was
8 January 2012. The session leaders were respon-
sible for reviewing the submitted papers. Posters
for the four key topics could be submitted starting
1 July.
the lingua franca of international academia must be
regarded as an additional barrier for many potentially
interested geographic communities, in particular in
Central and South America as well as in large parts
of Africa, where Romance languages are used as
native or first foreign languages. This is particularly
distressing considering that the French language is
the second official language of the IGU. In Cologne,
particular efforts were undertaken to create a special
space for Francophone communities and their ses-
sions, but unfortunately attendance was lower than
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN NUMBER OF STIPENDS
Albania
1
Algeria
1
Argentina
1
Armenia
2
Bolivia
1
Brazil
3
Bulgaria
1
China-Beijing
3
Costa Rica
1
France
1
Germany
1
Ghana
3
India
4
Israel
1
Italy
1
Ivory Coast
1
Republic of Korea
1
Latvia
1
Lebanon
1
Mauritius
1
Mexico
2
Nigeria
2
Russia
6
South Africa
1
China-Taipei
1
Turkey
1
UK
1
Ukraine
3
USA
1
Tab. 2: Grants offered by the IGU and the Local
Organising Comittee
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 139
2.2
REPORT
ceived fewer than 4 proposals (4 papers equalled
a timeslot of 90 minutes). Sessions having received
nine or more papers were given a second timeslot.
Sessions that received 15 or more papers were giv-
en a third timeslot. Those that received 21 or more
papers received a fourth and sessions with 27 or
more papers (three in total) a fifth timeslot. This en-
sured a competitive process that completely filled
available timeslots. Therefore, even papers accept-
ed in principle had to be put on waiting lists, later
filling slots in case of any cancellations. A total of 159
sessions for all key topics were eventually scheduled
for the conference.
When setting the conference programme, consist-
ent efforts were made to group the sessions appro-
priately. For instance, the sessions of the commis-
sions and task forces mostly took place in the new
For the sessions of the commissions and tasks
force s, a total of 1,356 paper proposals were sub-
mitted. They were afforded enough session time
such that no paper accepted by the session chair(s)
after review had to be rejected. 228 sessions were
s chedule d for the commissions and tasks forces. In
addition to these, time slots were reserved for busi-
ness meetings, professional association meetings
and the like.
For the second pillar, the key topics, a different pro-
cedure was applied. On the basis of the number of
submitted papers (1,159 altogether), the session
times for the individual sessions were calculated in
advance. Some sessions received many submis-
sions, while others received few or even none. The
session with the most proposals received 32. A to-
tal of 21 sessions were cancelled because they re-
WISO-Fakultät
Bachemerstraße
Universität
Universität
Weyertal
Justizzentrum
Eifelwall
Eifelwall
Süd Bahnhof
Dasselstraße
Barbarossaplatz
Barbarossaplatz
Zülpicher Platz
Rathenauplatz
Barbarossa-
platz
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Grün-
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Innerer
Grün-
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Berrenrather St
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Luxemburger Straße
Dasselstraße
Moselstraße
Roonst
raße
Bahnhof
Köln-Süd
Otto-Fischer-Str.
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Luxemburger Wall
Zülpicher Wall
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Rudolf-Amelunxen-Straße
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Kerpener Straße
Nikolausstraße
Palanterstraße
Ägidiusstr
aße
Jahnstr
aße
Hochstadenstraße
Engelbertstraße
KEY
COM
PHIL
MAIN
POSTER
Albertus-
Magnus-
Platz
Institute
of Geography
Geo-
Hörsaal
MARQUEE
Fig. 3: IGC venue with its six sites (abbreviations and colours as in the programme)

140 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
but offered an excellent locality for poster presenta-
tion (Fig. 3). The complete conference programme
of IGC 2012 is presented in condensed form below
(Fig. 12-20). Figure 4 and 5 give an impression of the
IGC 2012 Campus.
Two student volunteers attended each session.
Their tasks were to provide technical support, check
that audience attendees were duly identifiable by
the congress badge and ensure that the maximum
allowable capacity of the given space was not ex-
ceeded. The LOC had assigned rooms based on the
number of papers submitted per session. The volun-
teers made a short protocol for each session, not-
ing the number of participants in the session, how
many participants were turned down at the door on
account of maximum occupancy and whether any
presentations were cancelled (and if so, how many).
The volunteers filled out forms for 436 sessions,
which could then be analysed. The results of this
analysis are briefly described below.
The average number of session participants was 31.
The session with the most participants was “Geog-
raphies of Violence”, with 170 people. The distribu-
tion of session participants is shown in Figure 6:
At 35 sessions – 8% of the total – participants were
turned away because the number of visitors exceed-
ed maximum occupancy. Average occupancy was
41% of the available seats. The number of visitors
on each of the four days fluctuated significantly, and
the utilisation varied accordingly. Figure7 shows the
number of visitors in the sessions according to time
seminar building (“COM”), while the sessions from
the four key topics mostly took place in the audi-
torium building (“KEY”). The keynote lectures took
place in the auditorium of the main building (“MAIN”),
where the sessions of the symposium on geogra-
phy and school were also held. Here and in the Phi-
losophikum (“PHIL”), sessions of the commissions
and task forces and on the key topics took place as
well. The poster sessions took place in the foyer of
the institute of Chemistry (“POSTER”). The foyer was
some distance from the other locations of the venue,
5
25
121
114
84
41
19
15
4
5
2
2
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
>100
91-100
81-90
71-80
61-70
51-60
41-50
31-40
21-30
11-20
1-10
0
Frequency
Participants
Fig. 6: Number of sessions by attendance
CARSTEN BUTSCH
Fig. 4: Impressions from the IGC 2012 campus Fig. 5: Impressions from the IGC 2012 campus

Carsten Butsch | 141
2.2
REPORT
of day (the cumulative sum of all four days)
and the average utilisation of the session
spaces according to time of day. The sec-
ond morning session and the first afternoon
session had the highest attendance levels.
At past IGCs, organisers and partici-
pants had complained about the number
of scheduled papers that were cancelled
(the actual number of cancellations was
never quantified). In response, the LOC
asked session chairs who were unable to
take every paper accepted in principle for
their session to create a waiting list. If a
schedule d speaker had not registered by 26
June, the session chairs deleted the name
from the programme and selected an ap-
propriate paper from the waiting list. This
strategy seems to have been successful –
only 11.9% of the presentations eventually
had to be cancelled. Moreover, most of the
affected sessions had only one cancella-
tion (Fig. 8), meaning that session leaders
could compensate for the missing talks with
longer discussions. Very few sessions had
to be cancelled completely.
Another success for IGC 2012 was the
poster session strategy. A total of 223 post-
ers were submitted, distributed among the
four key topics as follows: Global Change
& Globalisation, 55; Risks & Conflicts, 32;
Society & Environment, 89; Urbanisation &
Demographic Change, 57. The posters were exhib-
ited at two sessions, and authors were asked to be
present. In order to encourage visitors to attend the
poster sessions, times were set for early evening
and coupons for two free drinks were handed out
at the registration desk, along with the conference
badge. The poster sessions drew a crowd of almost
450, and many took advantage of the chance to talk
with poster authors (Fig. 10 & 11). After the sessions,
members of the scientific committee gave out first,
second, and third prizes for the best posters in each
key topic (Tab. 3 and Fig. 9).
Geographical associations also awarded sever-
al prizes at the conference. The IGU awarded the
IGU Planet and Humanity Medal to Lester Brown.
The Medal was inaugurated in 1996 to commemo-
rate the 125th anniversary of the First International
282
113
27
4
5
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 1 2 3 4
Number of cancelled paper
Number of sessions
Fig. 8: Number of cancelled papers
08:00-09:30 10:00-11:30 14:00-15:30 16:00-17:30 17:30-19:00
Session timeslots
Number of participants (cumulative)
Number of paper presentation (percentage of cancelled papers)
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
7,8%
13,4%
12,6%
21,0%
9,2%
Fig. 7: Number of participants, number of presented papers
and percentage of cancelled papers by time of the day

142 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
ing geography. The prizes for best Ph.D. dissertation
in human geography and physical geography of the
Association of Geographers at German Universities
were awarded to Tobias Sauter (physical geogra-
phy) for his thesis on modelling spatio-temporal
structures and Julia Verne (human geography) for
her thesis on translocal Swahili trading connections.
The prize for best Ph.D. dissertation in geography
education of the German Academic Association for
Geography and its Didactics was awarded to Stefan
Applis, who studied in his dissertation the value ori-
entation in the context of global learning.
Geographical Congress, held in Antwerp in 1871,
recognising the merits of individuals who have made
outstanding contributions to solving human and en-
vironmental problems. The Media Prize of German
Geography was awarded to Michael Stang for his
audio feature on water scarcity in China. The prize is
awarded every two years to journalists who stimulate
public interest for subjects in geography particularly
relevant to society. The Frithjof Voss Foundation pre-
sented the International Science Award of German
Geography to Derek Gregory. Awarded once every
four years, it honours the lifetime achievements of
foreign scientists whose merit lies in their applied
research and contribution towards building links be-
tween international geography and German-speak-
GLOBALISATION & GLOBAL CHANGE
1st place: Gilles Rixhon
2nd place: Lada Phadungkiati
3rd place: Stefan Polanski
URBANISATION & DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
1st place: Elzbieta Bilska-Wodecka
2nd place: Javier Nuñez Villalba
3rd place: Julia Scharting
RISKS & CONFLICTS
1st place: Estuning Mei
2nd place: Adrian Gozavu
SOCIETY & ENVIRONMENT
1st place: Oana Ionus
2nd place: Juliane Dame
3rd place: Katrin Mörer
Tab. 3: Poster awards
CARSTEN BUTSCH
Fig. 10: Impression of poster session Fig. 11: Lively discussion during the poster session
Fig. 9: Honoring G. Rixhon, 1st place poster com-
petition “Globalisation & Global Change”

Carsten Butsch | 143
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 12: Program overview sunday 26
th
August 2012
All following times a
re given in the European format,
i.e. 8:00 am is shown as 8:00 and 2:00 pm is shown as 14:00.
COM 01 COM 02 COM 03 COM 04 COM 06 COM 07 COM 08 COM 09
C08.11-04
Examples of Best
Practice in Geogra-
phy Education and
Teacher Prepara-
tion 1
C08.11-10
Spatial Thinking I
C08.11-14
State of the Art in
Geography Educa-
tion 1
C08.11-01
Education for
Sustainable Devel-
opment & Global
Learning I
YRF 01-01
Managing a
PhD thesis
YRF 02-01
Project management
8:00-9:30
9:00
YRF 07-01
Strategic decisions:
the path to a univer-
sity career
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
SPS 04-01
EUGEO - 'State
of Geography in
Europe' 1
C08.11-05
Examples of Best
Practice in Geogra-
phy Education and
Teacher Prepara-
tion 2
C08.11-11
Spatial Thinking II
C08.11-15
State of the Art in
Geography Educa-
tion 2
C08.11-02
Education for
Sustainable Develop-
ment & Global Learn-
ing 1
10:00-11:30
12:00
YRF 08-01
Careers in science
SPS 04-02
EUG
EO - ‘State
of Geography in
Europe 2
C08.11-06
Examples of Best
Practice in Geogra-
phy Education and
Teacher Prepara-
tion 3
C08.11-12
Standards, Concepts
and Experience 1
C08.11-08
Innovative Learning
- New & Traditional
Media
C08.11-03
Education for
Sustainable Develop-
ment & Global Learn-
ing 2
11:30-13:00
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.11-07
Higher Education
C08.11-13
Standards, Concepts
and Experience 2
C08.11-09
Preconceptions in
Geography and Geo-
graphy Education
14:00-15:30
15:00-17:30 Opening Ceremony at Kölner Philharmonie/Cologne Philharmonic Hall
C08.11-B
Business Meet-
ing - Commission
on Geographical
Education
17:30-19:00
SPS 08-01
HGD Mitgliederver-
sammlung
19:00-20:30
COM 10 KEY 05 KEY 01
8:00-9:30
9:00
YRF 03-01
“Publishing in
English: Why, where,
and how”
9:00
YRF 05-01
Funding opportuni-
ties in Germany
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
SPS 07-01
DGfG Präsidium
10:00-11:30 11:30-13:00
12:00
YRF 04-01
“Academic writing for
young researchers”:
“The skill of writing is
to create a context in
which other people
can think.“ Edwin
Schlossberg
12:00
YRF 06-01
The European
Union’s Fund-
ing Schemes for
Research and In-
novation
SPS 21-01
HGD Vorstands-
sitzung
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
15:00-17:30 Opening Ceremony at Kölner Philharmonie/Cologne Philharmonic Hall
17:30-19:00 19:00-20:30
SUNDAY 26
th
August 2012

144 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
Fig. 13: Program overview monday 27
th
August 2012
MONDAY 27
th
August 2012
MAIN 01 MAIN 02 MAIN 03 MAIN 04 MAIN 05 MAIN 06 MAIN 07 MAIN 08
8:00-9:30
C08.01-02
Sessions on Applied
Geography topics 1
C08.25-B1
Business Meeting -
Commission on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change 1
C08.22-01
Human/Nature-
Interaction on Small
Islands - an integra-
tive geography
perspective 1
C08.33-06
Urban social tranfor-
mations: contested
social spaces 1
C08.15-01
Global Change and
Tourism: Socio-
Cultural Issues
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
C08.01-03
Sessions on Applied
Geography topics 2
C08.25-01
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Global
Change 1
C08.22-02
Human/Nature-
Interaction on Small
Islands - an integra-
tive geography
perspective 2
C08.37-01
Session on Geoparks
C08.33-07
Urban social tranfor-
mations: contested
social spaces 2
C08.06-01
Contextualising
climate change:
methodological,
institutional and
regional responses
C08.36-01
Global Change
Session
C08.15-04
Tourism Develop-
ment and
Manage-
ment
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Society and Environment“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
C08.01-01
Launch of the Appl.
Geography Com.’s
3rd edited book -
Appl.Geography and
Spatial Analysis
C08.25-02
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Global
Change 2
C08.22-03
Human/Nature-
Interaction on Small
Islands - an integra-
tive geography
perspective 3
C08.33-01
Recent urban devel-
opments in China
C08.35-01
Large scale transport
infrastructure and
regional and urban
impacts 1
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
C08.01-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Applied Geography
C08.25-03
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Global
Change 3
C08.33-03
More complex urban
systems 1
C08.35-02
Large scale transport
infrastructure and
regional and urban
impacts 2
17:30-19:00
C08.33-04
More complex urban
systems 2
COM 01 COM 02 COM 03 COM 04 COM 06 COM 07 COM 08 COM 09
8:00-9:30
C08.30-01
Conflicts over natural
resources
T08.02-01
Governance and
informality
C08.19-01
Access to Care 1
C08.02-01
Human-Nature Inter-
action in Arid Lands
and their Margins 1
C08.14-01
Global Information
Society: Mobility,
Society and Network
Connectivity 1
C08.04-01
Applied Climatology
in the 21st Century
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
SPS 09-01
IGU project: 'Sus-
tainable cities: re-
sults from a Chinese
pilot project and the
way forward'
C08.30-02
Environmental Geo-
politics and Climate
Change
C08.07-01b
Cultural Approaches
in Social and Geo-
graphical Theory 2
T08.02-02
Securing resources
C08.19-02
Access to Care 2
C08.02-02
Human-Nature Inter-
action in Arid Lands
and their Margins 2
C08.14-02
Global Information
Society: ICT, Knowl-
edge & Media 2
C08.04-02
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 1
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Society and Environment“
13:00-14:
00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
GA 01-01
General Assembly 1
C08.30-03
Conceptual ap-
proaches and theo-
retical debates within
PG: the relationship
of representation and
practice
C08.07-02
Cultural approaches
to Sacred Spaces in
the global era 1
C08.05-01
Coastal Systems -
Beaches and dunes
C08.19-03
Access to Care 3
C08.02-03
Human-Nature Inter-
action in Arid Lands
and their Margins 3
C08.14-03
Global Information
Society: Urban and
Regional Develop-
ment 3
C08.04-03
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 2
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
SPS 10-01
The IGU-Initiative for
an International Year
of Global Under-
standing (IYGU)
C08.30-04
The (Geo-)Politics
of Identity: Case
studies on different
scales
C08.07-03
Cultural approaches
to Sacred Spaces in
the global era 2
C08.05-10
Coastal Systems -
Rocky coasts 1
C08.19-05
Ground truths:
Advancing children’s
geographies through
including children as
researchers 1
C08.02-04
Human-Natur
e Inter-
action in Arid Lands
and their Margins 4
C08.14-04
Information and
communication
technologies for
development and hu-
man well-being 1
C08.04-04
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 3
17:30-19:00
C08.30-05
Conflicts and Revo-
lutions in the Near
and Middle East
C08.05-11
Coastal Systems -
Rocky coasts 2
C08.19-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Health and Environ-
ment
C08.02-05
Human-Nature Inter-
action in Arid Lands
and their Margins 5
C08.14-05
Information and
communication
technologies for
development and hu-
man well-being 2
C08.04-05
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 4
18:00-19:30
SPS 11-01
VGDH Vorstands-
sitzung
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 145
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 14: Program overview monday 27
th
August 2012
MAIN 09 MAIN 10 MAIN 11 MAIN 12 MAIN 13 PHIL 01 PHIL 02 PHIL 03
C08.20-01
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s) in the
history of geography
C10.38-01
Place names as
markers and ingredi-
ents of space-related
identity
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.05-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Coastal Systems
C08.20-02
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s) in the
history of geography
SPS 12-01
Applied
Geography in the 21
st
Century: Practice Re-
levancy of Geography
in Politics, Economy
and Society
C08.07-04
Cultures and sustain-
ability
Opening of the sym-
posium ‘Geography
and School’
(cf. page 43)
UDC 03-01
Do borders make
regions learn?
RC 01-01
Anxiety, biosecurity
and conflicts
C10.38-02
Place names as
markers and ingredi-
ents of space-related
identity
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Society and
Environment“
12:00-13:00
SPS 12-02
Geographers and
their Job Markets
KEYNOTES 11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Society and Environment“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
SPS 02-01 Intern.
School of Applied
Geography St.-Dié-
des-Vosges: When
leadership needs
maps!
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.20-03
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s) in the
history of geography
SPS 12-03
Geography and
Requirements of
International Coop-
eration
C08.06-B
Business Meeting -
Cold Region Environ-
ments
UDC 05-01
Health and sustain-
ability in the cities of
the future
RC 03-01
Coasts at risk by
extreme events I
C10.38-03
Place names as
markers and ingredi-
ents of space-related
identity
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
C08.20-04
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s)......
UDC 06-01
How European
towns deal with
peripheralization
RC 04-01
Conflicts evolving
from (re)constructing
regions and borders
based on hist. geogr.
C10.38-04
Place names as
markers and ingredi-
ents o
f space-related
identity
16:00-17:30
C08.20-05
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s) in the
history of geography
SPS 12-04
„From Study to Job“
– Practical Tips from
DVAG for Geog-
raphers entering a
Career
UDC 16-01
Neighborhood
governance under
conditions of globali-
zation - An interna-
tional perspective
RC 04-02
Conflicts evolving
from (re)constructing
regions and borders
based on historic
geographies
C10.38-B
Business Meeting -
Commission on IGU/
ICA Commission/
Working Group on
Toponymy
17:30-19:00
COM 10 KEY 01 KEY 02 KEY 03 KEY 06 KEY 07 KEY 08
C08.34-01
GIS in water re-
search (Hydro GIS)
UDC 26-01
The Mobility of
Human Capital and
Knowledge
GCG 13-01
Global change,
criticality and tipping
points: globalised
trends, disasters and
resilience
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.34-02
Hydrological Process
and Watershed
Management in Arid
Regions
GCG 02-01
Bridging the gap?
Scope and limita-
tions of practice-ori-
ented development
studies
SE 13-01
Integrative ap-
proaches to water
resource manage-
ment in times of
global change 1
SE 02-01
Border Water
Scarcity
UDC 34-01
Urban utopias and
heterotopias: Theo-
rizing, analyzing,
and evaluating urban
spaces 1
GCG 01-01
Analyzing climate
change and its
impacts via method
combinations 1
RC 05-01
Development-in-
duced displacement:
Addressing conflict
and impoverishment
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Society and Environment“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.34-03
Water and mining
(Water pollution)
SE 23-01
Transition of energy
systems and green
industry develop-
ment: The geogra-
phies of the German
‘Energiewende’ 1
SE 13-02
Integrative ap-
proaches to water
resource manage-
ment in times of
global change 2
GCG 05-01
Critical junctures of
globalization ? Re-
spacing globalized
living conditions in
contexts of rupture
UDC 34-02
Urban utopias and
heterotopias: Theo-
rizing, analyzing,
and evaluating urban
spaces 2
GCG 01-02
Analyzing climate
change and its
impacts via method
combinations 2
RC 12-01
Local Responses to
Natural Disasters 1
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
C08.34-04
Water in urban
environments 1
SE 23-02
Transition of energy
systems and green
industry develop-
ment: The geogra-
phies of renewable
energy production 2
SE 12-01
Green economies:
a business, society
and policy approach
1
GCG 15-01
Globalization and the
re-making of rural
place 1
UDC 34-03
Urban utopias and
heterotopias: Theo-
rizing, analyzing,
and evaluating urban
spaces 3
GCG 01-03
Analyzing climate
change and its
impacts via method
combinations 3
RC 12-02
Local Responses to
Natural Disasters 2
16:00-17:30
C08.34-05
Water in urban
e
nvironments 2
SE 23-03
Transition of energy
systems and green
industry develop-
ment: Regional and
country perspec-
tives 3
SE 12-02
Green economies:
a business, society
and policy approach
2
GCG 15-02
Globalization and the
re-making of rural
place 2
UDC 34-04
Urban utopias and
heterotopias: Theo-
rizing, analyzing,
and evaluating urban
spaces 4
RC 12-03
Local Responses to
Natural Disasters 3
17:30-19:00
MONDAY 27
th
August 2012

146 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
Fig. 15: Program overview tuesday 28
th
August 2012
TUESDAY 28
th
August 2012
MAIN 01 MAIN 02 MAIN 03 MAIN 04 MAIN 05 MAIN 06 MAIN 07 MAIN 08
8:00-9:30
C08.35-03
Large scale transport
infrastructure and
regional and urban
impacts 3
C08.25-06
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Society
and Environment 1
GCG 12-01
Geography, com-
plexity, and informa-
tion dynamics: ad-
dressing real-world
challenges of the
new millennium
RC 07-01
Emerging riskscapes
and the spatial
dimension of risk
UDC 22-01
Spatial justice in
cities in the South:
what can spatial-
izing information
tools contribute to
urban governance
networks? 1
C08.33-05
More complex urban
systems 3
C08.17-01
Global climate
change and human
mobility in coastal
areas: the SECOA
Project 1
C08.15-02
Sustainable
Tourism 1
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
C08.35-04
Large scale transport
infrastructure and
regional and urban
impacts 4
C08.25-07
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Society
and Environment 2
GCG 18-01
Management Geo-
graphy - Embedding
COPs in chang-
ing global urban
networks
RC 18-01
Risk governance
in Southeast Asian
cities
UDC 22-02
Spatial justice in
cities in the South:
what can spatial-
izing information
tools contribute to
urban governance
networks? 2
C08.33-B
Business Meeting -
Urban Commission:
Emerging Urban
Transformations
C08.17-02
Global climate
change and human
mobility in coastal
areas: the SECOA
Project 2
C08.15-03
Sustainable
Tourism 2
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Urbanisation and Demographic Change“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
C08.35-05
Large scale transport
infrastructure and
regional and urban
impacts 5
C08.25-08
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Society
and Environment 3
GCG 14-01
Global complexity:
From theoretical
thought to geogra-
phical evidence
RC 06-01
Early warning
systems for natural
hazards - technical
challenges and social
demands
UDC 21-01
Spatial analysis and
modeling of the
human-environment
interface of urban
areas 1
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
C08.35-06
Port hinterlands and
urban logistics
C08.25-04
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Risk and
Conflicts 1
GCG 17-01
Labour geography:
Workers interven-
tions in the global
economy
RC 17-01
Resettlement and re-
location as a hazard
prevention strategy
UDC 21-02
Spatial analysis and
modeling of the
human-environment
interface of urban
areas 2
UDC 17-01
Neoliberal urban
transformation pro-
cesses in the Arab
World
C08.17-03
Global climate
change and human
mobility in coastal
areas: the SECOA
Project 3
C08.15-05
Sustainability Related
with Second homes
17:30-19:00
C08.25-05
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Risk and
Conflicts 2
18:00-19:30
SPS 11-02
VGDH Mitgliederver-
sammlung
C08.17-04
Global climate
change and human
mobility in coastal
areas 4
C08.15-B
Business Meeting
- Geography of
Tourism, Leisure, and
Global Change
COM 01 COM 02 COM 03 COM 04 COM 06 COM 07 COM 08 COM 09
8:00-9:30
C08.30-06
Political Geographies
of the European
Union
C08.03-01
Climate Change and
Land Use Effects on
Species, Communi-
ties and Ecosystems:
Indian Subcontinent
and the Himalayas 1
C08.05-02
Coastal Systems -
Coastal erosion and
management 1
C08.08-01
Emerging Economic
Spaces in Globaliz-
ing Worlds
C08.14-B
Business Meeting
- Geography of the
Global Information
Society
C08.04-06
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 5
C08.04-09
Potential Impacts of
Climate Variabilit y
and Change on
Agriculture: Historical
Variations 1
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
SPS 13-01
Facets of Contested
Geographies: Ne-
gotiating lieux de
mémoire in Transna-
tional Contexts
C08.30-07
Quantitative-statisti-
cal Case Studies in
Political Geography
C08.03-02
Climate Change and
Land Use Effects on
Sp
ecies, Communi-
ties and Ecosystems:
Indian Subcontinent
and the Himalayas 2
C08.05-03
Coastal Systems -
Coastal erosion and
management 2
C08.08-02
Universities, Clus-
ters, and Industry
Emergence
C08.19-07
Health Geography
and Public Health 1
C08.04-07
Climate change and
variability in different
spatial and temporal
scales 6
C08.04-10
Potential Impacts of
Climate Variabilit y
and Change on
Agric.: Climate Pro-
jections and Assess-
ment Strategies 2
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Urbanisation and Demographic Change“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
GA 01-02
General Assembly 2
C08.30-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Political Geography
C08.07-01a
Cultural Approaches
in Social and Geo-
graphical Theory 1
C08.05-04
Coastal Systems -
Coastal erosion and
management 3
C08.08-03
Resource-based
Economies
C08.19-08
Health Geography
and Public Health 2
C08.04-13
Urban climates 1
C08.04-11
Potential Impacts of
Climate Variabil-
ity and Change on
Agric.: Changes in
Productivity 3
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
C08.03-B
Business Meeting of
the Commission on
Biogeography and
Biodiversity
SPS 14-01
Guide to Getting
Published - sup-
ported by EMERALD
Group Publishing
Ltd.
C08.07-09
Multilocality:
symbolic and mate-
rial constructions of
space in societies of
mobile individuals 1
C08.05-05
Coastal Systems -
Coastal erosion and
management 4
C08.08-04
Emerging Economic
Spaces in Europe
C08.19-09
Health Geography,
Vulnerability and
Global Risk
C08.04-14
Urban climates 2
C08.04-12
Potential Impacts of
Climate Variability
and Change on Ag-
riculture: Economic
Considerations 4
17:30-19:00
C08.07-08
Multilocality:
symbolic and mate-
rial constructions of
space in societies of
mobile individuals 2
C08.19-04
Global Health and
Disease Surveillance
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 147
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 16: Program overview tuesday 28
th
August 2012
MAIN 09 MAIN 10 MAIN 11 MAIN 12 MAIN 13 PHIL 01 PHIL 02 PHIL 03
C08.13-01
Governance - key
theoretical and
methodological is-
sues, main research
directions 1
UDC 13-01
Migration trends of
the baby boomer
generation.
SE 16-01
Palaeoenvironmen-
tal reconstruction
along the corridors
of modern human
dispersal from Africa
to Europe
C08.31-01
Demographic
local challenges of
population decline
and ageing
SE 15-01
Man and environ-
mental change: pro-
gress in geoarchaeo-
logical applications
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.13-02
Governance - key
theoretical and
methodological is-
sues, main research
directions 2
UDC 14-01
Multi-local living
arrangements on
national, inter- and
transnational levels:
a new old phenom-
enon?
SE 17-01
Plants, play and
place: Green Envi-
ronments as a contri-
bution to children’s
healthy development
C08.31-02
Demographic
-
tion and population
change on regional
level
10:00-12:00
Symposium ‘Geogra-
phy and School’:
International
online-discussion of
German, Indian and
American students
(cf. page 43)
SE 04-01
Capturing imagined
invisibility: How to
analyze social repre-
sentations of climate
change?
C08.20-B
Business Meetin
History of Geography
RC 15-02
Joint Session
„Placemaking and
guerilla strategies
in contested public
spaces“ & „The fight
against disenfran-
chisement: emerging
cultures of protest in
the city“
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Urbanisation and Demographic Change“ KEYNOTES 11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „UDC“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
UDC 15-01
Naturbanisation: Ur-
banisation in nature
and environment
conflicts 1
SE 19-01
Senses of iden-
tity and belonging
in coastal regions in
transition
C08.31-03
Demographic
decline in post-
socialist countries
SE 05-01
Climate change
- indications, dyna-
mics and regional
perspectives
UDC 19-01
Re-ordering the city
- Neoliberalization,
travelling policies
and local context 1
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
C08.13-03
Governance - key
theoretical and
methodological is-
sues, main research
directions 3
UDC 15-02
Natururbanisation:
Urbanisation in na-
ture and environment
conflicts 2
SE 20-01
Soil erosion and
terrestrial carbon
cycling
C08.31-04
Demographic di-
fertility and mortality
SE 06-01
Contextualising
gender and climate
change
UDC 19-02
Re-ordering the city
- Neoliberalization,
travelling policies
and local context 2
EC Special Meeting
16:00-17:30 17:30-19:00
COM 10 KEY 01 KEY 02 KEY 03 KEY 06 KEY 07 KEY 08 POSTER
C08.20-06
Society and Environ-
ment: conceptions
and representations
of nature(s) in the
history of geogra-
phy 6
RC 02-01
Broadening the
IPCC focus: extreme
events, vulnerability
to multiple stresses
and adaptation op-
tions 1
GCG 03-01
Central Asian eco-
systems under water
scarcity 1
RC 21-01
Urban dynamics
and environmental
conflicts 1
UDC 09-01
Managing changes
in cultural heritage
cities of South-East
Asia
SE 01-01
Analysis of linked
social-ecological
systems 1
UDC 07-01
International migra-
tion and ‘glocal’
spaces of vulner-
ability 1
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.34-06
Climate change im-
pacts on large scale
areas 1
RC 02-02
Broadening the
IPCC focus: extreme
events, vulnerability
to multiple stresses
and adaptation op-
tions 2
GCG 03-02
Central Asian eco-
systems under water
scarcity 2
RC 21-02
Urban dynamics
and environmental
conflicts 2
SE 01-02
Analysis of linked
social-ecological
systems 2
UDC 07-02
International migr
a-
tion and ‘glocal’
spaces of vulner-
ability 2
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Urbanisation and Demographic Change“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.34-07
Climate change im-
pacts on mesoscale
regions 2
RC 10-01
Geographies of
violence 1
GCG 04-01
Climate change miti-
gation from global to
local 1
RC 13-01
Natural resources
and risk manage-
ment in developing
countries - Network-
ing for sustainability
SE 01-03
Analysis of linked
social-ecological
systems 3
UDC 02-01
Conviviality and/
or confrontation?
Ethnic, cultural and
political diversity in
public space 1
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
RC 10-02
Geographies of
violence 2
GCG 04-02
Climate change miti-
gation from global to
local 2
RC 13-02
Natural resources
and risk manage-
ment in developing
countries - Network-
ing for sustainability
SE 01-04
Analysis of linked
social-ecological
systems 4
UDC 02-02
Conviviality and/
or confrontation?
Ethnic, cultural and
political diversity in
public space 2
16:00-17:30
Postersession
Global Change
and Globalisation /
Urbanisation & De-
mographic Chang
e
17:30-19:00
19:00-20:00
SPS 16-01 Wester-
mann-Forum
TUESDAY 28
th
August 2012

148 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
Fig. 17: Program overview wednesday 29
th
August 2012
WEDNESDAY 29
th
August 2012
MAIN 01 MAIN 02 MAIN 03 MAIN 04 MAIN 05 MAIN 06 MAIN 07 MAIN 08
8:00-9:30
C08.24-03
Land Degradation
and Geomorphology:
Monitoring, Assess-
ment, and Theory
Development 1
C08.25-09
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Urbanisa-
tion and demogra-
phic change 1
C08.28-01
Geocomputations
and Applications
C08.18-01
Earthquake and
Tsunami special
session
RC 09-01
Free flow or better
stay at home?
Changing practices
in the management
of international
mobility
C08.15-06
Tourism Sustain-
ability with GIS and
zoning systems
C08.17-05
Global climate
change, economic
crisis and human
mobility 1
C08.10-01
Gender and Geog-
raphy 1: Everyday,
home and mobility
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
C08.24-04
Land Degradation
and Geomorphology:
Monitoring, Assess-
ment, and Theory
Development 2
C08.25-10
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Urbanisa-
tion and demogra-
phic change 2
C08.28-02
Modeling Human and
Physical Processes 1
C08.18-02
Hazar
d and risk for
future mitigation 1
C08.09-01
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 1
C08.15-07
Tourism and
Global Environmental
Change: Climate
Change Issues
C08.17-06
Global climate
change, economic
crisis and human
mobility 2
C08.10-02
Gender and Geog-
raphy 2: Work and
Society
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Global Change and Globalisation“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.28-B
Business Meeting -
Modeling Geographi-
cal Systems
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
C08.24-05
Land Degradation
and Geomorphology:
Monitoring, Assess-
ment, and Theory
Development 3
C08.25-11
Session on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change - Urbanisa-
tion and demogra-
phic change 3
C08.28-03
Modeling Human and
Physical Processes 2
C08.18-03
Hazard and risk for
future mitigation 2
C08.09-02
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 2
C08.15-08
Tourism and Regio-
nal Development 1
C08.17-07
Global climate
change, economic
crisis and human
mobility 3
C08.10-03
Gender and Geogra-
phy 3: Migra
tion and
transnationalism
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
C08.25-B2
Business Meeting -
Commission on Land
Use and Land Cover
Change 2
C08.28-04
Spatial Data Mining
and Knowledge
Discovery
C08.18-04
Hazard and risk for
future mitigation -
Poster session
C08.09-03
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 3
C08.15-09
Tourism and Regio-
nal Development 2
C08.17-08
Global climate
change, economic
crisis and human
mobility 4
C08.10-04
Gender and Geogra-
phy 4: Planning and
development
17:30-19:00
C08.28-05
Spatial statistics and
Applications
C08.15-10
Tourism and Regio-
nal Development 3
COM 01 COM 02 COM 03 COM 04 COM 06 COM 07 COM 08 COM 09
8:00-9:30
SPS 05-01
General Assembly
of Commonwealth
Geographers 1
C08.29-01
Environmental history
and climate change
in the high mountain
ecosystems of Mon-
soon Asia during the
Late Holocene
C08.07-10
Spatialities of Art:
between policy and
politics 1
C08.05-06
Coastal Systems -
Coastal monitoring 1
C08.08-05
Emerging Economic
Spaces in Asia
C08.32-01
Sustainability of
Rural Systems in
Global Economic
and Environmental
Issues
T08.02-B
Business Meeting -
MegaCity TaskForce
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
SPS 05-01
General Assembly
of Commonwealth
Geographers 2
C08.29-02
From Himalayan
Dilemma to Climate
Change Dilemma?
Challenges for high
mountain develop-
ment 1
C08.07-11
Spatialities of Art:
between policy and
politics 2
C08.05-07
Coastal Systems -
Coastal monitoring 2
C08.08-06
Emerging Economic
Spaces Europe
C08.32-02
Consumer
markets, quality
products,aggregated
value and rural
sustainability
SPS 17-01
Applied Environ-
mental Economic
Geography and
Sustainable Develop-
ment and Planning
C08.04-15
Weather and Climate
Extremes 1
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Global Change and Globalisation“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
GA 01-03
General Assembly 3
C08.29-03
From Himalayan
Dilemma to Climate
Change Dilemma?
Challenges for high
mountain develop-
ment 2
C08.07-12
The Uses of Art in
Public Space 1
C08.05-08
Coastal Systems -
Coastal monitoring 3
C08.08-07
Economic Geogra-
phies of Entrepre-
neurship
C08.32-03
Multi-functionality
and socio-economic
opportunity in the
countryside 1
MRP-01
Recent develop-
ments of geography
of energy
C08.04-16
Weather and Climate
Extremes 2
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-17:30
IGU project: 'Geo-
graphical Journals: a
world overview 2012'
C08.29-04
Mountain Ecosystem
Response to Global
Change 1
C08.07-13
The Uses of Art i
n
Public Space 2
C08.05-09
Coastal Systems -
Coastal monitoring 4
C08.08-08
Global Value/Com-
modity Chains and
Economic Govern-
ance
C08.32-04
Multi-funtionality
and socio-economic
opportunity in the
countryside 2
MRP-02
Towards a demo-
cratic Maghreb-
Mashrek? Vers un
Maghreb-Mashreq
démocratique?
C08.04-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Climatology
17:30-19:00
C08.09-B
Business Meeting -
Commission on Envi-
ronment Evolution
C08.29-05
Mountain Ecosystem
Response to Global
Change 2
MRP-B
Business Meeting
- Mediterranean Re-
naissance Program
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 149
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 18: Program overview wednesday 29
th
August 2012
MAIN 09 MAIN 10 MAIN 11 MAIN 12 MAIN 13 PHIL 01 PHIL 02 PHIL 03
C08.13-04
Governing develop-
ment in regions,
cities and rural com-
munities 1
GCG 22-01
Spatial network
science and complex
systems ? Methods,
data, and application
C08.31-07
Producing migration
and ‘representing’
the migrant 1
SPS 03-01
Geographica Hel-
vetica
RC 19-01
Spatial landslide
analysis and its
implementation in
spatial planning 1
UDC 31-01
Uneven geography of
power: The produc-
tion of ‘dominant
spaces’ in urban
environments 1
C08.23-01
Human impacts
and environmental
changes in karst
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.13-05
Governing develop-
ment in regions,
cities and rural com-
munities 2
C08.27-01
Interpretations of
Marginality 1
C08.26-01
Regional Develop-
ment: Planning and
Disparities
C08.31-08
Producing migration
and ‘representing’
the migrant 2
SPS 01-01 CNFG
La valorisation d'un
savoir géographique
dans l'espace fran-
cophone
RC 19-02
Spatial landslide
analysis and its
implementation in
spatial planning 2
UDC 31-02
Uneven geography of
power: The produc-
tion of ‘dominant
spaces’ in urba
n
environments 2
C08.23-02
Management and
conservation of karst
landscapes 1
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Global Change and Globalisation“ KEYNOTES 11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Global Change and Globalisation“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.13-06
Governing develop-
ment in regions,
cities and rural com-
munities 3
C08.27-02
Interpretations of
Marginality 2
C08.26-02
Local Development
in the Rural Space 1
C08.31-09
Producing migration
and ‘representing’
the migrant 3
SPS 06-01
Quelles sont les
sources informatio-
nelles dans l’espace
francophone pour
traiter du risque?
RC 08-01
Flood risks under
conditions of global
change: Dealing with
uncertainties and dy-
namics of flood risk
in urban areas 1
UDC 01-01
(Mega)urban health
in South Asia
C08.23-03
Management and
conservation of karst
landscapes 2
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
C08.13-07
Governing develop-
ment in regions,
cities and rural com-
munities 4
C08.27-03
Marginality in a
Globalizing World
C08.26-03
Local Development
in the Rural Space
2
C08.31-10
Producing migration
and ‘representing’
the migrant 4
SPS 01-02 - CNFG
Action publique et
territoires urbains
dans l’espace fran-
cophone
RC 08-02
Flood risks under
conditions of global
change: Dealing with
uncertainties and dy-
namics of flood risk
in urban areas 2
UDC 25-01
The ‘migration &
development-hype’
and its implications
for geographical
research
C08.23-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Karst
16:00-17:30
C08.13-08
Governing develop-
ment in regions,
cities and rural com-
munities 5
17:30-19:00
COM 10 KEY 01 KEY 02 KEY 03 KEY 06 KEY 07 KEY 08 POSTER
C08.19-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Health and Environ-
ment
SE 18-01
Protected areas and
tourism planning -
preparing for global
challenges 1
GCG 07-01
Digital Earth: an op-
portunity for spatial
citizenship 1
GCG 09-01
Financialisation,
marketisation and
the environment:
Towards ‘alternative’
economic geogra-
phies of finance? 1
UDC 04-01
Global winners and
local losers? Com-
paring Regeneration
Policies in Shrinking
Cities in America and
Europe 1
UDC 23-01
Strategic urban
planning for sustain-
able development:
Methods and experi-
ences 1
SE 21-0
Sustaining eco-
system services in
cultural landscapes:
Analysis and man-
agement options 1
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
C08.34-09
Water resources
and management,
hydrological budget
and hydraulic emer-
gencies 1
SE 18-02
Protected areas and
tourism planning -
preparing for global
challenges 2
GCG 07-02
Digital Earth: an op-
portunity for spatial
citizenship 2
GCG 09-02
Financialisation,
marketisation and
the env
ironment:
Towards ‘alternative’
economic geogra-
phies of finance? 2
UDC 04-02
Global winners and
local losers? Regen-
eration Strategies
in the Absence of
Growth in Asia and
Europe 2
UDC 23-02
Strategic urban
planning for sustain-
able development:
Methods and experi-
ences 2
SE 21-02
Sustaining eco-
system services in
cultural landscapes:
Analysis and man-
agement options 2
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Global Change and Globalisation“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
C08.34-10
Water resources
and management,
hydrological budget
and hydraulic emer-
gencies 2
SE 23-01
Urban landscape and
nature 1
GCG 08-01
Ecosystem services:
its epistemology and
relation to geogra-
phy 1
GCG 06-01
Current shifts in glo-
balizing logistic net-
works, importance of
distance and spatial
implications
UDC 04-03
Global winners and
local losers? Deal-
ing with Demo-
graphic Shrinkage in
Europ
UDC 23-03
Strategic urban
planning for sustain-
able development:
Methods and experi-
ences 3
SE 10-01
Global challenges &
local responses: The
mitigation of climate
change by travel
behaviour change 1
14:00-15:30
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
C08.34-11
Water resources
and management,
hydrological budget
and hydraulic emer-
gencies 3
SE 23-02
Urban landscape and
nature 2
GCG 08-02
Ecosystem services:
its epistemology and
relation to geogra-
phy 2
GCG 10-01
Focal points of the
past - Historic-geo-
graphical Dimensions
of globalization
UDC 33-01
Urban poverty ?
Conceptions of
everyday life under
persistent conditions
of inequality
UDC 23-04
Strategic urban
planning for sustain-
able development:
Methods and experi-
ences 4
SE 10-02
Global challenges &
local responses: The
mitigation of climate
change by travel
behaviour change 2
16:00-17:30
Poster Session Risks
& Conflicts / Society
& Environment
17:30-19:00
WEDNESDAY 29
th
August 2012

150 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
Fig. 19: Program overview thursday 30
th
August 2012
THURSDAY 30
th
August 2012
MAIN 01 MAIN 02 MAIN 03 MAIN 04 MAIN 05 MAIN 06 MAIN 07 MAIN 08
8:00-9:30
GCG 20-01
Morphodynamic
response to episodic
disturbances of
coastal systems
C08.24-01
Land Degradation
and Desertification
in the context of
Global Environmental
Change: Manage-
ment, Vulnerability,
and Policy 1
GCG 19-01
Mapping the emer-
gence of change:
future European
perspectives
C08.18-05
Vulnerability and
Resilience 1
C08.15-11
Tourism Mobilities
and Urban Space
C08.27-04
Regional and Local
Responses to Mar-
ginality 1
C08.10-05
Gender and Geogra-
phy 5: Panel Discus-
sion - International
practices in gender
geography: bridges
and barriers
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
C08.13-09
Innovations in
public sector - public
administration re-
forms, public sector
reorganizations, local
finance and progress
in planning
C08.24-B
Business Meeting -
Commission on Land
Degradation and
Desertification
GCG 21-01
Post-development
and postcolonial
studies: Research
on inequalities
as a challenge
for Geographical
Development Studies
(GDS)?
C08.18-06
Vulnerability and
Resilience 2
C08.15-12
Transforming Tourism
Geographies in the
Global South
C08.27-05
Regional and Local
Responses to Mar-
ginality 2
C08.10-B
Business Meeting -
Commission on Gen-
der and Geography
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Risks and Conflicts“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
C08.18-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Hazard and Risk
C08.27-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Marginalization,
Globalization, and
Regional and Local
Responses
16:00-18:00 Closing Ceremony
COM 01 COM 02 COM 03 COM 04 COM 06 COM 07 COM 08 COM 09
8:00-9:30
UDC 29-01
Towards a process-
based understanding
of spatiality: new
perspectives on
dissolving the rural-
urban divide 1
C08.07-05
Cultural identities 1:
the globalizing East
Asia
C08.05-12
Coastal Systems -
Sea-level rise and
impacts 1
SE 11-01
Globalisation of trade
and production and
(ecological) sustain-
ability
UDC 27-01
The Socio-spatial
reconfiguration in
Gulf Arab cities
C08.09-04
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 4
C08.32-05
Rural-urban interac-
tion and competi-
tion for land and
resources 1
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
10:00-11:30
UDC 29-02
Towards a process-
based understanding
of spatiality: new
perspectives on
dissolving the rural-
urban divide 2
GCG 24-01
The Land of Indige-
nous Traditional
Knowledge
C08.07-06
Cultural identities 2:
historical places in
East Asia
C08.05-13
Coastal Systems -
Sea-level rise and
impacts 2
SE 13-01
Integrated water re-
source manag
ement
and land use change
in South America
UDC 32-01
Urban informal-
ity as post-socialist
routine?
C08.09-05
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 5
C08.32-06
Rural-urban interac-
tion and competi-
tion for land and
resources 2
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Risks and Conflicts“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30
GA 01-04
General Assembly 4
GCG 26-01
Vector-borne
diseases and climate
warming
C08.07-07
Cultural identities 3:
the urban and rural
places of East Asia
C08.05-14
Coastal Systems -
Sea-level rise and
impacts 3
SE 14-01
Localising climate
change in a develop-
ment context: Adap-
tation to what?
UDC 30-01
Un pont sur le fossé?
Le rôle des villes
moyennes comme
intermédiaire entre
déprise rurale et
mégapoles.
C08.09-06
Human-Environment
Interactions and
Evolution in the Late
Pleistocene and
Holocene 6
C08.32-07
Social networks,
scales of connectivity
and governance
16:00-18:00 Closing Ceremony
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 151
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 20: Program overview thursday 30
th
August 2012
MAIN 09 MAIN 10 MAIN 11 MAIN 12 MAIN 13 PHIL 01 PHIL 02 PHIL 03
UDC 24-01
Sustainable urban
environments for the
future 1: Modeling
of sustainable urban
environment
C08.29-06
Mountain Environ-
ment and Rural
Livelihoods in the
Tropical Andes: Local
Responses to Global
Change
C08.26-04
Local Development
in the Urban Space
C08.31-05
Population geogra-
phy in a post-census
world 1
GCG 16-01
Knowledge, net-
works and innovation
in China’s develop-
ment
RC 14-01
New cartographies
of risk and conflicts
RC 11-01
Indigeneity, state
power and struggles
over space
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
UDC 24-02
Sustainable urban
environments for
the future 2: Urban
ecosystem services:
processes, pattern
and planning
C08.29-07
Vegetation response
to climate change
in tropical mountain
ecosystems and
consequences for
biodiversity and
land-use options
C08.26-05
Assessment of Local
Development Pro-
jects and Initiatives
C08.31-06
Population geogra-
phy in a post-census
world 2
GCG 25-01
Urban climate and air
pollution in a chang-
ing climate
GCG 23-01
The emergence of
China's regional
economies in the
global economy: a
new perspective on
upgrading and inno-
vation in global-local
networks
RC 15-01
Placemaking and
guerilla strategies
in contested public
spaces
SE 03-01
Can we manage
human-nature inter-
actions?
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Risks and Conflicts“ KEYNOTES 11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Risks and Conflicts“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
UDC 24-03
Sustainable urban
environments for the
future 3: Sustainable
urban environment
in different urban
cultures
C08.29-B
Business Meeting -
Mountain Response
to Global Change
C08.26-B
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Local Development
C08.31
Business Meeting
- Commission on
Population Geog-
raphy
GCG 11-01
geo@web. Geogra-
phy production and
its lifeworld conse-
quences in the era of
the web 2.0
RC 16-01
energy systems
governance and
conflict
14:00-15:30
16:00-18:00 Closing Ceremony
COM 10 KEY 01 KEY 02 KEY 03 KEY 06 KEY 07 KEY 08
SE 09-01
Geomorphic systems
under pressure
- anthropogenic
forces in a changing
environment
UDC 08-01
Learning beyond
borders: Exploring
the spatialities of
student mobility 1
UDC 12-01
Megacity research
for government
action
SE 07-01
Crossing boundaries
in human-envi-
ronment-system
research: Exploring
transdisciplinary ap-
proaches 1
UDC 10-01
Mega events, glo-
balization and urban
development 1
UDC 20-01
Revolution or trans-
formation? The rise
of supermarkets and
malls in developing
countries and their
urban and social
impact 1
SE 22-01
The social construc-
tion of cultural
landscapes: New
concepts of ?land-
scape? in social
sciences, cultural
studies and geog-
raphy 1
8:00-9:30
9:30-10:00 Coffee Break
RC 20-01
The fight against
disenfranchisement:
Emerging cultures of
protest in the city
UDC 08-02
Learning beyond
borders: Exploring
the spatialities of
student mobility 2
UDC 12-02
Middle East-North
Africa (mega-) ur-
banization processes
(MENA region)
SE 0
7-02
Crossing boundaries
in human-envi-
ronment-system
research: Exploring
transdisciplinary ap-
proaches 2
UDC 10-02
Mega events, glo-
balization and urban
development 2
UDC 20-02
Revolution or trans-
formation? The rise
of supermarkets and
malls in developing
countries and their
urban and social
impact 2
SE 22-02
The social construc-
tion of cultural
landscapes: New
concepts of ?land-
scape? in social
sciences, cultural
studies and geog-
raphy 2
10:00-11:30
11:45-13:00 Keynotes: „Risks and Conflicts“
13:00-14:00 Lunch
SPS 18-01
Business Meeting
- Freundeskreis der
Frithjof Voss Stiftung
UDC 18-01
Old and new
mobilities in Asia:
challenges for geo-
graphical develop-
ment research
SE 08-02
Geographic Informa-
tion Systems, society
and education
UDC 11-01
Megacities: Informal
dynamics of global
change
UDC 28-01
Towards a new
centrality of world
society: Future faces
and functions of
urban centres in the
21st Century
14:00-15:30
16:00-18:00 Closing Ceremony
THURSDAY 30
th
August 2012

152 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
reachable from Cologne that focused on Cologne’s
and Germany’s location at the heart of Europe. IGU
National Committees from Belgium, the Netherlands
and France, together with IGU’s COMLAND and
Transport Commission, had planned multi-day ex-
cursions to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and
within Germany. Unfortunately, these latter events,
along with some of the single-day excursions in the
greater Cologne region and the multi-day trip Ger-
many in 9 days, had to be cancelled due to lack of
interest. This was a big disappointment, not least
with regard to the time and energy put into the plan-
ning of itineraries and other organisational aspects.
Fortunately, the day-long and half-day excursions to
Cologne and the surrounding region were well at-
tended. An overview of the excursions and the num-
ber of participants is shown in Table 4.
Young Researchers at the IGC
A central goal of the LOC was to increase the attrac-
tiveness of the IGC for young academics. Judging
by the percentage of student registrations – 29%
were undergraduates, master’s students, or Ph.D.
candidates – we believe that this important goal was
achieved. During the preparatory workshops in Co-
logne, representatives from the association of geog-
raphy students at the University of Cologne and from
the Organisation of German-Language Associations
of Geography Students (Geo-DACH) and Ph.D. stu-
dents discussed which offers would be interesting
for students and young academics and how obsta-
cles to participation could be eliminated. One of their
proposals was to use quotas so that an adequate
share of session chairs and speakers were young
academics. The Scientific Committee later decided
to adopt this proposal.
Additionally, the association of geography students at
the University of Cologne worked together with Geo-
DACH to inform students about the conference. The
student association also organised its own social
activities programme and a student poster competi-
tion. The social activities programme was designed
to introduce foreign guests to the Cologne nightlife;
participation was optional and meeting spots were
announced shortly beforehand in the Congress Daily
and via social media. To save students from other
countries and cities some money and encourage
socialisation, the association of geography students
Social Activities Programme and
Excursions
Like the conference sessions, the social activities
programme of IGC 2012 was well attended. The
excursions, especially multi-day trips, were the ex-
ception, as they met with much less interest than
expected by the LOC. The opening concert in Co-
logne Philharmonic Hall was fully booked early, and
the few returned tickets were snatched up by late-
comers on the day of the concert (cf. 2.3). Around
700 conference participants and some 500 family
members and friends of the student musicians at-
tended the concert. The reception in Cologne’s Old
City Hall was also quickly booked, with a total of 500
conference participants in attendance (cf. 2.3). The
congress dinner at the Brauhaus Gilden im Zims was
full, but not overbooked (cf. 2.3). Unlike the open-
ing concert and the reception, which were free of
charge for registered participants, the 290 dinner
guests had to pay a € 60 contribution.
The IGC party, organised by the association of geog-
raphy students at the University of Cologne, was
also well attended. Around 400 (mostly younger)
conference participants danced into the early morn-
ing hours at the nearby Club Roonburg. The closing
event on the afternoon of the final day of the con-
ference brought IGC 2012 to a festive conclusion.
Although Thursday was the day of departure for
many, around 650 participants took part in the clos-
ing event, in which prizes of the DGfG and the Voss
Foundation were awarded and during which depart-
ing and upcoming members of the Executive Com-
mittee said a few words. Furthermore, the Japanese,
Russian and Chinese delegations took advantage of
this event to extend their invitations to the upcom-
ing events, i.e. the regional conferences Kyoto 2014
and Moscow 2015 as well as IGC Beijing 2016. The
event was accompanied by music from students of
the Collegium Musicum of the University of Cologne.
The excursions were conceived as activities ar-
ranged both before and during the congress proper.
In the tradition of German-language geography, the
LOC worked together with geographers from neigh-
bouring countries and other German universities to
prepare a varied excursion programme aimed at
presenting illustrative cases and regions from both
physical and human geography perspectives. The
basic idea was to offer excursions with destinations
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 153
2.2
REPORT
ABBR. TITLE EXCURSION LEADER STATUS
HALF-DAY TRIPS
HD1 From Rome to Prussia and what’s left of it: Historical and current urban
developments in Cologne’s city centre
Amelie Bernzen 25 TN*
HD2 Ethnic Diversity in Cologne – Between Multiculturalism and Parallel
Society
Prof. Dr. Günter Thieme 20 TN
HD3 UNESCO world heritage: “On the roofs of Cologne cathedral” PD Dr. Reinhard Zeese 17 TN
HD4 Fortress Cologne and what came of it: Fortifications of the former
Prussian fortress Cologne
PD Dr. Reinhard Zeese 18 TN
HD5 UNESCO world heritage: “Cologne cathedral treasury” PD Dr. Reinhard Zeese 20 TN
HD6 The history and changing faces of Cologne’s port “Rheinauhafen” Alexander Follmann 25 TN
HD7 Rocks and construction history of the Cologne Cathedral Prof. Dr. Olaf Bubenzer 16 TN
HD8 Cologne – a cultural melting pot Pamela Hartmann 25 TN
HD9 UNESCO world heritage: “Cologne Cathedral excavations” PD Dr. Reinhard Zeese 20 TN
HD11 FORD car production in Cologne: A visit to the production plant in Köln-
Niehl
Nils Linden 25 TN
HD 13 Art meets Nature in Cologne’s Green Belt: “Die Bundesrasenschau” Dr. Joachim Bauer/ Ralf Witthaus 20 TN
DAY TRIPS
D1 Frankfurt as a globalizing city: office development, squatter movement
and beautification of Frankfurt
Prof. Dr. Susanne Heeg ––––
D2 Bonn – the history and future of the former capital of West Germany Dr. Veronika Selbach 16 TN
D3 National Park “Eifel” and the historical buildings of “Ordensburg
Vogelsang”
Mareike Kroll 19 TN
D4 Rhine Romanticism: „Siebengebirge“ Prof. Dr. Winfried Schenk/ Dr.
Michael Krautblatter/ Jan-Erik
Steinkrüger
––––
D5 Bonn: Reinventing the City after the Loss of the Capital Function Prof. Dr. Hans Dieter Laux 18 TN
D6 UNESCO world heritage: Augustusburg palace and Flakenlust hunting
lodge (Brühl)
PD Dr. Reinhard Zeese 22 TN
D7 Regional Change in the Ruhr Area: Waterfront Redevelopment in
Duisburg
Prof. Dr. Martina Fuchs 19 TN
D8 Crossing Borders: Euregio Meuse-Rhine Prof. Dr. Martina Fromhold-Eisebith
and Marco Trienes
––––
D9 Brown coal open cast mining in the Rhine valley Prof. Dr. Frank Dickmann ––––
D10 Technology Region Aachen Prof. Dr. Martina Fromhold-Eisebith ––––
D11 Narratives of Frankfurt’s economic and urban development Dr. Andrea Mösgen and Nadine
Bitterer
––––
MULTI-DAY FIELD TRIPS GERMANY
MD1 Indicators for Climate Change in the Northern Alps Stefan Weinberger, PD Dr. Mark
Vetter und Prof. Dr. Otfried Baume
––––
MD2 Rivers meet volcanoes: Geographical highlights of Rhine, Mosel and Eifel Prof. Dr. Bernd Zolitschka ––––
MD3 Berlin’s urban and economic development Prof. Dr. Elmar Kulke ––––
MD4 Shaping the Future of the Ruhr Metropolitan Region Prof. Dr. Harald Zepp ––––
MD5 Sylt Island & Hamburg Prof. Dr. Andreas Vött and
Konstantin Ntageretzis
––––
MD6 Between River Ems and River Weser: Northwest Germany Prof. Dr. Jörg Friedhelm Venzke ––––
MULTI-DAY FIELD TRIPS EUROPE
EM1 Natural and Anthropogenic Drivers of Land Degradation and Landscape
Change within a Changing Environment: From the Alps to the lower
Rhine
Dr. Paul Hudson ––––
EM2 Dutch and Belgian port cities, gateways to the heart of Europe Prof. Dr. Jaques Charlier ––––
EM3 Metropolisation, gentrification and social housing in the old Belgian
historical cities
Prof. Dr. Christian Vandermotten ––––
EM4 Experiencing Dutch Geographies Prof. Dr. Huib Ernste ––––
EM5 Dijon et la vallée du Rhône: patrimoines industriels, vignobles et
mobilités urbaines
Prof. Dr. Yves Boquet ––––
GER1 Exploring Germany in 9 Days Prof. Dr. Dietrich Soyez and Prof. Dr.
Jörg Stadelbauer
––––
Tab. 4: Planned Excursions at IGC 2012 (* = number of participants)

154 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
structors. All in all, participant feedback on the work-
shops was very positive (Fig. 21 & 22).
Trade Fair and Publisher Exhibition
A total of 33 exhibitors were at IGC 2012: 12 Ger-
man and English-language publishers and 21 as-
sociations, research networks and universities. The
trade fair took place partly in the auditorium building
(“KEY”), partly in two tents (“MARQUEE”) set up es-
pecially for the trade fair between the congress build-
ings (Fig. 25 & 27). This was necessary because there
was no space available at the university, not even a
larger hallway, that met the exhibitors’ requirements
and was acceptable for the authorities from a fire
and emergency perspective. Placing the booths in
several smaller rooms would have diminished their
attractiveness. All in all, the publisher booths were
well visited, mostly because the exhibition area was
located at the very centre of all activities. From a fi-
nancial perspective, the trade fair resulted neither in
set up an internet platform where locals posted in-
formation on free rooms. Surprisingly, only a few at-
tendees took advantage of the platform.
The workshop programme of the Young Research-
ers’ Forum proved quite popular. On the opening
day of the IGC, eight workshops were scheduled
(Tab. 5). The workshops were designed to impart
knowledge to the participants and provide them with
a place to get to know each other and extend their
networks. The workshop subjects covered the areas
of academic publishing, career planning and fund-
ing. Unfortunately, the number of registrants for each
workshop greatly exceeded the number of available
seats, so that not everybody interested could take
part. What was worse, many participants who had
registered for workshops that began at 9:00 am or
earlier did not show up. Future IGCs should offer
similar workshops – demand appears to be very
large – but take care to schedule classes later in the
day if they want to avoid a high no-show rate, which
can be discouraging for the session chairs and in-
TITEL INSTRUCTOR PARTICIPANTS
Managing a PhD thesis Sven Schindelwick (erfahrungssache) 12
Project management Jochen Sell (erfahrungssache) 12
Publishing in English: Why, where and how? Fabienne Quennet (University of Marburg) 12
Academic writing for young researchers Fabienne Quennet (University of Marburg) 12
Funding opportunities in Germany Dorothee Eder (University of Cologne) 25
The European Union’s Funding Schemes for Research and Innovation Dieter Dollase/ Uwe David (KoWi Bonn) 25
Strategic decisions: the path to a university career Harald Sterly (University of Cologne) 21
Careers in Science Harald Sterly (University of Cologne) 19
Tab. 5: Workshops of the Young Researchers’ Forum
CARSTEN BUTSCH
Fig. 21: Young Researchers’ Forum Fig. 22: Young Researchers’ Forum

Carsten Butsch | 155
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 23: Trade exhibition
KEY
1st FLOOR
KEY
GROUNDFLOOR
KEY01
KEY01
KEY05
KEY04
KEY03
KEY02
KEY06
KEY07
KEY06
KEY08
ENTRANCE
MARQUEE COMMAIN
PHIL
B 11
B 13
B 06
B 10
B 04
B 05
B 14
B 07/08/12
B 16
B 15
B 17
B 17a
B 04 5R Competence Network
B 05 Leibniz Institut für Länderkunde (IfL)
B 06 Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft (WBG)
B 07/08/12 Ernst Klett Verlag
B 10 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH
B 11 UTB GmbH
B 13 Franz Steiner Verlag
B 14 E. Schweizerbart Verlagsbuchhandlung
B 15 IGU Austria/Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
B 16 Research in Germany (DFG)
B 17/17a Westermann

156 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
EXIT
M 02.07
Nat Com
Russia &
Russian
Geographical
Society
M 02.04
The
Geographical
Society of
China/
Beijing
M 02.06
Polish
Geographical
Society
M 02.05
Nat Com
Japan
M 01.01
Nat Com
Israel
M 01.05
Nat Com
Spain
M 01.02
Society
Geografica
Italiana
M 01.03
Rome
Sapienza
University
M 01.06
Routledge
Taylor
and
Francis
Group
M 02.01
GeoDach
M 02.02
German
Geogr.
Society
(DGfG)
M 01.014
CNFG
M 01.13
FIG
M 01.04
Geogr. Inst.
Univ. Bern
M 02.03
International
Geogr.
Union
(IGU)
M 01.12
The
Geographical
Society of
China/
Taipei
M 01.11
FH Mainz
M 01.10
FgHW
M 01.09
Emerald
M 01.07
Wiley-VCH
M 01.08
Turkish
Geographical
Society
MARQUEE 01
MARQUEE
MARQUEE 02
Weyertal
KEY
COM
PHIL
MAIN
Albertus-
Magnus-
Platz
MARQUEE 01
MARQUEE 02
EXIT
EXIT
EXIT
KEY COM PHIL
MAIN
MAINKEYCOM
MARQUEE 01
M 01.01 IGU National Committee of Israel
M 01.02 Society Geografica Italiana
M 01.03 Rome Sapienza University
M 01.04 Geographisches Institut der Universität Bern
M 01.05 Spanish National Committee of the International
Geographical Union
M 01.06 Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group
M 01.07 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
M 01.08 Turkish Geographical Society
M 01.09 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
M 01.10 Fachgemeinschaft Hydrologische Wissenschaften - FgHW
M 01.11 Fachhochschule Mainz
M 01.12 The Geographical Society of China/Taipei
M 01.13 Festival International de Géographie (FIG)
M 01.14 Comité National Français de Géographie (CNFG)
MARGUEE 02
M 02.01 GeoDach
M 02.02 German Geographical Society (DGfG)
M 02.03 International Geographical Union / Association of
American Geographers (IGU)
M 02.04 The Geographical Society of China/Beijing
M 02.05 National Committee of Japan for IGU
M 02.06 Polish Geographical Society
M 02.07 National Committee of Russian Geographers & Russian
Geographical Society
Fig. 24: Marquee exhibition
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 157
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 29: Check In Counter Fig. 30: Check In Counter
Fig. 25: Trade Fair - MARQUEE Fig. 26: Trade Fair - KEY
Fig. 27: Trade Fair - MARQUEE Fig. 28: Check In Counter

158 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
surprise, most of our guests regarded the offerings
as welcome – and sufficient – lunch servings. This
added to the spaces and periods for intense par-
ticipant interaction, and only a few seem to have
walked to nearby commercial fast food or restaurant
facilities.
The conference fee included a ticket for public trans-
portation within Cologne. It was printed directly on
participants’ conference badges. This allowed all
participants to ride all city buses, trams and local
trains during the duration of the congress free of
charge.
An internet café gave IGC 2012 participants the op-
portunity to access the internet and edit their presen-
tations. 20 PCs fitted with so-called kiosk software,
which limits the functionality to online searches and
viewing, were available. In addition, there were two
fully functional PCs that allowed participants to revise
presentations. The internet café saw a lot of use; on
average 50% of PCs were taken; during the keynote
speeches almost all PCs were in use. The two PCs
for editing presentations did not suffice to cover de-
mand; at least 4 PCs would have been necessary.
The IGC 2012 was the first IGC to offer childcare for
congress participants. Professional childcare was
available for the heavily subsidised price of € 5 for
a half or € 10 for a full day. Children could play and
sleep, and also received meals. In general, the ser-
vice was well received, and between three and eight
children were in childcare each day. All parent feed-
back was positive.
One way in which news was communicated before
and during IGC 2012 was via Facebook. A total of
743 participants regularly checked the IGC 2012
Facebook page. The viral reach exceeded 20,000
people during the week of the congress.
gains nor in losses. The revenue from the booth fees
was just enough to pay for the tent rental and utilities
(electricity, internet access, etc.). Figure 23 and 24
display the conference site plan.
Services
Information for participants, fee management, review
procedures, IGC 2012 registration and payment oc-
curred via an online system from Lombego, an ex-
ternal provider. Lombego modified its Converia sys-
tem especially for the needs of IGC 2012, turning it
into the main tool for the administration of participant
data, presentations, poster abstracts, participant
fees and registration for limited capacity events (so-
cial activities programme and excursions).
Payment occurred via Converia and a credit card
provider. Participants could also pay the fee via bank
transfer or in exceptional cases – such as with par-
ticipants from states where an electronic transfer or
credit card payment was not possible – payment on
site. The online system considerably reduced the
efforts involved in the congress’ enormous commu-
nication requirements given the large number of par-
ticipants, and facilitated an efficient organisation of
the review procedure and participant administration.
The IGC 2012 homepage featured links to the con-
gress video archive. Hosted on YouTube, the archive
contains recordings of the eight keynote speeches
and the opening concert and also includes a wel-
come trailer. By the following years, the keynote
speech by Martin Lees had been watched 268
times, and the keynote speech by Derek Gregory
had been watched 1,241 times. The opening con-
certs had been watched 2,840 times and the wel-
come trailer 3,736 times. Given these results, the
LOC was pleased with its decision to use a profes-
sional film crew to make the recording. A complete
documentary film of the conference is included with
this report on DVD.
Another highly appreciated service of IGC 2012 was
the food. Coffee, sandwiches and cookies were
served during the session breaks (Fig. 31-36, the
cookies only in the afternoon). Each day, participants
also received vouchers for two 0.5l soft drinks. Par-
ticipants were offered the morning and afternoon
snacks for free and, very much to the organisers’
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 159
2.2
REPORT
Fig. 35: Volunteers and staff of the department Fig. 36: Staff of the department
Fig. 31: Coffee station Fig. 32: Participants during coffee break
Fig. 33: Participants during coffee break Fig. 34: Coffee station

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.3
The Social Activities
Programme in Detail

PART 2
162 | Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 162-
geographical expertise is not something to be dis-
cussed exclusively within the scientific community:
„You must make your voice heard. And that doesn’t
mean publishing in peer reviewed journals, it doesn’t
mean coming along to congresses and listening to
wonderful talks. It actually means that you have to
get out and shout about what you know. [...] You
must make your voice heard“.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirind-
horn from the Kingdom of Thailand also greeted the
attendees of the opening ceremony and told of how
the numerous travels with her father, Phrabat Som-
det Phra Paraminthara Maha Bhumibol Adulyadej,
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, had awak-
ened in her an interest in geography at an early stage,
and had shown her that humankind and nature can
only exist together if they do so in harmony (Fig. 2).
This thought was picked up and elaborated upon in
the Inaugural Lecture given by Eckart Ehlers entitled
„Down to Earth – Geography in the Anthropocene“
(Fig. 3). The role of geographers as “bridge build-
ers” between nature and society in the age of the
Anthropocene was the principal focus of his lecture.
A further highlight of the opening ceremony was the
awards ceremony for the participants of the iGeo,
the school programme of the IGC (Part 2.4). The
presentations were made by Joop van der Schee,
Henk Ankone and Sylvia Löhrmann, Deputy Minister
President and Minister of Schools and Education of
the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, who, in
her address, specially mentioned the inter-cultural
exchange made possible by iGeo (Fig. 4).
The fact that the opening ceremony made a lasting
impression on so many participants was due to a
great extent to the symphony orchestra, choir and
big band of St. Ursula Gymnasium (high school) in
Brühl (Fig. 5 & 6). The pupils and teachers contrib-
uted to the festive element of the event with works
THE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAMME IN DETAIL
Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer
Opening Ceremony
An important part of IGC 2012, in addition to the
scientific programme, was the social activities pro-
gramme.
The ICG 2012 was officially opened on the first day
of the congress with a concert in Cologne‘s biggest
and most renowned concert hall, the “Kölner Phil-
harmonie”, which is situated in the centre of the city
in the direct vicinity of Cologne Cathedral and the
River Rhine.
„Welcome to the 32nd international geographical
congress, welcome to Cologne, welcome to Germa-
ny“ – with these words, Frauke Kraas and Diet rich
Soyez, who guided the audience through the pro-
gramme, greeted the roughly 1,200 attendees of the
opening ceremony (Fig. 1). In addition to the Local
Organising Committee, Hans-Rudolf Bork, the Pres-
ident of the German Society of Geography, also wel-
comed the participants of the ICG 2012. He particu-
larly emphasised the great honour bestowed upon
German geography as hosts of the ICG and drew
attention to the planning process, in which the scien-
tific commissions played a significant part (Part 2.1).
Angela Spizig, Mayor of the City of Cologne, and
Axel Freimuth, Rector of the University of Cologne,
warmly welcomed congress participants and em-
phasised the long tradition of the city at the heart of
Europe as well as the special significance of the con-
ference location being a university, which forms the
basis of scientific exchange. Alongside the opening
speech by Ron Abler, President of the International
Geographical Union, who underlined the importance
of global and intercultural exchange among the sci-
entific community, the words of welcome by Anne
Glover, Chief Scientific Advisor to the President of
the European Commission, were particularly impres-
sive. She emphasised with the following words that
165.

2.3
REPORT
Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer | 163
Fig. 5: Orchestra, choir and big band of St. Ursula
Gymnasium Brühl
Fig. 6: Orchestra of St. Ursula Gymnasium Brühl
Fig. 1: F. Kraas and D. Soyez during the opening
ceremony
Fig. 2: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn from the Kingdom of Thailand
Fig. 3: E. Ehlers during the inaugural lecture
Fig. 4: S. Löhrmann, H. Ankone, J. van der Schee
during the award ceremony for the iGeo participants

164 | Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer
PART 2
gress with the typical Cologne drink „Kölsch“. The
discussions over pretzels and drinks were accompa-
nied by music played by musicians from the Collegi-
um Musicum of the University of Cologne (Fig. 7-10).
Congress Dinner
As is the case at every IGC, the traditional congress
dinner was a must at the ICG 2012, offering par-
ticipants the welcome chance to converse away
from the formal congress atmosphere. The term
“traditional” was taken literally by the Organising
Committee, who hosted the dinner in the roughly
600-year-old brewing cellar of the „Gilden im Zims“
brewery house. This environment provided a special
atmosphere and a contrast to the otherwise typical
banquet halls. Its multiple levels, many niches and
smaller tables seemed to encourage the exchange
among the 300 guests, with lively discussions con-
tinuing on well into the night. Gastronomical needs
were also catered to. The participants had the
choice between a warm and a cold buffet, including
regional specialities and of course, the regional beer,
Kölsch (Fig. 11-14).
including Robert Schuman’s „Rhenish“ Symphony,
Ernst Toch’s „Geographical Fugue“ and Lynn De-
Shazo’s „For the Beauty of the Earth“.
Mayoral Reception
The Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne welcomed
the participants of the ICG 2012 on the evening of
the second day of the congress in the „Piazetta“ of
the Historic Town Hall. The Historic Town Hall stands
like no other building in Cologne for the freedom of
the citizens of Cologne. It was constructed at the
end of the 14th century by the Cologne guilds as a
symbol of their municipal power and has survived
the centuries virtually undamaged. With the choice
of location in the heart of the city, the citizens of Co-
logne placed themselves firmly within the tradition
of the Roman founding fathers, who had built their
Praetorium on the same site, from there guiding the
fortunes of the city.
Following the welcome from Lord Mayor Jürgen
Roters, Ron Abler proposed a toast with the roughly
620 attendees of the reception to a successful con-
Fig. 7: D. Soyez, F. Kraas, R. Abler and Lord Mayor
J. Roters
Fig. 8: Mayoral reception in the Historic Town Hall
FRANZISKA KRACHTEN, HOLGER KRETSCHMER

Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer | 165
2.3
REPORT
Fig. 13: Congress Dinner Fig. 14: Congress Dinner
Fig. 9: Lord Mayor J. Roters Fig. 10: Musicians from the Collegium Musicum of
the University of Cologne
Fig. 11: Congress Dinner Fig. 12: Congress Dinner

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.4
Geography and School at
IGC 2012: iGeo 2012,
the Geography and School
Symposium, and the
School Outreach Programme

PART 2
168 | Dorothea Wiktorin
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 168-
GEOGRAPHY AND SCHOOL AT IGC 2012:
IGEO 2012, THE GEOGRAPHY AND SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM, AND THE
SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAMME
Dorothea Wiktorin
Ever since preparations began for 2012 IGC in Co-
logne, one of the primary goals of the organising
committee has been to allot significant time to the
topic of geographical education over and above the
sessions and research group meetings already of-
fered by the Commission for Geographical Educa-
tion. The committee set three main goals:
The first was to ensure that young geography stu-
dents have a visible and proportionate share in the
IGC. Through the active participation of students
from around the world, the committee hoped to pro-
mote interest in the discipline and intercultural ex-
change, and to stimulate lively discussions between
researchers and young adults about questions
pertaining to the future of humankind. The second
goal was to motivate geography teachers to take
part in current discussions within the international
geographical community. Their third goal, in collab-
oration with the German Academic Association for
Geography and its Didactics (Hochschulverband für
Geographiedidaktik, HGD) and the German Associ-
ation of Geography Teachers, was to hold a sympo-
sium during IGC 2012 aimed at German-speaking
geography teachers. The objective was to lower lin-
guistic barriers and to ensure that specific current
topics of German geography instruction are handled
with their target audience in mind.
Three events took place at IGC 2012 to achieve
these goals: the International Geography Olympiad
(iGeo), the Geography and School Symposium and
the School Outreach Programme. The objectives,
contents and itineraries of these events are present-
ed in detail below.
iGeo: The International Geography
Olympiad
Goals, Run-up and General Rules of Compe-
tition
The idea of an International Geography Olympiad
goes back to IGC 1994 in Prague. There, geography
teachers and the geography education researchers
resolved to initiate an iGeo task force and, following
the lead of other disciplines, to start a school-lev-
el competition. In 1996, an iGeo pilot project took
place in the Netherlands under the direction of Henk
Ankoné and Joop van der Schee. Thereafter, the
event was held every two years under the auspices
of the IGU task force. From 2013 onwards, the iGeo
will be held annually. The task force sets the rules
and creates questions and exercises for the sections
of the competition, while the respective local organ-
ising committee is in charge of running it. Typically,
the iGeo takes place at an IGU regional conference
during an International Geographical Congress.
Soon after the IGU decided to hold IGC 2012 in
Cologne, the local organising committee agreed to
schedule the iGeo prior to the IGC 2012. The event
was designed to stress the importance of geography
education and intercultural exchange. In accordance
with the statutes of the iGeo task force, the competi-
tion had the following goals:
• to awaken interest for geography in young people;
• to foster intercultural understanding among
young people;
• to increase the quality of geography education
by promoting conversations between represent-
atives from theory and practice.
180.

2.4
REPORT
Dorothea Wiktorin | 169
isers in coordination with the iGeo task force (see fol-
lowing section). The fieldwork was graded by a jury
together with the local organising team of iGeo. Like
the written response test, these exercises account-
ed for 40% of the total score. In addition to the com-
petition, iGeo traditionally contains a poster session
in which every country team presents a geog raphy
subject, as well as an intercultural evening designed
to foster mutual understanding.
To guarantee a successful event and involve as
many people as possible in the planning and prepa-
ration, different associations and subgroups worked
together with the local organising committee to cre-
ate an organisational plan for iGeo 2012.
The iGeo Cologne 2012: Participating Countries
and Programme
A total of 32 teams had registered for iGeo 2012
by the early summer of 2012 – more teams than at
any previous iGeo. Teams from the following nations
took part: Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chi-
na-Beijing, China-Hong Kong, China-Macau, Chi-
na-Taipei, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Esto-
nia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan,
Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Russian Federa-
tion (Russia), Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tunisia,
Turkey, United Kingdom (Fig. 1).
The growing success of the event since 1996 can be
measured by the number of participating countries:
in 1996 (Den Haag, Netherlands) there were five na-
tional teams; in 1998 (Lisbon, Portugal) six teams;
in 2000 (Seoul, South Korea) ten teams; in 2002
(Durban, South Africa) 14 teams; in 2004 (Gdynia,
Poland) 15 teams; in 2006 (Brisbane, Australia) 23
teams; in 2008 (Tunis, Tunisia) 24 teams; and finally
in 2010 (Taipei, Taiwan) 30 teams.
The Olympiad had three components:
A Written Response Test covering five to six subject
areas. The questions, assembled by an internation-
al committee, were formulated in English and the
answers had to be given in English as well. Native
English speakers had two-and-a-half hours to com-
plete the test; non-native speakers had three hours.
A jury of experienced chaperones corrected the
tests. The grades made up 40% of the final score.
A Multi-Media Test of around an hour, consisting of
multiple-choice questions, was also assembled by
an international committee. The questions mostly
involved the analysis of maps, graphs and images.
The results of the tests – corrected by the members
of the jury – made up 20% of the final score. Field-
work exercises tested methodological skills in geog-
raphy. Students were given a task and had to find
solutions using mapping, census, surveys and other
methods. The fieldwork was planned by local organ-
Cologne 2012
Fig. 1: World Map of Participating Countries

170 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
as both a lifeline (through commerce) and a danger
(through floods). The two banks of the Rhine – each
different in their urban structures – offered a unique
chance to study comparative riverfront develop-
ment. An introductory lecture from Klaus Zehner and
Alexander Follmann on the general significance of
riverfront development the day before the start of the
field exercises put the competitors in the right mood.
The fieldwork exercises were divided into two are-
as. The first day featured a mapping exercise testing
competitors’ ability to make maps on specific sub-
jects. Because the students had different levels of
background knowledge depending on their country,
the fieldwork was preceded by a half-day preparato-
ry workshop to level the playing field. The workshop
was taught by faculty members from the Depart-
ment of Geography and the Seminar for Geography
and its Didactics.
Since there were so many participants, two large
groups – each with representatives from all the par-
ticipating nations – were formed for the mapping as-
signment. The participants of the first group had the
task of mapping parts of Cologne’s old city to the
left of the Rhine, which contain a large number of
restaurants and shops. The participants of the sec-
ond group had to map the area of Rheinauhafen (a
former harbour) to the left of the Rhine, where the
upmarket service sector – computer tech, the well-
ness industry – predominates. The competitors had
to use maps and other materials to assess the po-
tential of the areas and write a report.
A country team usually consists of four students and
two chaperones. Upcoming host countries for the
iGeo send observers, and members of the iGeo task
force were invited to attend. All in all, 125 students
from 32 nations as well as several chaperones and
observers took part in iGeo 2012.
During the Olympiad, which ran from 21 to 27 Au-
gust, the participants stayed and ate at a youth
hostel in Cologne Deutz. The tests and some parts
of the social activities programme were held on the
premises of the Department of Geography of the
University of Cologne.
The local organising committee had the task of plan-
ning and running the fieldwork and the social activi-
ties programme.
Fieldwork Exercises for iGeo 2012
A central part of the Olympiad is the fieldwork sec-
tion. The fieldwork exercises were designed to test
students’ methodological skills and, more important-
ly, their spatial abilities. For that it was necessary to
define a topic of current interest, create a challeng-
ing task and designate a suitable area within the city.
The working group entrusted with preparing the
fieldwork decided on the subject of riverfront de-
velopment (Fig. 2 & 3). Along with providing a rele-
vant theme – for almost every major city in industrial
countries, structural change in the age of deindus-
trialisation and post-modern urban development is
a burning issue – the topic focused on the Rhine
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN
Fig. 2: Riverfront development in Cologne Rheinau-
hafen
Fig. 3: Participants, volunteers and staff during the
fieldwork exercises

Dorothea Wiktorin | 171
2.4
REPORT
The exercises on the second day focused on geo-
graphical skills – the ability to make and justify deci-
sions about urban planning. Each group concentrat-
ed on the bank opposite the one they had mapped
the previous day. The participants in the first group
had the task of surveying the structure of the right,
only somewhat developed side of the Rhine across
from the Cologne old town, and briefly identifying
its potential. The second group was assigned the
Deutzer Hafen, which is located across from the
Rheinauhafen. Other parts of this former harbour
area are widely used and show much potential for
future development.
After a walking tour and a quick sketch of the obser-
vations, participants assembled in exercise rooms,
where they had to create a map detailing potential
uses of the right bank of the Rhine and provide a
written justification for their conclusions. Participants
were asked to use their results from mapping the left
bank of the Rhine to help.
The mapping exercise of the first day and the plan-
ning exercise from the second day were rated by the
jury in a lengthy correction procedure.
After assessing and weighting the three competition
sections, the jury announced the gold medal win-
ners of iGeo 2012: Samuel Chua, Singapore; Wojtek
Kaczmarczyk, Poland; Ştefania Ursicâ, Romania;
Taivo Pungas, Estonia; Rimgaudas Stundzia, Lithu-
ania; Hana Pa
řízková, Czech Republic; Constantin
Popa, Romania; Maris Serzans, Latvia; Max Rogge,
Germany; Brendan Tan, Singapore.
Social activities programme during
iGeo 2012
iGeo 2012 began on 21 August with an opening
cere mony in the main auditorium of the Department
of Geography and concluded on 26 August with
a festive ceremony in Cologne Philharmonic Hall
(which was simultaneously the opening ceremony
of the IGC 2012) and in the Cologne Deutz Youth
Hostel. At the opening ceremony, hosted by Joop
van der Schee, all country teams were welcomed to
Cologne and given a ceremonial address by Frauke
Kraas on the meaning of geography education to-
day.
During the closing ceremony in Cologne Philhar-
moni c Hall, which directly preceded the opening
event for IGC 2012, 10 gold medals were presented
to the iGeo winners from the event’s patron, Sylvia
Löhrmann – Deputy Minister President and Minister
of Schools and Education of North Rhine–West-
phalia (Fig. 4 & 5 and the transcript of her speech in
1.2). The silver and bronze medals and participation
certificates were given out afterwards during a party
at the Cologne Deutz Youth Hostel.
Poster Presentation
The poster presentation took place on the afternoon
of the third day. It was one of the highlights of the
Olympiad. Unlike previous years, in which the post-
ers focused on a randomly selected geography topic
from each of the participants’ home countries, the
organising team of iGeo 2012 modified the guide-
Fig. 4: Honoring the iGeo winner Fig. 5: Winners of the iGeo

172 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
on 24 August in the Rautenstrauch Joest Museum,
put more emphasis on true intercultural exchange
than on the multicultural exchange of previous iGeos
(Fig. 6-13). It established a general geography-re-
lated theme that each team’s performance had to
incorporate in its own way. The concept for 2012
included the following new elements:
Four workshops were conducted on each of the two
prior evenings with all participants. A student from
each team was assigned to a workshop, so that 32
students from 32 nations participated in each. This
guaranteed that every nation came in contact with
every other – the best prerequisite for collective, in-
tercultural learning. All participants rated this aspect
of the event very highly.
The teams were guided by students and instructors
of the University of Cologne and the University of
Münster (Johanna Mäsgen and Dorothea Wiktorin at
the University of Cologne and Gabriele Schrüfer of
the University of Münster).
Four performances took place for the workshops:
• Theatrical performance – intercultural communi-
cation, speech, gestures and rituals;
• Musical performance – intercultural choir, music
as a global language, global music industry, fa-
vourite international and national artists;
• Fashion show – fashion as a form of individual
cultural expression; fashion industry as market
power
lines. The teams were asked several months in ad-
vance to create posters on a common theme, which
they then had to relate to each of their home regions.
The topic of the 2012 poster session was “Water as
an essential resource – Water as a versatile habitat”.
The teams had to demonstrate how water is an es-
sential resource for society and environment and
design their posters around central issues for their
countries, such as water supply and sewage, effects
of droughts and floods, flood prevention, or trade
channel development. The posters were judged ac-
cording to defined criteria and contained elements
such as figures, maps and written explanations.
The teams presented the posters in the afternoon at
a gallery show in the inner courtyard of the Depart-
ment of Geography. The participants had around
three hours to study the 32 posters on display. Two
members from each country team explained their
poster’s contents and fielded questions. After one
team’s presentation, the next began, so that all par-
ticipants had time to look at the others’ posters and
present their own.
Intercultural Evening
The intercultural evening has always been one of the
highlights of iGeo. In past years, it consisted of a suc-
cession of performances – theatrical, musical, multi-
medial – that showcased the typical, and sometimes
stereotypical, traditions of each team’s country. The
intercultural evening of iGeo 2012, which took place
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN
Fig. 6: Intercultural evening
Fig. 7: Intercultural evening

Dorothea Wiktorin | 173
2.4
REPORT
Fig. 13: Intercultural evening
Fig. 8: Intercultural evening Fig. 9: Intercultural evening
Fig. 10: Intercultural evening Fig. 11: Intercultural evening
Fig. 12: Intercultural evening

174 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
• Slideshow presentation – pictures expressing
how people see their own cultures and how peo-
ple see foreign cultures.
The overarching theme of the evening was “diversity
in the global village”. One aim of the workshops was
to make participants aware of the threats posed by
globalisation: the repression of unique cultures by
mass homogeneity, whether in fashion (jeans and
t-shirts), in pop music (global pop stars), in linguis-
tic simplicity (English as the lingua franca) or in the
ubiquity of visual stereotypes. A second aim was to
highlight the chances that an increasingly intercon-
nected world can offer – such as the cultural mix
and the creative influence in world music and fashion
trends. People from all over the world can come into
contact with each other by a click of the mouse and
join together in virtual networks.
The intercultural evening took place in the auditorium
of the Rautenstrauch Joest Museum. The rent fees
were paid for by the Cologne Geographical Socie-
ty/Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Köln. The Rauten-
strauch Joest Museum, a new ethnology museum
in Cologne, offered a fitting backdrop for the festive
event. The unanimous opinion of the participants
was that it was a resounding success. The presi-
dent of IGU, Ron Abler, accompanied by several IGU
vice presidents, greeted the participants of iGeo and
emphasised again the importance of intercultural ex-
change among geographers young and old.
Excursions in the Cologne Region
On Saturday 25 August, iGeo participants were able
to select one of three excursions to geographically
interesting destinations in the region.
• Rhineland Nature Park (led by Miriam Sabo, with
generous support from the Rhineland Nature
Park).
• Rhine Brown Coal Field (led by Johannes Ham-
haber and the Cologne University of Applied
Sciences).
• Ruhr Region (led by Veronika Selbach, Depart-
ment of Geography of the University of Cologne
and Rainhard de Witt, Ruhr Tour, Essen, with
generous support from the Ruhr Regional Asso-
ciation).
In addition to the whole-day excursions, the chaper-
ones doing the corrections had the chance to go on
half-day tours in Cologne led by students from the
University of Cologne’s Department of Geography.
Learning by Teaching – An Excursion by Stu-
dents for Students
On the morning of 26 August, six student groups
from secondary schools in Cologne and the sur-
rounding region greeted the participants of iGeo
2012 and took some on group tours to Cologne’s in-
ner city. The geography students from Cologne pre-
pared in advance the city excursion for the guests
from abroad. The goal was to promote intercultura l
contact among geography students through the
principle of “learning by teaching”.
Geography and School – Paths to Skills-
Based Geography Instruction
Idea, Central Questions, Organisation
The German-language symposium Geography and
School took place on 27 and 28 August 2012. It was
attended by around 250 geography teachers and
education professionals. Two years before the con-
gress, the idea arose to offer, in addition to the many
sessions in English, some German-language ses-
sions on geography education specifically tailored to
the needs of German-speaking countries. The plan
was finalised during the preparatory workshops for
IGC 2012 (see 2.1) by the participating represent-
atives from the German Academic Association for
Geography and its Didactics (HGD) and the German
Association of Geography Teachers (VDSG). The
promise of the symposium was to open the door
for German-language geography teachers to partic-
ipate in the international and academic discourse of
the conference. Based on the results, the symposi-
um lived up to its promise.
The symposium’s central question concerned al-
most everyone involved in geography education:
the potential and limits of skills-based learning.
The demand for this approach arose as part of a
genera l paradigm shift in education. This paradigm
shift contains three closely linked changes: a strong-
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN

Dorothea Wiktorin | 175
2.4
REPORT
er emphasis on output, thinking the entire teaching
process, and more concentration on core geogra-
phy curriculum. A skills-based approach should not
be misinterpreted: it does not mean that teachers
have not done enough to foster their students’ skills.
Rather, every paradigm shift offers educational pro-
fessionals the opportunity to rethink their discipline,
their ideas about education and their approach to
teaching. IGC 2012 was an ideal platform for such
a symposium.
The symposium focused on four skill areas: syste-
matic thinking, methods, spatial orientation and
communication. The organising team placed par-
ticular emphasis on the following procedures and
symposium agenda:
• All participants should be given the chance to vis-
it a session in each skill area. For this, four parallel
sessions, each 90 minutes long, were scheduled
for each theme.
• Scheduling allowed all participants time to attend
the IGC keynote sessions and the trade fair so
that they could gain an impression of the con-
gress.
• Each symposium session was led by a tandem of
professionals – one a geography school teacher,
the other a geography didactics researcher – to
stimulate dialogue between theory and practice.
• The leaders each provided a short introduction
containing some theoretical reflections about the
session’s featured skill area.
• After the short introduction came a presentation
of two examples from practice, giving participants
a sense of the everyday conditions of school edu-
cation.
To supplement the conceptual foundations of the
skills-based approach with meaningful examples
from geography teaching and learning, a call for
papers was distributed among the members of
HGD and VDSG six months before the symposium.
Around 45 educational professionals submitted pa-
pers. Of them, session leaders chose 29 to be pre-
sented at the symposium.
Sessions and Speakers
The leaders of the skill area Systematic Thinking
were Armin Rempfler, University of Luzern, André
Szymkowiak and Rainer Uphues, University of Erlan-
gen Nuremberg. In their introductions on education
theory, they emphasised that the challenges of the
21st century arise from the interplay between human
activities and changes in natural geography. The
special strength of geography instruction lies in syn-
thesising different perspectives on the basis of a ho-
listic spatial understanding. To this end, systematic
thinking has been made a cornerstone of Germany’s
national educational standards (DGfG 2010). The
leaders understood systematic thinking in geogra-
phy as the ability to describe, reconstruct and model
(by effect diagram, for example) the spatial charac-
teristics of complex realities systematically, and to
use the models for explaining interdependencies,
Fig. 14: Participants at the registration for the Geog-
raphy and School Symposium
Fig. 15: Participants at the registration for the Geog-
raphy and School Symposium

176 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
for making forecasts and for creating, assessing and
implementing strategies.
The session leaders selected the following papers
from those submitted:
• From the “Network of Global Challenges” to the
Systematic Understanding of Solutions: A Teach-
ing Unit in the Secondary School. Thomas Hoff-
mann, State Seminar for Education and Teacher
Training, Karlsruhe
• The Development of an Extracurricular Place of
Learning at Schools for Promoting Skills-Based
Learning: The “Green Classroom Pulheimer
Bach”. Stephan Langer, University of Cologne
• Promoting Systematic Thinking with Projects for
Sustainable Development. Sonia Ziliotto, Univer-
sity of Padua
• Ecological Agriculture: An Alternative Way to
Secure the World’s Food Supply? Investigative
Radio Reports Show Its Limits and Possibilities.
Thorsten Zahn, Freies Christliches Gymnasium
Düsseldorf
• Ethical Learning in Geography Education – A
Complex Field of Personal, Social and Cog-
nitive Skills. Stefan Applis, University of Erlan-
gen-Nuremberg
• Pilot Courses in Geography – Skills-Based Learn-
ing in a New Format. Georg Jöbkes, Städtisches
Gymnasium Schleiden
• Expanding the Systematic Skills through Geo-
graphic Roll Excursions. Ulrike Ohl, Universität
Augsburg; Maik Böing, ZfsL Vettweiß
• “Thinking Tools” instead of Piles of Books? – Skill-
Based Learning in Geography Instruction at the
Secondary Level. Nina Erdmann, Gymnasium
Alt lünen
The leaders of the sessions on Methods and
Knowledge Acquisition were Karl-Heinz Otto (Uni-
versity of Bochum) and Simone Reutemann (Dres-
den University of Applied Sciences). In their introduc-
tory talks, they emphasised that far-reaching skills in
media and communication are needed to cope with
everyday life in today’s information society. Geogra-
phy teaching, they noted, can give students many
of these skills and thus provide the foundations for
life-long learning. Solving geographical tasks and
problems requires a variety of methods and media,
both traditional and digital. Geography students also
acquire knowledge and skills with the help of experi-
ments and excursions. Of all the areas, methods and
knowledge acquisition makes clear the importance
of skills being linked together, not thought of one by
one. Targeted work on different media and methods
at the same time enable the acquisition and immer-
sion of know how. The special focus of the sessions
lay on taking a closer look at the steps and develop-
ment of information acquisition and its assessment.
The session leaders selected the following papers
from those submitted:
• Skills-Based Tasks in Geography Instruction.
Norma Kreuzberger, Gymnasium Lohmar, ZfsL
Engelskirchen
• Complexity as a Didactic Problem: The Signifi-
cance of Learning Tasks for Nontrivial Learning
in Geography and Economics Instruction. Jelena
Deutscher, University of Bochum
• Service Learning in Geography Class: Geograph-
ical Methodological Skills through Shared and
Reflective Experiential Education. Nils Thönnes-
sen, University of Cologne
• Skills-Based Experimentation in Geography In-
struction: Development and Implementation of
an Intervention Study. Carina Peter, University of
Giessen; Sandra Hof, University of Hamburg; Jo-
hann-Bernhard Haversath, University of Giessen
• Quality of Life Research with Youth: An Innovative
Approach Using a New Skill Model from Austria.
Lars Keller, University of Innsbruck; Anna Ober-
rauch, University of Innsbruck
• Multiple Perspectives on Space Evaluation Using
the New Media: The Spaces of Cologne-Niehl
and Cologne-Riehl. Björn Schray, Abtei-Gymna-
sium Brauweiler; Urs Piazolo, Abtei-Gymnasium
Brauweiler
• Strategies for a Reflective Approach to Diagrams,
Pictures, and Films: New Learning Methods
from the “Thinking with Geography” Approach.
Stephan Schuler, Goethe University, Frankfurt am
Main
The leaders of the session on Spatial Orientation
were Thomas Breitbach (Irmgardis-Gymnasium Co-
logne) and Ingrid Hemmer (University of Eichstätt-In-
golstadt). In their introductory presentation, they
highlighted the fact that spatial orientation is fre-
quently equated with basal topography, but that the
area encompasses significantly more when it comes
to national education standards. Breitbach and
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN

Dorothea Wiktorin | 177
2.4
REPORT
Hemmer called for five specific skills to be stressed
in geography education: knowledge of basic to-
pography, the ability to categorise geographical ob-
jects and information, the ability to use and interpret
maps, the ability to find orientation in real spaces,
and the ability to reflect on how spaces are per-
ceived and constructed. In addition, geography edu-
cation must include the various concepts of space
that exist in the discipline. As the session leaders
argued, spatial orientation represents an important
field – and a unique feature – of geography educa-
tion. They presented the theoretical foundations of
spatial orientation and its various aspects and gave
a glimpse into some of the research in the field. They
also described the importance that decision-makers
and geography experts assign to spatial orientation
skills. They depicted the skills of students in different
areas of spatial orientation across three Federal Ger-
man States in comparison. They also provided some
examples of how skills can be fostered in geography
instruction. The talk by Breitbach and Hemmer was
supplemented by discussions from Anne-Kathrin
Lindau and Lisa Schönefeld (Martin Luther Universi-
ty Halle-Wittenberg), who presented the theory and
findings from an observational study on the spatial
orientation in geography instruction.
The session leaders selected the following proposals
from those submitted:
• When Students with GPS Devices Discover the
School Grounds Anew – Progressive Skills Devel-
opment in the 5th, 6th, and 8th Grades. Kerstin
Neeb, Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten
• How Does One Foster Critical Map Reading
Skills? A Concept for the 7th Grade. Christine
Kreuzberger, Anno Gymnasium Siegburg
• INDO-GERMAN Intercultural Cache – Geocach-
ing as an Instrument to Promote Spatial Orien-
tation and Reflective Spatial Perception. Holger
Nagel, Hellenstein-Gymnasium Heidenheim
• Linking the Creation of Spatial Orientation Skills
with Aspects of Sustainability based on the
Nürburgring Example. Winfried Sander, Eric h-
Klausener-Gymnasium Adenau
The sessions on Communication were introduced
and moderated by Alexandra Budke (Universi-
ty of Cologne), Tilman Rhode-Jüchtern (University
of Jena), Frank Czapek (First Chair of the VDSG
e.V., Hanover) and Andrea Rendel (State Institute
for Teacher Training, Heilbronn). They argued that
communication belongs to the process-based skills
called for by education standards and the new core
curricula laid down by the Federal German States.
The leaders noted that it is often unclear what is
meant exactly by communication. The education
standards of the DGfG distinguish between com-
munication in instruction and communication in so-
cial contexts. Three session focuses addressed this
distinction: (1) communication as linguistic ability, (2)
communication as social discourse, (3) communi-
cation as an argumentative skill. The session also
asked how the power of arguments can be used for
better understanding concepts and the individual
construction of knowledge and for creating opinion
and values.
The session leaders selected the following proposals
from those submitted:
• Arguing about Complex Human-Environment Re-
lations in India: The Example of Drinking Water
Supply in Pune. Stephanie Leder, University of
Cologne
• “Sustainable Change of Perspective for a Fair Fu-
ture”: Education for Sustainable Development in
Intercultural Dialogue as a Challenge for the Pro-
ject-Based Geography Instruction. Sönke Wan-
zek, Peter-Joerres-Gymnasium Ahrweiler
• Normative Arguments for Specifying Commu-
nicative Skills in Geography Instruction. Jochen
Laub, KIT / IG Heidelberg
• Discussion at the Panel: Learning by Arguments
about Chocolate. Andreas Hoogen, University of
Cologne; Miriam Kuckuck, University of Cologne
• Speech Spaces: Potentials of the Produc-
tion-Based Literature Education for Geography
Instruction. Romy Hofmann, University of Erlan-
gen-Nuremberg; Martina Mehren, Gymnasium
Adolfinum in Moers
• The Argument Sun: Linguistic Diversity and Se-
mantic Correction with Geographical Arguments.
Miriam Kuckuck, University of Cologne
• Discussions in Geography Instruction. Sophia
Kulick, University of Potsdam
• Positioning Oneself – A Problem for Students
and Teachers: The Example of the German En-
ergy Supply Debate. Astrid Kähler, Gymnasium
Engelsdorf, Leipzig

178 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
school curricula, innovative education planning, a
new culture of tasks, some skill models and addi-
tional training for teachers.
After presenting and discussing the skills-based ap-
proach, in the second part of the lecture the speak-
ers addressed concerns, confusions and untapped
potential. Hemmer and Hoffmann outlined the fol-
lowing themes critically:
• Knowledge versus Skills – Where is the Content?
• Construction versus Instruction – Where is the
Teacher?
• Education versus Standardisation
• Top Down versus Bottom Up
The lecture ended with a short summary and a call
for participants to think about the subsequent ses-
sions constructively and critically – exploring the
possibilities and limits of the skills-based approach
and entering a fruitful dialogue between theory and
practice.
The event organised and financed by Klett Verlag
(Christoph Rausch) and Engagement Global (Hannes
Siege) on Tuesday morning was entitled “Interna-
tional Online Discussions of German, Indian and
American Students about Global Climate Change –
Chances and Limits of Geography Instruction”. After
a talk by Steffen Höhnle and Rainer Uphues from
the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, who led and
documented a project of the same name, a podi-
um discussion took place with students from Ger-
many, India and the U.S. as well as their teachers.
During the podium discussion, Höhnle and Uphues
discussed these themes together with the present-
ers Gregor Falk (University of Freiburg), Hans-Rudolf
Bork (President of the German Society for Geogra-
phy) and Hartmut Grassl (Max Planck Institute,
Hamburg). The participants were prime examples of
the added value and knowledge that comes from
intercultural exchange.
The closing ceremony was chaired by all the ses-
sion leaders. Guest speaker Michael Becker-Mrotzek
(University of Cologne) observed the two-day event
as an external observer and expert for the skills-
based approach in German-language education.
Though he was impressed by some of the inspiring
examples from practice, he noted in his critical yet
Events outside the Sessions
There was a variety of additional events supple-
menting the symposium sessions. On Monday 27
August, an opening ceremony kicked off the sympo-
sium between 10 am and 12 pm. In the evening, the
Klett Verlag (Klett publishing house) invited all partici-
pants to a reception in the cafeteria of the University
of Cologne. On the following Tuesday morning, the
programme began with an event organised by the
Klett Verlag together with Engagement Global. Par-
ticipants had the option of taking part in a variety of
excursions: a presentation on fieldwork at the Inter-
national Geography Olympiad 2012, led by Stephan
Langer (University of Cologne); an excursion on wa-
terfront development in Rheinauhafen, led by Karin
Steinhäuser (Cologne); a visit to the zdi Student Lab
“Spaceship Earth”, led by Andreas Schulz (Universi-
ty of Cologne).
The symposium ended at 4pm with a closing cere-
mony. All the ceremonies and special events (in part
bilingual) took place in the main auditorium of the
University of Cologne and were open for all partici-
pants of IGC 2012. The events were intended to ac-
quaint a broader public with the thematic focus of
the event.
The opening event was designed to put partici-
pants in the right mood for the two-day event. It was
led by Dorothea Wiktorin (University of Cologne), Mi-
chael Hemmer (University of Münster) and Karl-Wal-
ter Hoffmann (Studienseminar Speyer). Hemmer and
Hoffmann delivered an introductory address con-
ceived as a dialogue between university educators
and secondary school teachers. The lecture was
entitled “Paths to Skills-Based Geography Instruc-
tion – Foundations, Approximations, Reservations”.
After the introduction, there were discussions on the
theoretical foundations and the genesis and contex-
tualisation of the skills-based approach, on defini-
tional clarifications and on characterisation of basic
attributes. The speakers emphasised the principles
of the approach: keeping the goal in mind, school
activation, output orientation and a concentration on
the core geography curricula. In the second part of
the lecture, the speakers asked about the possibili-
ties of implementing these principles in the every-
day school environment and focused on actors and
fields of activity. They cited examples of individual
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN

Dorothea Wiktorin | 179
2.4
REPORT
Tanja Rusche; Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn,
chaperoned by Achim Weiffen; Konrad Adenauer
Gymnasium, Meckenheim, chaperoned by Thomas
Hahn; Dreikönigs-Gymnasium, Cologne, chaper-
oned by Tim Höttermann; Gymnasium auf dem As-
terstein, Koblenz, chaperoned by Tom Pieper; Lan-
drat Lucas Gymnasium, Leverkusen, chaperoned
by Jens Wenzel; Hildegard von Bingen Gymnasium,
Cologne, chaperoned by Moritz Elschner; Gymnasi-
um Schaurtestraße, Cologne-Deutz, chaperoned by
Juan Ruiz Alvarez; Marianum, Leverkusen-Opladen,
chaperoned by Petra Scharfenberg; Hildegard von
Bingen Gymnasium, Cologne, chaperoned by Rene
Krolczik; Marienschule Leverkusen, chaperoned by
Elke Heise; Käthe Kollwitz Gymnasium, Wesseling,
chaperoned by Nicole Landvogt; Ursulinengymnasi-
um Cologne, chaperoned by Julia Seifert.
The second part of the school outreach programme
asked researchers to give talks at the schools in the
Cologne region on geography subjects. Four geog-
raphers volunteered straight away. Their job was to
visit a school, stand before hundreds of students,
present their newest research findings and discuss
them with the students.
Professor David Lanegran, Minnesota (USA), held a
lecture at the Erzbischöfliches Irmgardis Gymnasium
Cologne entitled “Development, Urbanization and
Restructuring of the Iron Mining Region of Northern
Minnesota and the Related Developments in Detroit”.
His enthusiasm for the school outreach programme
was clear in advance. As he commented, “It sounds
like something that will be both fun and informative. I
have heard about Gymnasiums for most of my adult
life but did not think I would ever be able to visit one.”
Professor Surinder Aggarwal, New Delhi (India)
spoke at the Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium, Pul-
heim. His talk was entitled “Challenges and Vision
for Contemporary Urbanization in the Developing
Countries: Experiences from India.” The geography
students at the school showed great interest in the
topic and asked many questions.
Professor Yukio Himiyama, Kyoto (Japan), Vice Pres-
ident of the International Geographical Union (IGU),
talked about the catastrophe of Fukushima and
its geographical and personal consequences. The
students at the Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn-
constructive lecture the ongoing need for empirical
studies on the chances and limits of the skills-based
approach in geography. The session leaders heard
his commentary and delivered short responses re-
flecting on the examples from practice and the ses-
sion discussions.
In the closing discussion, it became clear yet again
that there is need for further empirical studies but
also for more dialogue in theory and practice. Only
through repeated exchange between researchers
and practitioners is a successful implementation and
critical advancement of skills-based teaching and
learning possible – that was the unanimous conclu-
sion. Perhaps the most important insight of the sym-
posium was this: if science and schools are to pur-
sue the common goal of promoting rich and feasible
curricula in geography, as many places as possible
for meeting between the two must be created. In this
way, they can pursue a substantive and sustainable
geography education.
School Outreach Programme: School at
IGC – Geographers in School
The school outreach programme at IGC 2012 con-
tained two parts:
The first part gave around 400 students from the
Cologne region the chance to visit IGC 2012. Months
in advance, an invitation was sent to secondary
schools in the region calling for geography classes
to apply to IGC 2012 by creating a poster on a geog-
raphy topic. Courses from 16 schools were selected
based on the submissions. Each day, around 100
secondary school students visited the sessions of
IGC 2012 and contributed to the discussions with
their curiosity, commentaries and questions. Ac-
cording to teacher feedback, it was an unforgettable
experience for the students. They were able to find
out what an international congress is like, interact
with the international scientific geography communi-
ty and listen to academic presentations.
The following schools participated in the pro-
gramme: Weiterbildungskolleg Bonn, chaperoned
by Swen Keller; Gymnasium an der Gartenstraße,
Mönchengladbach, chaperoned by Silke Niehoff;
Gymnasium Gerresheim, Düsseldorf, supervised by

180 | Dorothea Wiktorin
PART 2
uck, Beatrice Müller, Johanna Mäsgen, Elisabeth
Gohrbandt, Veronika Selbach and Stephan Langer)
provided assistance. The journal Geographische
Rundschau, published by the Westermann Verlag,
supported the event with materials and offered to
publish a student report for each talk in upcoming
volumes of Geographische Rundschau. This was a
unique chance for young adults to gain some expe-
rience with academic publications.
The feedback on the school outreach programme
was extremely positive. The general conclusion was
that large academic congresses should seek to in-
clude a young audience so as to promote intercul-
tural exchange and geographical education.
Beuel, were enthusiastic about having the chance to
hear expert, first-hand information on the topic.
Professor Lee Boon Thong, a geographer from
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), held a talk at the Wil-
ly-Brandt-Gesamtschule, Cologne-Höhenhaus, en-
titled “Building Buildings or Building Peoples? Rush-
ing into Urban Development in Southeast Asia”. Like
the other talks, this event was well attended and the
students were well prepared.
The teachers prepared the students for the event
and drafted questions for the podium discussion.
Some colleagues from the Department of Geog-
raphy at the University of Cologne (Miriam Kuck-
DOROTHEA WIKTORIN

| 181
2.4

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.5
Evaluation of the IGC 2012
Participants‘ View

PART 2
184 | Carsten Butsch
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 184-
category “online submission system” were probably
respondents who did not lead a session and did not
give a presentation. All in all, the survey results show
a very high degree of satisfaction with the event or-
ganisation (Fig. 2).
Figure 3 shows satisfaction with the information
system implemented by the LOC. While feedback
in this area was overwhelmingly positive, the online
site was seen by some participants to be extreme-
ly complicated, a fact particularly testified to by the
sheer number of related email contacts (see below).
Indeed, a transparent, interactive display of such a
complex event with hundreds of sessions and lec-
tures as well as other gatherings is a major chal-
lenge, and we had obviously underestimated the dif-
ficulties encountered by many of those interested in
registering. Nevertheless, two-thirds of respondents
rated the online presence as good or excellent.
The vast majority of respondents also rated the con-
ference programme proper as successful: the four
key topics – conceived by the LOC to supplement
the traditional lectures of the commissions and task
forces and to open up the IGC for new participants
– were experienced by most as a clear enrichment
(Fig. 4).
The scientific content of the conference sessions
was rated as above average by almost two-thirds of
the respondents. The multi-stage selection process
and the strict review process certainly played an im-
portant role for this outcome (Fig. 4).
As mentioned earlier, all keynote lectures attracted
an average attendance of roughly 1,000 people.
They clearly represented a new feature of IGC 2012,
as their thematic thrust was consistently related to
the four key topics. Just short of 80% of the re-
spondents thought that this element was a good or
excellent idea. Slightly under 25% of the respond-
EVALUATION OF THE IGC 2012 - PARTICIPANTS’ VIEW
Carsten Butsch
Participants’ view
At sessions of the IGC 2012 scientific programme
(commissions, task forces and the key topics), volun-
teers handed out evaluation forms to participants.
They were asked to comment on the organisation
of IGC 2012, its programme, its communication pol-
icy and the venue. In total, 652 people – more than
a fifth of the congress participants – completed the
survey. The percentage of surveys filled out by Ger-
man participants (just under 42%) was just as high as
the share of Germans who participated. The broad
spectrum of participant nations was also reflected
in the evaluation (Fig. 1). The youngest participant
to fill out a form was 17; the oldest was 82. The av-
erage respondent age was 38, the median age was
33. 447 respondents work at universities and 10 at
schools. 100 were school or university students. 19
described themselves as unemployed. When asked
about their highest level of education, 38 indicated
A-level, 54 indicated a bachelor’s degree, 190 indi-
cated a master’s degree, 252 indicated a Ph.D. and
77 indicated a habilitation, i.e. the second thesis
typical of the traditional German university system,
making candidates eligible to seek tenured profes-
sorship positions competitively. 456 of the respond-
ents had a full ticket, 23 had a day ticket, 16 had a
two-day ticket and 102 had a student discount tick-
et. 14 participants were on a school trip; two were
accompanying participants.
Respondents were asked to assess the preparation,
organisation and implementation of IGC 2012. The
results are summarised below according to topic.
The overwhelming majority of respondents were
satisfied with the pre-event organisation and on-
site registration. In particular, the survey confirmed
organisers’ impressions that the on-site registration
proceeded without a hitch. 75% described the on-
site registration as “excellent” and 18.4% saw it as
“good”. The 107 forms without an answer in the
190.

2.5
REPORT
Carsten Butsch | 185
ents indicated that they visited none of the keynote
lectures. 63% of those who rated the keynotes eval-
uated the level of the lectures as good or excellent;
16% rated the content as average, while 11% found
the lectures bad or very bad (Fig. 5). For a more
differentiated assessment, a detailed survey on the
individual keynote lectures would have been neces-
sary. But obviously the expectations of some of the
participants were not fulfilled. If this particular ele-
ment of IGC 2012 is to be introduced to subsequent
IGU conferences and congresses as well, potentially
interested parties could be asked, for example dur-
ing a pre-registration process, what kind of topics or
issues they would prefer.
The respondents rated both the idea and the
events of the Young Researchers’ Forum as positive
(Fig.6). Because its workshops were not open to all
IGC 2012 participants – many were addressed spe-
cifically towards Ph.D. students and Post-Docs and
had strictly limited class sizes – there were relative-
ly few who responded to this section of the survey.
Of the 164 respondents who provided an assess-
ment, 83% found the workshops excellent or good
– a sign that the workshops met the needs of the
target group. It should be noted, however, that the
workshops were booked out fairly early, indicating
that demand exceeded supply. As already alluded
to, some participants who registered for workshops
that began at 8:30 am on Sunday did not show. Ob-
viously, early workshop starts posed some problems
for this specific target group.
One of the main pillars of the Cologne LOC’s 2004
application for hosting and carrying out the IGC
2012 was to bring it back to an institution of higher
education. Holding the event at the university en-
sured a genuinely academic atmosphere compared
to, for instance, an international congress centre.
While some disadvantages should not be underes-
timated (Fig. 7) there were clear organisational and
financial advantages. These were, of course, also
linked to a second basic strategic choice for IGC
2012 Cologne, namely not to hand over the organ-
isation to a professional event managing company
but to rely almost completely on the in-house organi-
sational experience and competence of the Cologne
Department of Geography, strongly backed by two
colleagues from the Department of Geography, Uni-
versity of Bonn.
At the same time, the venue brought with it numer-
ous challenges. The most obvious problem for par-
ticipants was the uninterrupted construction work
at some sites due to specific constraints imposed
on the university administration and its construction
division. Parts of the Philosophikum (“PHIL”), the
area outside the main building (“MAIN”) and Alber-
tus-Magnus-Platz were being refurbished during
the IGC 2012, not only leading to clear aesthetic
impairments, but also to inconveniences caused by
noise. Moreover, and due to recently imposed new
fire security regulations, the poster session had to be
relocated to a building about five minutes away by
foot. These circumstances no doubt explain some
of the negative feedback. Despite these less than
optimal circumstances, however, the conference
venue and the general appearance of the congress
were viewed very positively. A recurrent comment
by many participants, accompanied by a reassuring
smile, was: “Don’t worry, most of us work or even
live in universities, and that’s how it is...”. Altogether,
the familiar atmosphere, the adornment of the cam-
pus with signs, banners, etc. and the many coffee
stations helped make the university a great environ-
ment for a large congress like this. In addition, the
location proper – right in the middle of Cologne and
easily accessible by free-of-charge public transport
– was rated very highly (Fig. 7).
The coffee station catering was rated very highly by
congress participants. In feedback conversations,
participants emphasised repeatedly that the stations
were an important place for talk and close interac-
tion and exchange with other participants, thus a
key plus point (besides making outside eating during
the day almost unnecessary). Their comments were
reflected in the evaluation. 86% of participants rated
the quality and quantity of food and beverages as
either good or very good. The reaction was some-
what less enthusiastic when it came to the diversity
of food at the coffee breaks. But all in all, refresh-
ment planning and execution were seen as a suc-
cess (Fig. 8).
The final section in the survey asked participants
how they experienced the IGC 2012 staff as a whole.
The responses were very positive. Respondents ap-
preciated the friendly demeanour of the volunteers
and the department staff. For many participants,
the volunteers were the face of IGC 2012 – a role
that the 195 committed student volunteers assumed

186 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
The overwhelmingly positive feedback provided by
the respondents confirmed our own positive impres-
sions. However, the surveys also confirmed the criti-
cisms discussed by the LOC during and after IGC
2012, some of which will be discussed in more detail
in the next paragraph. We hope that this report and
evaluation can help the IGU Executive Committee
and the organisers of future IGCs better adapt to
the expectations of our worldwide geographic com-
munities.
enthusiastically. 84% of participants assessed their
conduct as “excellent”; 13% as “good”. The atmos-
phere during IGC 2012 was seen as “good” (48%) or
even excellent (44%). 75% of those who participated
in the social and cultural programme rated it as pos-
itive; 21% saw it as average; 4% were dissatisfied.
80% of those who participated in the excursions
saw them as positive; 15% as average; 5% were
dissatisfied (Fig. 9).
275
24
24
21
16
15
13
12
12
11
10
10
10
10
9
8
8
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
66
34
Germany
China
France
India
Russian Federation
Austria
Italy
Japan
Spain
Brazil
Finland
Poland
Sweden
USA
Great Britain
Portugal
Romania
Canada
Indonesia
South Africa
Belgium
Netherlands
Switzerland
Australia
Iran
Latvia
New Zealand
Republic of Korea
Others
NA
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Nationality of respondents
Number of completed questionaires
Fig. 1: Number of completed questionaires according to nationality of respondents
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 187
2.5
REPORT
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor NA
246
232
50
13
4
107
314
242
64
9
6
17
489
120
15
0
1
27
Online Submission System
(sessions/paper)
Online registration system
Check in on venue
How do you judge the following organisational aspects oft the IGC 2012?
Number of responses
Quality of organisation
212
289
109
10
4
28
227
252
82
4
2
85
194
248
120
34
9
56
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Did not check
Website
Newsletter and printed circulars
Online Programme
How do you judge the information policy of the IGC 2012?
Number of responses
Quality of information
Fig. 2: Assessment of organisational aspects
Fig. 3: Assessment of the information policy of the congress

188 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
243
283
77
11
0
38
100
207
131
44
10
160
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Do not know/
did not attend
How do you judge the general idea of
having key note lectures at the IGC 2012,
how do you judge the
key note lectures’ content?
Number of responses
Satisfaction with key note lectures
General idea: keynotes
Content of keynotes
Fig. 5: Assessment of the keynote lectures
Very much
Much
So so / average
Little / poor
not at all /
very poor
do not know
17%
32%
18%
3%
2%
28%
12%
51%
31%
3%
0% 3%
How much did the new element of
the key topics enrich the IGC?
How satisfied are you with the
scientific content of the programme?
Fig. 4: Assessment of the conference programme
CARSTEN BUTSCH

Carsten Butsch | 189
2.5
REPORT
Fig. 7: Assessment of venue
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
291
225
33
2 2
99
53
83
25
3
0
488
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Do not know/
did not visit
How do you judge the general idea of having a Young
Researchers’ Forum? Did you like the sessions of the
Young Researchers‘ Forum you visited?
Number of responses
Satisfaction with YRF
General idea: Young Researchers‘ Forum
Did you like the sessions of the
Young Researchers‘ Forum you visited?
Fig. 6: Assessment of the Young Researchers’ Forum
196
296
121
22
4
13
262
281
75
18
6
10
376
226
37
5
1
7
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Do not know
How do you like the IGC 2012 venue?
Number of responses
Satisfaction with venue
Appearance of lecture halls
General appearance of venue
(setup, distances, cleanlines....)
Location in Cologne

190 | Carsten Butsch
PART 2
74
142
60
13
1
362
45
59
19
4
3
522
549
86
8
1
4
7
289
311
38
1
0
12
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Do not know/
did not participate
How do you assess the frame of the IGC 2012?
Number of responses
Satisfaction with frame
Social Programme
Quantity of field trips
Friendliness of the staff
and the volunteers
Overall atmosphere
Fig. 9: Assessment of the IGC 2012 frame
Fig. 8: Assessment of the catering
CARSTEN BUTSCH
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
291
266
73
11
5
6
350
217
56
18
2
9
190
242
161
42
0
8
Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Do not know
How do you assess the catering here at the IGC 2012?
Number of responses
Satisfaction with catering
Quality of catering
Quantity of food/drinks
available
Diversity of food/drinks
available

| 191
2.5

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.6
IGC 2012 - Organisers‘ View

PART 2
194 | Dietrich Soyez
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 194-
of Bonn, on 6 February 2004. The meeting was or-
ganised jointly by the small group of the Department
of Geography, University of Cologne, as a matter of
fact a kind of pre-LOC, which was in the process
of preparing the application proper for hosting IGC
2012: Frauke Kraas, Christian Schulz (now Univer-
sity of Luxembourg) and Dietrich Soyez, the last
two mentioned also forming the German National
Committee of the IGU from 2000 to 2004 as Sec-
retary and Chair respectively. Many of the ideas and
suggestions discussed during this meeting in Bonn
were integrated into the draft application (present-
ed together with the delegations of the two com-
petitors, Beijing and Santiago de Chile) at the IGU
Executive Committee meeting in Helsinki on 4 April
2004. Taking into consideration the EC’s critical re-
marks and positive suggestions, the final application
was submitted to the IGU Executive Committee pri-
or to IGC UK 2004 Glasgow. There, the main thrust
and approaches for an IGC 2012 Cologne were pre-
sente d orally by Frauke Kraas and Dietrich Soyez to
the IGU General Assembly on 18 August 2004.
After the positive vote for Cologne in Glasgow,
Lorraine Craig (Congress Co-ordinator/RGS-IBG,
London, today Imperial College London) played a
particularly important role. We had the privilege of
welcoming her to Cologne only a few months after
the IGC Glasgow 2004 and she generously shared
her experiences with us, both the good and the
problematic ones. Her ability to read the Glasgow
event and its underpinnings as well as its organisa-
tional set-ups and procedures made us highly aware
of how to approach our own organisational tasks.
She deserves our sincere gratitude.
Despite these intense periods of preparation and the
advice coming from both the domestic and interna-
tional communities of geography, the organisation of
IGC 2012 Cologne involved many surprises and un-
To begin with, it is very important to stress that the
great variety of both strategic and practical deci-
sions as well as of selected approaches eventually
chosen by the Local Organising Committee (LOC)
had been influenced by several of its members’
earlier experiences as to the organisation of larger
congresses and conferences, for example biannual
meetings of German geographers (with attendance
numbers approaching those of the traditional IGCs).
These meetings, however, were predominantly na-
tional gatherings. But all LOC members also had
broad experience as participants and observers of a
large variety of international meetings worldwide, not
only in IGU and AAG geography contexts, but also in
other disciplines. It is quite different, however, to act
as an organiser hosting a wide variety of nationals
from all over the world. We were aware of the fact
that this would present a particular challenge.
Against this backdrop, we readily admit to having
learned a lot from IGU Regional Conferences since
the 1990s and, in particular, the IGC Seoul 2000,
Glasgow 2004 and Tunis 2008. When we were in-
tensifying our preparation of the submission to the
IGU EC from 1999 to 2004, even more so after the
IGC 2012 had been awarded to Cologne in Glas-
gow 2004, our sensitivity for particular settings and
issues had increased considerably. To mention all
those institutions, officials and individuals that in-
fluenced our conceptions and levels of awareness
up to that point is almost impossible. We are par-
ticularly grateful, however, to those members of the
German geographical community who helped us in
a variety of meetings prior to 2004 to set the goals.
In these early preparations, one event stands out:
an intensive discussion with some 30 geographers
from all over Germany (mostly officials and members
of the German Society for Geography/DGfG and the
Association of Geographers at Universities/VGDH),
hosted by the Department of Geography, University
IGC 2012 - ORGANISERS’ VIEW
Dietrich Soyez
199.

2.6
REPORT
Dietrich Soyez | 195
calls, which in peak periods easily totalled up to sev-
eral hundred contacts a day, many of which were
‘autoreply’ messages - but they had to be opened
anyway. In answering this flood of communication,
the 24-hour rule was impossible to uphold, and a
no-reply address for many emails was established in
order to make the barrier to an immediate reaction
higher.
Several brief comments are necessary at this point.
In hindsight, one of the reasons for this totally un-
expected flood of emails was certainly that some
of our texts were too long, perhaps not exactly to
the point, and consequently not immediately clear
to colleagues who were not native English speak-
ers either. Obviously, however, many of the reac-
tions and questions simply demonstrated that texts
longer than a few lines were not carefully read, with
questions immediately being submitted in emails, al-
though the answers were already in the texts. The
same was true for information published on our
website: in certain periods, hundreds of emails ar-
rived asking questions about details that had been
made perfectly clear on the website.
Another special move apparently led to misunder-
standings, namely the LOC’s offer to interested
parties to pre-register as soon as the IGC website
was put online. While our intention was to create a
convenient channel to keep in touch and to better
and regularly inform participants about the continu-
ous unfolding of our organisational work (and clear-
ly stating that a pre-registration did not lead to any
commitments), this fact was probably not communi-
cated in a comprehensible way for many and neces-
sitated many queries and responses.
Finally, it has to be underlined that good relations
between the LOC and the IGU Executive Commit-
tee were of the essence, underpinned, of course, by
good communication routines and smooth coopera-
tion. As this is a particularly important point, the next
paragraph will be dedicated exclusively to this topic.
LOC - IGU Executive Committee
Immediately after Glasgow 2014, the idea was dis-
cussed to have one member of the LOC run for a
position of Vice President during the last four years
prior to the IGC in order to ensure close consultation
expected challenges that we attempted to cope with
more or less successfully. The most important issue,
however, overshadowing almost the entire prepa-
ration process, was the highly unpredictable risk
linked to all financial calculations and procedures
connected to such an important endeavour at such
a distant date in the future (a perspective of 8 years
for IGCs). Careful planning and constant updating of
all elements concerning assured, probable and un-
foreseen revenues and expenses is necessary and
helpful, to a certain degree at least. But this does
not eliminate the vagaries of context trends and
events, not to mention the intricacies connected to
and caused by both strategic and ad hoc decisions
in an interdependent network of involved institutions,
groups and individuals. While these, and the some-
times controversial discussions on how to cope with
them, characterised both internal (inside LOC and
the University of Cologne) and external relations,
only the latter will be addressed here as far as do-
mestic and international geography communities are
concerned. Some of the more problematic aspects
have been alluded to already, but they will briefly be
put in their larger contexts in the following section.
One remark, however, is of particular importance:
there is no attempt to provide recommendations for
future events. Not only are some of the issues de-
scribed below either typical for contemporary Ger-
man contexts, or at least influenced by them, but
we also trust that the critical readers will be able to
draw their own conclusions on the basis of the facts
and reflections presented. From the local organisers’
point of view, the main issues that deserve special
attention are described in the following section.
Communication
The single most important reason for an unexpect-
edly high workload was the number of email ex-
changes, in particular during specific peaks con-
nected to new announcements as well as prior to
and just after deadlines and notices. With the am-
bition to guarantee an efficient handling of contacts
and queries, LOC members had the intention of re-
sponding to every email within 24 hours. While this
worked well in some periods during the last year pri-
or to the congress, it became impossible during the
peaks mentioned above. During early spring 2012,
two more staff members had to be hired, mostly
just attempting to cope with this flood of emails and

196 | Dietrich Soyez
PART 2
Here, it will suffice to mention three facets. The first
and most important one relates to the LOC’s deci-
sion to establish a second pillar besides the tradi-
tional and sole focus on IGU commissions and task
force activities, i.e. the key topics. For some time,
the impression emerged in segments of the inter-
national geographical communities generally, and
the commissions and task forces as well as the EC
specifically, that - even unintentionally - the Cologne
activities might potentially be leading to detrimental
effects on the traditional backbone of the IGU: com-
missions and task forces. This perception may have
been reinforced by a clear procedural split that was
caused by the Cologne intention to increase compet-
itiveness with regard to the key topics: while chairs
of commissions and task forces traditionally have
the sole right to choose session topics, this task was
handed over completely, i.e. without interference of
the LOC, to a carefully selected and independent
International Scientific Committee that evaluated
submitted key topic session proposals. The ensuing
high rejection rate of papers submitted to the key
topic sessions (raising considerable discussion from
those colleagues not accepted) furthermore gave
the impression to some critical insiders and observ-
ers of a highly problematic split in crucial procedural
approaches within the same event. It became obvi-
ous that the Cologne LOC had underestimated this
perception or miscommunicated its intentions. More
intense internal and external communication as to
these issues (and the underlying reasons) alleviated
most concerns with the clear effect that the signif-
icant innovation of the traditional IGC approach in
Cologne was regarded as strongly contributing to
the event’s success.
Two more critical aspects arose from misunderstand-
ings: firstly, the fact that an updated Memorandum
of Agreement draft, i.e. the document regulating mu-
tual responsibilities of LOC and EC with regard to the
organisation of the IGC, was not finalised and signed
in due time; secondly, new regulations concerning
the organiser’s financial contributions to iGeo (Geo-
graphic Olympiad), the result of a General Assembly
decision in Tunis, were not duly noticed by the Co-
logne LOC - nor specifically communicated by those
involved. In both cases, solutions were negotiated,
but it is now clear for any future LOCs how such
problems can be solved easily.
with, and smooth cooperation between, the Execu-
tive Committee and the Local Organising Commit-
tee. Thus, in late 2007, Dietrich Soyez (past Chair,
IGU National Committee of Germany) was asked
to run and was elected EC Vice President by the
IGC Tunis 2008 General Assembly. As previous-
ly stated, this certainly contributed to the fact that
Cologne LOC’s relations with the Executive Commit-
tee were excellent. The importance of a position in
the EC from a German point of view is documented
by the German Research Foundation’s (Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft) decision to award a gen-
erous annual grant from 2008 to 2012 to cover the
costs incurred in the context of IGU events, meet-
ings and activities that were regarded as necessary
for the German representative’s function in the EC.
Now, focusing on the relations proper between the
LOC and the EC, it must be emphasised that there
was a clearly underestimated and almost insur-
mountable structural problem, namely the extreme-
ly variable meeting frequency of the two parties.
Whereas the LOC would meet, at least during the
last two years or so prior to the congress, once a
week and sometimes more often, the EC normal-
ly has two meetings per year where face-to-face
discussions and quick decisions are possible. The
stream of decisions to be made, however, is almost
continuous. It thus goes without saying that this split
almost inevitably leads to a suboptimal coordination
of the consultation and decision-making processes,
often leading to unintended delays, postponements
or, in the worst case, even non-decisions that later
cause problems and, in some cases, clearly diver-
gent views.
This is why some frank comments might be helpful
for external observers: while relations between the
LOC and the EC were characterised by both genu-
ine trust and, whenever needed, strong support, the
four years of close interaction were not without dif-
ficult moments for both parties, as there were some
situations of dissent or even controversy in which
trade-offs had to be negotiated. Some of these
seem inevitable in hindsight, as every local organiser
must indeed strive for an IGC that bears the clear
imprint of local (and national) contexts and prefer-
ences. Others, however, were caused by technical
and procedural errors that were not recognised early
enough or were communicated inappropriately.
DIETER SOYEZ

Dietrich Soyez | 197
2.6
REPORT
participants, in particular if connected with
long-distance travelling from regions of the world
with quite unfavourable currency exchange rates;
consequently, the willingness to spend even
more was limited, and, apparently, the (carefully
calculated) rates charged for multi-day trips were
also considered too high.
• Time: current workloads, both in public educa-
tional institutions and the private sector, have
increased considerably, exacerbated during the
last couple of years by the seemingly ever rising
pressure emanating from ratings, evaluations,
changing student-teacher ratios or budget cuts,
all of this leading to reduced possibilities for trav-
elling, in particular with regard to such ‘broadly
themed events’ as IGU meetings, as opposed to
dedicated specialist meetings (see below); fur-
thermore, it was obvious at IGC Cologne as well
that an increasing number of attendees no longer
stay during the whole congress, but only come
to particular sessions or, in extreme cases, exclu-
sively for their own papers to be delivered.
• Specialisation: contemporary constraints in many
university systems (see above) now push many
colleagues to prefer highly specialised meetings
where a direct exchange with their peers is re-
garded, scientifically and socially, as much more
efficient in view of knowledge extension and ca-
reer paths; and, what is more, high specialisation
with regard to cutting edge research questions
results in regional interests increasingly disap-
pearing, leading to ever more geographic com-
munities and curricula in which regional geogra-
phy becomes all but negligible.
Visa
An additional amount of work was repeatedly
caused by problems and (often repeated) queries as
to visa application and issuing, some of them han-
dled urgently by phone just a few days prior to the
congress. An important reason has to be seen in
the perception of foreign attendees that the LOC, by
way of direct contacts with the responsible authority
in Germany, Auswärtiges Amt/Federal Foreign Office
(Berlin), would be able to appeal to the authority in
order to reverse unfavourable decisions. This, how-
ever, was a misconception, as the consular sec-
Excursions
Based on the experience of several LOC members
at earlier IGU gatherings, those field trips offered
were generally well accepted. However, we thought
that they should receive a much greater significance
during IGC Cologne 2012, as this particular detail of
geographic education and practice has traditionally
played a crucial role in German geography. We were
aware of the fact that many well-established geog-
raphers from all over the world had already been to
Germany both on business and private trips, but
against the backdrop of our intention to clearly in-
crease the number of younger participants, it was
thought that a comprehensive range of shorter and
longer trips, both in physical and human geography,
offering insights into many regions and issues would
represent another Cologne asset. Our younger col-
leagues in the LOC, however, made it clear that from
their point of view, the meaning, significance and at-
tractiveness of field trips was not only critically dis-
cussed in the discipline (not least in Germany), but
that their own preferences, and consequently those
ascribed to their peers arriving from abroad, were
quite different. Therefore, the offers made in the final
program constituted a clear trade-off without, how-
ever, any more consistent attempt to obtain a more
general feedback from the international geograph-
ical communities as to what kind of field trip offer
would meet their expectations. Such a ‘survey’, for
instance, would have been possible during what we
called the (non-committal) pre-registration (see also
below).
As it turned out, LOC’s younger members had the
right premonition: as documented in chapter 2.2,
only half and whole-day field trips were chosen, and
much fewer than offered, and multi-day trips raised
so little interest that all of them had to be cancelled,
causing quite a disappointment affecting the whole
LOC.
As there was no time for a more systematic ap-
proach to documenting the underlying reasons for
this miscalculation, no clear conclusions are possi-
ble. Some feedback, however, was given, leading to
quite a complex picture, for example:
• Costs: the congress as a whole, although much
less expensive than other comparable gather-
ings, constituted quite an investment for many

198 | Dietrich Soyez
PART 2
or elsewhere. This reveals an unacceptable attitude,
not only towards those sitting in the session and
waiting for the speaker, but perhaps even more so
with regard to those persons with acceptable paper
proposals who were not selected after the gener-
al call or who were on the waiting lists and hoping,
until the very last days, to receive notice that they
could present their paper due to a cancellation. Un-
fortunately, there seem to be few ways of addressing
this behaviour other than urgent appeals prior to the
congress to anybody considering not presenting his
or her paper to cancel officially.
Currency rates
Unexpectedly, some discussions and irritations were
caused by currency rate fluctuations, a problem that
arose in cases of reimbursements, some of which
had to be made months after quite considerable
downpayments. Unfortunately, the LOC had not in-
cluded a provision regarding currency fluctuations in
its Generals Terms and Conditions of Registration,
made public on the IGC website.
Public relations, press work
The press and publicity work was directed both at
the participants of the congress and at the general
public and journalists. For the participants, for ex-
ample, 2,000 copies of the daily newspaper were
produced every day throughout the period of the
congress (see appendix). In order to inform the gen-
eral public on the local, regional and national levels,
press releases were made and specific contacts to
representatives of the media were established. In
order to enable background discussions between
journalists and scientists, the Press Breakfast was
held on the first day of the congress, at which in-
terview partners were explicitly brought into contact
with one another.
It became evident that for a more far-reaching suc-
cess of the press and publicity work, it would have
been recommendable to begin earlier. It would have
been particularly good to have had more time for the
assembly of the journalist contact database and to
have been able to carry out more personal, prepara-
tory discussions with journalists. From the point of
view of the hosts, it would also have been advanta-
tions of German embassies abroad are completely
autono mous in their handling of visa applications.
Additional problems arose in some countries due to
the fact that access to embassies is controlled either
by domestic authorities (for example a police check
post) or external service providers not able to un-
derstand official letters or instructions issued by the
embassy, thus even refusing access to the consular
section if the latter’s officials had invited the applicant
to visit them.
A completely unexpected barrier was erected by
German consular officials abroad trying to discour-
age potential illegal immigrants from Asia, Africa or
South America: checking the IGC program and re-
alising that the predominant language of almost all
presentations and other events was English, they
attempted to find out the level of applicants’ com-
mand of English - and refused, in some cases, visas
to native speakers of French or Spanish who were
perfectly able to understand English but had diffi-
culties speaking it fluently. Long, sometimes heat-
ed, long-distance phone discussions and email ex-
changes with both applicants and embassy officials
were the result.
Some of these difficulties may be the reason for the
fact that some of the duly registered participants
were not able to make it to Cologne.
No-shows
A recurrent problem of not only IGU Regional Con-
ferences and International Geographic Congresses,
but almost any larger academic gathering has been,
and often still is, the rate of papers that are not, or
cannot be, delivered as planned. This is why the Co-
logne LOC attempted, from the beginning, to adopt
procedures to reduce the number of these embar-
rassing events. Compared to many other interna-
tional meetings, the overall Cologne figure of 11,9%
non-delivered papers is quite positive. While this is
inevitable if specific health conditions, family events
or travel irregularities are involved, there is anoth-
er facet that is clearly documented in the Cologne
case even if the LOC restrained from quantifying it:
persons not delivering their accepted papers duly
registered during the congress and often also seen
on certain days or events, but subsequently leav-
ing for official duty or private pleasure in Germany
DIETER SOYEZ

Dietrich Soyez | 199
2.6
REPORT
geous to have highlighted stronger thematic empha-
ses with current relevance and concrete examples.
This would certainly have been well received by the
media representatives.

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
2.7
Financial Report

PART 2
202 | Wolfgang Schmiedecken
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 202-
In the course of deliberating upon and answering
these questions, the LOC could assume the follow-
ing:
• Personnel costs would only be incurred to a
limited extent, since the University of Cologne
and the Department of Geography consider the
IGC, a large international congress, to be a high
priority and would make funds available to the
LOC for academic staff encompassing 180 half
months distributed among five people with var-
ying tenures over a four-year preparation and a
six-month post-processing period. Once again,
many thanks goes to the University of Cologne
as well as the Department of Geography and their
professors.
• Because the congress was to take place in the
rooms of the university - “Down to Earth” - there
would only be minimal costs for rent, cleaning,
security etc. which needed to be considered in
the calculation.
• In accordance with the pledge made in the appli-
cation, the participant fees for fully paying attend-
ees were to be kept well under USD $500.
On the basis of these considerations, an initial (and
very preliminary) calculation of income and expend-
iture was made in December 2008 based on 1,200
participants paying a fee of € 300 per full-price ticket
and € 150 per student ticket. This produced a figure
of € 290,000 in income from participant fees and
a grant from the DGfG of (at that time) € 40,000.
A goal of € 580,000 in proceeds was formulated,
however, which included an additional grant from the
German Research Foundation (DFG) of € 52,000,
sponsorship totalling € 150,000, proceeds from an
exhibition fair of € 35,000, along with a further grant
from the association of € 12,500.
In the course of the planning process, it was clear
from the beginning to the organisation team Local
Organising Committee (LOC) of the Department of
Geography of the University of Cologne, as the host
of the International Geography Congress 2012 (IGC),
that the organiser of the event, the German Society
of Geography (DGfG), being a non-profit scientific
association, would not be able to compensate for a
massive negative error in the financial planning. This
fact gave rise to the specification that the immediate
costs of the congress were to be covered by the
participant fees and, if possible, by donations and
sponsorship. However, an agreement was made in
2004 with the DGfG and its subsidiary organisations,
according to which a total of € 52,500 was made
available to the LOC in its preparatory phase from
2008 onwards in order for it to remain solvent lead-
ing up to the payment of the first participant fees; this
figure, however, was to be repaid if profits allowed.
In accordance with these specifications, the follow-
ing questions had to be answered, at least with es-
timates, at the beginning of the planning process:
• How many participants can be expected?
• What effect will the size of the participant fee have
on the number of participants?
• What should the participant fee cover, i.e. what
can participants expect to receive for their fee?
• What other events “connected” to the IGC must
be included in the calculation and possibly “hori-
zontally” financed?
• What proportion of the total calculated budget
should not be exceeded by the individual ex-
pense areas – personnel costs, rent, publicity,
fees for invited guests and guest speakers, con-
gress management, social activities programme
etc.?
FINANCIAL REPORT
Wolfgang Schmiedecken
205.

2.7
REPORT
Wolfgang Schmiedecken | 203
The registration of participants occurred, as ex-
pected, in waves, as the following diagram clearly
shows. The first peak was reached at the end of the
Early Bird period (15 April 2012), the second peak
on 31 May 2012 (the end of the final registration for
contributors), and the third on 15 July 2012 (the end
of the online registration period).
A total of 500 registrations was reached on 23 March
2012, 1,000 on 9 April 2012, 1,500 on 1 May 2012,
2,000 on 31 May 2012, 2,500 on 6 July 2012. The
2,864th and final participant registered on 30 August
2012.
The invoices arriving after the end of the congress –
a total of 1,461 transactions were carried out via the
account of the congress between 17 August 2008
and 15 December 2013 – could be paid for the most
part before the end of 2012.
However, it has not yet (on 15 December 2014) been
possible to reach a full conclusion, since further pay-
ments (Tax Office, DFG, printing of the congress re-
port, …) are still to be made. Table 3 is thus only
preliminary. Nevertheless, it can safely be said that
from the point of view of the congress host concern-
ing the financing, the goals set at the beginning of
the planning phase have been more than reached.
In terms of expenses, a total figure of € 330,780 was
arrived at, although this did not include the cost of
the opening ceremony (the location of the ceremony
had not been determined at this time), a possible
horizontal financing of the Schools Olympiad iGeo,
or the costs of subsidising any excursions which
might be offered.
These calculations of income and expenditure were
regularly revised in the following months and adapt-
ed to the actual circumstances. From 2010 onwards,
parallel calculations for 1,500 and 2,000 participants
were also made, since by that stage, numerous en-
quiries and responses were indicating a widespread
acceptance of the congress in Cologne; in addition,
sponsorship was reduced, and from May 2011, it
was possible to calculate more exactly the expect-
ed income from the participant fees, once these had
been finalised by the LOC (Tab. 1).
The costs for the optional social activities pro-
gramme and the desired excursions were also to be
covered by participants.
On 2 November 2011, the first participant fees could
be registered. From this point onwards, the planned/
expected income and expenses were replaced step-
by-step with the actual amounts (Fig. 2).
EARLY BIRD NORMAL ON-SITE
Full-price Day ticket Full-price Day ticket Full-price Day ticket
Participant 295 ./. 350 110 400 130
Doctoral Student
145 ./. 175 60 200 70
Student 100 ./. 120 40 140 50
Tab. 1: Congress fees (in €)

204 | Wolfgang Schmiedecken
PART 2
WOLFGANG SCHMIEDECKEN
INCOME EXPENDITURE BALANCE
Grant & Repayment -
Association
52,500 15,000
Preparatory Workshop
(Income: Grant DFG)
12,300 18,000
Grant DFG for Congress 52,500
Participant Fees 485,000
Exhibition 32,000 25,000
Donations / Sponsorship 5,000
Publicity & Documentation 34,000
Executive Committee &
International Geographical
Union
45,000
Rent, Rental Furniture and
Equipment, Insurance &
Security
64,300
Congress Travel Costs 20,000
Opening & Closing
Ceremonies incl. Music
15,000
Congress Office incl. Travel
Costs
19,400
Congress Management &
Credit Card Booking
68,500
Equipment for Participants
(Conference Programme etc.)
44,800
Catering for Participants 60,000
Volunteers 45,000
Social Activities Programme
(Mayoral Reception,
Conference Dinner)
10,000
Schools Olympiad iGeo Not calculated (in = out)
Symposium „School“ Not calculated (in = out)
Young Researchers Forum 10,000
Excursions Not calculated (in = out)
Tax Advisor 5,000
Tax Office & Bank 10,000
Sum 639,300 509,000 130,300
Tab. 2: The last calculation draft dated from December 2011; according to this, the following income and
expenses were planned based on a figure of 2,000 participants (in €)

Wolfgang Schmiedecken | 205
2.7
REPORT
INCOME EXPENDITURE BALANCE
Grant & Repayment -
Association
52,500 52,500
Preparatory Workshop
(Income: Grant DFG)
12,300 17,928
Grant DFG for Congress
(Expenditure primarily for
Rent)
60,000 60,000
Participant Fees 541,583
Exhibition 42,693 33,790
Donations / Sponsoring (not
including Material Donations)
1,750
Publicity & Documentation 92,805
Executive Committee &
International Geographical
Union
22,033
Rent, Rental Furniture and
Equipment, Insurance &
Security
11,264
Congress (Travel Costs &
Equipment)
37,477
Opening & Closing
Ceremonies incl. Music
13,102
Congress Office incl. Travel
Costs
21,315
Congress Management &
Credit Card Booking
40,633
Equipment for Participants
(Conference Programme etc.)
48,647
Catering for Participants 54,693
Volunteers 92,797
Social Activities Programme
(Mayoral Reception,
Conference Dinner)
15,720 22,223
Schools Olympiad iGeo 75,879 81,403
Symposium „School“
(Income: Participants)
12,660 456
Young Researchers' Forum 3,330
Excursions 4,374 3,643
Tax Advisor 4,724
Tax Office & Bank 6,961
Sum 808,959 721,224 87,735
(As of 15 Dec. 2014)
Tab. 3: Income and expenditure of the IGC 2012

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
Acknowledgement
2.8

PART 2
208 |
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 208-
In this chapter, the Local Organising Committee of the IGC would like to thank those people who worked on
the organisation and realisation of the IGC 2012 and those who made the congress possible through their
financial support. In his speech at the closing ceremony, the Secretary General Mike Meadows compared the
IGC 2012 to a swan, painting a very aesthetic picture as it glided majestically over the water. The perfection
and grace of this picture on the surface corresponded with hard work underneath the surface – the tireless
paddling of the swan which usually remains hidden from the observer. In the following section, we wish to
thank those who carried out this hard work.
One essential pillar of support for the LOC was the Congress Office, which was formed at the beginning of
2012 and grew in terms of personnel throughout the year. From the beginning of the year, Patricia Schnettler
took over the external communication of the LOC and answered the emails of our participants with great pa-
tience. She processed emails and telephone calls conscientiously, professionally and with great patience, even
in times of considerable stress. She also managed the check-in counter during the congress, where she could
also always be relied upon to retain an overview. From May, Tine Trumpp provided added support to the team
and dedicated herself with patience and devotion to the areas of conference support, finances and excursion
support. During the IGC 2012, she took care of the cash register and solved all problems concerning payment
on site. The third team member to provide additional support was Michael Nolden, who took responsibility for
the deployment plans of the volunteers, coordinated the drivers and along with a small group of volunteers
formed a “quick response team” which solved all the large and small problems during the IGC.
In the months before the IGC 2012, numerous employees of the Department of Geography helped in the
organisation of the congress. Without them, the IGC 2012 would not have been possible in this form – with-
out external service providers. The employees took on individual sections of the task in small teams, each
responsible for themselves, with a member of the LOC participating in each team in order to ensure that all the
necessary information came together in the LOC. The employees were involved in the following ways:
Alexander Follmann took responsibility for the organisation of the volunteer programme. Andreas Bolten, Flo-
rian Wilken and Norbert Grötsch (from the Geographical Institute of the University of Bonn) covered the plan-
ning, installation and support of the technical infrastructure.
Iris Hindersmann and Katrin Matern helped in the planning of the signage concept and managed the packing
of the congress bags. Regine Spohner and Ulrike Schwedler were responsible for the signage concept and
designed all the site and room plans. They also took responsibility for the production of the signs (even during
the congress) in the cartography section of the office. Tim Reichenau and Florian Steininger were also involved
in the planning of the signage concept and invested a great amount of time hanging up the signs throughout
the entire campus.
Harald Sterly was heavily involved in the preparation and implementation of the Young Researchers’ Forum and
helped with the evaluation during the IGC.
THANK YOU
Local Organising Committee of the IGC 2012
214.

REPORT - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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2.8
At the registration and the information stand, Gerrit Peters, Birte Rafflenbeul, Megha Sud, Zhang Yingmin and
Brigitte Beracz willingly gave congress participants information and helped in the solving of practical problems.
The organisation of the coffee stands was undertaken by Beate Forthmann, Daniela Hülle, Claudia Müller-En-
gels, Marie Pahl and Petra Tiller, who also took care of the gastronomical needs of our visitors throughout the
entire congress.
Andreas Janotta and Verena Dlugoß took responsibility for the proper execution of the publishers’ exhibition.
The very time-consuming compiling of the programme booklet and the book of abstracts was undertaken by
Juliane Bendig, Martin Gnyp, Nora Tilly, Ulrike Schwedler, Regine Spohner and Veronika Selbach.
Support of the keynote speakers, including the communication in the lead-up to the congress, the clearing-up
of technical issues and the presentation were taken care of by Boris Braun, Amelie Bernzen and Alexandra
Hilgers.
The organisation of the poster sessions – from the handling of the abstracts to the communication with the
poster authors and the organisation of the catering – was covered by the work group led by Helmut Brückner
(particularly Max Engel and Matthias May), Tabea Bork-Hüffer and Victoria Lenz-Wiedemann. It was through
their ideas that the poster sessions were such a great success.
Mareike Kroll was particularly involved in the organisation of the opening ceremony, while Nicole Reps and
Veronika Selbach made significant contributions to that of the closing ceremony.
Paul Wagner, Wolfgang Korres, Rike Schwarz, Sven Bremenfeld and Christian Koyama formed the “Welcome
Team”, giving visitors to the IGC an initial orientation and personally showing those participants who were
searching for a particular event where to find it.
Fabian Sonnenburg captured the IGC in pictures with his camera.
Sebastian Fastenrath was heavily involved in the support of the keynotes and the fair.
Regine Spohner and Franziska Krachten took responsibility for the careful design and layout of the documen-
tation book.
The local organising committee of the iGeo that planned the content (fieldwork, social activities) and was re-
sponsible for the realisation thereof consisted of:
Dorothea Wiktorin (chair), Konstantin Ntageretzis (co-chair), Stephan Langer (fieldwork test), Veronika Selbach
(fieldwork test, cartography workshop and excursion), Elisabeth Gohrbandt (fieldwork test, cartography work-
shop), Günther Weiss (cartography workshop), Klaus Zehner (fieldwork test), Alexander Follmann (fieldwork
test), Johanna Mäsgen (inter-cultural evening).
Alongside the employees of the Department, the student volunteers made an immeasurable contribution to
the IGC. In the days leading up to and during the congress, they helped with the work required for the iGeo,
packed the bags for the participants, hung up signs, manned the coffee stands, accompanied the publishers’
exhibition, carried out the driver service, helped with the production of the congress newspaper, “held the fort”
at the central coordination point in the Congress Office, carried out laptop maintenance and staffed the inter-
net café, provided support for the topical sessions and the symposium, and as “emergency firemen” averted
countless disasters both small and large.

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The following students supported the IGC 2012 as volunteers:
Dana Bach, Angela Balk, Alexander Basiri, Sina Bauer, Stephan Becher, Charlotte Beckbissinger, Eva Beye r,
David Bimmermann, Laura Biskupek, Miriam Blechschmidt, Martina Bock, Plamen Boev, Verena Böhle, Fa-
bian Böhme, Hannah Bold, Sabine Katharina Bongers-Römer, Teresa Bönsch, Inken Böse, Tobias Bothe,
Sonja Brachat, Mirjam Bracht, Tina Brehm, Johannes Budde, Christoph Burow, Stefanie Büttner, Jasmin
Caspary, Susanne Clemens, Julia Delille, Derya Dönmez, Verena Eilers, Katharina Esser, Sabine Faas, Heiko
Falk, Danie l-Martin Farynski, Andrew Feist, Laura Feld, Jasmin Feß, Marcel Filla, Rebecca Flammang, Tobias
Flügen, Manuel Folk , Andreas Folkers, Nele Franc, Saskia Franz, Thomas Friederich, Yannick Furmanski, Anja
Gbur, Annika Geimer, Henrik Gelhausen, Julian Gesenhoff, Katrin Glados, Melanie Göldner, Franz Gottschalch,
Susanne Gülden, Alexander Haas, Isabel Hackemann, Bastian Hallen, Antonia Hante, Valeska Hauke, Manuel
Heckmann, René Heinen, Nadine Heinrichs, Arne Heisterkamp, Nadine Hentschel, Jan Hermanns, Maike
Hildebrandt, Hanna Hiltner, Aline Denise Hirtz, Carolin Hulke, Maren Hüls, Jan-David Huxol, Kalliopi Ioannidou,
Andreas Iskam, Anna Jaax, Nils Jahn, Ole Joerss, Simone Jogwich, Lina Maria Kasper, Lennard Kehl, Fati-
ma Keklik, Michele Keller, Angela Klein, David Klipper, Lara Kögel, Wiebke Köker, Anne Kolvenbach, Deniz
Fabian Konzack, Simon Köster, Stefanie Krahe, Anna Lena Kraska, Andreas Krause, Kathrin Krockauer, Max-
im Krohmer, Sebastian Kulartz, Michael Kurschildgen, Hannes Laermanns, Susanne Lang, Sandra Leder-
müller, Roxana Leitold, Helene Leneschmidt, Magdalena Lethaus, Laura Linck, Nils Linden, Stefan Linnarz,
Jonas Lugibihl, Ulrike Lussem, Natalie Lützler, Christoph Mainka, Manuel Jeschka, Jannik Martens, Verena
Medinger, Stephanie Merkel, Claudia Merkl, Maximilian Metzemacher, Melissa Meurel, Christina Meyer, Ali-
sa Meyer, Nils Michels, David Micken, Katharina Molitor, Amelie Mönnikes, Kai Mörl, Matthias Nink, Rahab
Njeni, Michael Nolden, Lena Nordloh, Rosalia Nußbaum, Magdalena Oppitz, Thomas Paschke, Felix Peintner,
Dragan Petro vi c, Janina Pfeiffer, Isabell Piren, Marcel Possoch, Sabrina Prangs, Melanie Preis, Eva Quix, Sa-
rah-Jasmin Raffel, Gerrit Rahier, Christian Raschke, Damian Ratajski, Janina Rau, Laura Reck, Raphael Rei-
mann, Anika Reißner, Shari Reuter, Inga Richerzhagen, Marina Rico, Johanna Riedmann, Sarah Rosell, Roman
Roßmann, Annika Salingré, Aramazd Sarkis-Karapetians, Torben Scharm, Kira-Sophie Schettler-Köhler, Lisa
Schilling, Kai Schindle r, Tobias Schlereth, Andrea Schmitt, Anna Züleyha Schneider, Laura Schneider, Patricia
Schnett le r, Mario Schoofs, Saskia Schrade, Lynn Schüller, Thomas Schulz, Stefanie Schulze Palstring, Fabian
Selg, Sarah Smikale, Tobias Sodekamp, Daniel Sperl, Caroline Stelter, Julia Steuermann, Jan Stevens, Isabel
Stiebner, Hele n Störk, Anna Strohmann, Nina Szemkus, Lisa Terfurth, Anna Thurau, Daniela Unterein, Judith
Vedder, Benedict Vierneisel, Henrike Voss, Daniela Weber, Pia Weidenmüller, Stefanie Weiler, Anselm Weis-
che, Freya-Sophie Widera, Florian Wilkens, Maximilian Willkomm, Janina Windmüller, Andreas Wittke, Zhang
Y ingmi n , Florian Zebisch, Benedikt Ziegler, Jutta Zingsheim.
Particular thanks goes to the staff of the Department of Geography, who became involved in the planning pro-
cess at a very early stage, publicised the IGC 2012 among students throughout Germany and were especially
involved in the Young Researchers’ Forum.
We would like to thank the following people and companies from outside the Department who also gave great
support to the congress:
Especially heartfelt thanks go to the university leadership, particularly to Rector Prof. Dr. Axel Freimuth and
Chancellor Dr. Johannes Neyses, who supported the congress personally, financially and in terms of ideas.
We would like to thank the members of the Scientific Committee for their ideas and impulses in the conception
of the “second pillar” of the IGC 2012, the four key topics.
We wish to thank the geographers who agreed to offer an excursion as part of the IGC 2012. Without the will-
ing support of so many colleagues, such a varied programme would not have been possible. Particular thanks
go to Johannes Hamhaber for his work on the umbrella concept of the excursion programme.
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REPORT - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We owe deepest thanks to the Department of Building Management, the caretakers and the service team of
the University of Cologne. Without their dedication, which included extra work at the weekend and often with-
out additional pay, such a problem-free realisation of the IGC 2012 would not have been possible.
We would like to thank the Building Department for last-minute damage control.
Heartfelt thanks go to Stefanie Naumann of LNT Design (Cologne) for the excellent corporate design of the IGC
2012 – from the conception through to the detailed planning.
For the installation, adaptation and support of the congress software, we wish to thank Lombego Systems in
Weimar, especially Rainer Kretzer and Christian Burger, who also supervised the registration process on site.
Our thanks go to the event manager Reinhard Heitjans, who guided us safely through the pitfalls of large event
permission application.
ATM Broadcast (Cologne), especially Frank Mai and Thorsten Trayser, deserves our gratitude for the filming of
the IGC 2012, stretching from a trailer to whet appetites all the way to the closing documentation.
We would like to thank Michael Wodak and Andreas Wittke from MFK (Cologne) for the photographic docu-
mentation of the IGC 2012.
The press office of the university, especially Patrick Honecker, must receive our thanks for their support in terms
of publicity.
Thanks go to Uschi Heidel and Katja Sproß from Trio Media (Bonn) for their support in the development and
implementation of the concept for the publicity work of the IGC 2012.
We owe heartfelt thanks to Ms. Merino-Cruz and Sabine Heister from the Students Association, who gave us
great support in the planning of catering and reacted flexibly to our requests during the IGC 2012.
We wish to thank Norbert Grötsch from the University of Bonn for his constant IT support.
Thanks also go to the printers Martin Rösberg (Bonn) for the excellent cooperation in the printing of flyers,
circulars and programme booklets.
Fig. 1: Local Organising Committee, the staff of the Institute of Geography and the IGC 2012 Volunteers

212 |
PART 2
Karen Schneider, Edel Sheridan-Quantz and Kerry Jago helped us a lot with English translations; we thank
them warmly for all their support.
We would like to thank Christian Woronka from the Cologne Convention Bureau of Kölntourismus for accom-
panying the IGC 2012 throughout the entire planning process. Alongside countless small tips and suggestions,
the Cologne Convention Bureau was greatly involved in the implementation of the hotel booking system. It not
only made sure that the appropriate number of rooms were reserved very early on, but also made a simple
and easily understandable booking portal available through the involvement of its partner Hotel Reservation
Service (HRS).
Our heartfelt thanks go to the employees of Cologne Philharmonic Hall, especially Wolf Geuer, who helped us
with the planning and hosting of the opening ceremony.
Special thanks go to all the pupils and teachers, particularly Ulrich Menke, Angela Ankermann and Bernhard
Heinl of St. Ursula Gymnasium in Brühl for the wonderful music during the opening concert.
We wish to thank the Westermann-Verlag for the generous support in terms of participant equipment (lanyards,
congress bags, etc.), free advertisements and numerous reports in the newspapers and supplements of the
publishing house. For this we particularly wish to thank Sebastian Schlüter and Reiner Jüngst.
We would like to thank the Ernst Klett Verlag for their support of the German-language symposium as part of
the IGC 2012. Alongside the equipment of symposium participants, which included bags, pens, cups, lanyards
etc., the publishing house also provided further print services such as roll banners and printing cost subsidies,
for example for the programme booklet. We wish to highlight at this point the cooperation with Cordula Roden-
berg, who carried out all liaison work with the LOC in a professional, helpful and foresightful manner.
Without the dedication of Esri Europe, the IGC 2012 would have been without one of its most striking features.
Thanks to the provision of more than 400 radiant blue volunteer t-shirts, the helpers were easily recognisable
and could be readily identified by participants as providers of competent assistance. Our thanks thus go to
Frank Holsmuller for the quick provision of the t-shirts at short notice.
A total of four Ford Transit Transporters were provided to the LOC for the duration of the congress for the
transport of honorary guests and keynote speakers as part of the Ford Corporate Responsibility Programme.
Our particular thanks thus go to Benjamin D. Hennig, who made this possible.
Special thanks also go to the German Research Foundation (DFG), who supported the holding of the IGC 2012
as an international conference in an extremely generous and uncomplicated manner.
Heartfelt thanks are also due to the Rheinenergie Foundation, which supported the congress through an un-
conditional donation.
We wish to thank the following people for the support of the iGeo:
A heartfelt thanks goes first and foremost to Sylvia Löhrmann, the Minister of Schools and the Deputy Minister
President of North Rhine-Westphalia. S. Löhrmann served as the event’s patron, delivered the greeting at the
closing ceremony in Cologne Philharmonic Hall and handed out gold medals to the competition winners.
Thanks are also in order for the institutions that sponsored iGeo 2012. Their financial and intellectual support
was indispensable. In particular, we wish to thank:
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REPORT - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• didacta international, which provided backpacks and t-shirts to all the participants;
• the Society for Geography of Cologne, which donated the prize money for best posters (Dr. Prill Prize) and
covered auditorium rental fees and catering in the Rautenstrauch Joest Museum;
• the Klett Verlag, which donated international atlases to students for the written response test;
• L.E.B., which donated the money used to buy the presents for gold-medal winners (compass, map sleeve,
topographical map);
• the Regional Association Ruhr (RVR), which financed a day excursion in the western Ruhr region, including
bus travel and tour guide fees;
• the Rhineland Nature Park, which provided a staff member to accompany students for a day trip from Co-
logne to the Siebengebirge;
• UNESCO, which graciously permitted the event organisers to use the logo “Education for a Sustainable
Development – A Contribution to the International Decade”.
We also wish to thank the following secondary schools and geography teachers for leading a group of com-
petition participants through Cologne:
• Landrat Lucas Gymnasium Leverkusen, accompanied by Jens Wenzel
• St. Ursula-Gymnasium Brühl, accompanied by Ulrich Menke
• Willy Brandt Gesamtschule Cologne Höhenhaus, accompanied by Wolfgang Fritzsche
• Integrierte Gesamtschule Paffrath, accompanied by Andreas Bremm
• Apostelgymnasium Cologne, accompanied by Christoph Schmitz
• Hildegard von Bingen-Gymnasium, accompanied by Moritz Elschner
• Lessing Gymnasium Cologne, accompanied by Christoph Jütte
• Geschwister Scholl Gymnasium Pulheim, accompanied by Sonja Gerling
Special thanks goes to Hannelore and Kurt Krieg and Monika and Hartmut Woelk, who provided the catering
for the juries.
We would like to thank Gabriele Schrüfer (Institute for the Didactics of Geography, University of Münster) for
supporting us in planning the intercultural evening.
We wish to show our appreciation to the people who carried out the time-consuming corrections for the com-
petition and the members of the IGU 2012 task force who developed the questions and exercises as well as
initiating the International Geography Olympiad:
Joop van der Schee (co-chair), Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands; Henk Ankoné (co-chair), Nationa l
Institute for Curriculum Development, Netherlands; Kathryn Berg (secretary), Royal Geographical Society of
Queensland, Australia; Fernando Garcia-Garcia, Universidad Nacional Autónonma de México; Wolfgang Ger-
ber, Sportgymnasium Leipzig, Germany; Yoshiyasu Ida, Institute of Education, University of Tsukuba; Sue
Lomas, Salford City Council, United Kingdom; Su-Min Shen, National Taiwan Normal University
Last but not least, we of course wish to thank the geographical associations that helped fund, advise and sup-
port the event from beginning to end: the IGU, the DGfG and the German Association of Geography Teachers.
Symposium: Support Staff and Benefactor Institutions
A heartfelt thanks goes first and foremost to the event’s main sponsor, Klett Verlag, Stuttgart – especially Cor-
dula Rodenberg and Christoph Rausch, who were always available for questions and happily accommodated
every wish. Christoph Rausch, in addition to organisational questions, provided important ideas for the sympo-
sium’s programme. The generous financial support of Klett Verlag paid for the printing of the brochures, bags

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PART 2
and coffee mugs for participants, the banners and labels, the coffee stations and the lavish evening buffet. We
also wish to thank the Bildungshaus Schulbuchverlage, Braunschweig, for its generosity in covering participant
fees, and Engagement Global, especially Hannes Siege, for helping out with the events on Tuesday morning.
For carrying out the excursions, we wish to give a warm thanks to Stephan Langer (University of Cologne),
Karin Steinhäuser (Cologne) and Andreas Schulz (University of Cologne). A special thanks also goes to Michael
Becker Mrotzek, who commented on the event critically as an external observer.
Without the committed assistance of many school and university educators, the symposium in this form would
not have been possible. We would like to thank the many staff members from HGD and VDSG who helped,
especially Michael Hemmer (University of Münster) and Karl-Walter Hoffmann (Studienseminar Speyer), who
gave an inspired introductory lecture to put the participants in the right mood for the sessions. Like all session
leaders, they provided crucial assistance with the planning, organisation and content.
We also wish to thank the student assistants and especially Veronika Selbach as leader, for a smooth execution
of the programme and the excellent care of the participants.
Not least, we would like to thank all speakers for their readiness to actively participate and for their inspiring
talks, and all participants for the many constructive discussions and comments.
The Local Organising Committee
Finally, we would like to document the responsibilities within the Local Organising Committee of the IGC 2012:
Chairs: Frauke Kraas and Dietrich (Dieter) Soyez
Carsten Butsch: Registration and Congress office, editing of the programme, editing of the book of abstracts,
editing of the final report, signage concept, organisation of the YRF, Volunteer programme, poster sessions,
support of the scientific committee, website content and IGC 2012 facebook account, technical facilities
Ursula Dörken: Support of the IGU Executive Committee, and liaison to IGU
Holger Kretschmer: Registration and Congress office, catering, fair trade, finances, coordination of social pro-
gramme, support of the scientific committee, technical maintenance and content of the website, merchandis-
ing, technical facilities
Franziska Krachten: public relations, IGC audio-visual documentation, organisation of the lord mayor reception
Konstantin (Kosta) Ntageretzis: Catering, organisation iGeo, organisation of the YRF, planning of the “thank-
you-event”
Wolfgang (Schmie) Schmiedecken: finances
Valerie Viehoff: Field trips, poster sessions, website content, support of the scientific committee, support of
the keynote-speakers
Dorothea Wiktorin: Organisation iGeo, organisation of the school programme, organisation Symposium
Geography and School
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esday

esday
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
3

IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
3.0
Appendix

PART 3
220 | Appendix
In: Frauke Kraas, Dietrich Soyez, Carsten Butsch, Franziska Krachten, Holger Kretschmer (eds) (2015):
IGC Cologne 2012. Down to Earth. Documenting the 32nd International Geographical Congress in
Cologne 26-30 August 2012. - Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, 95. Köln/Cologne: 220-
DATES
27.08.2012, 11.45 Uhr:
Keynote-lecture “Society and En-ecture “Society and En-
vironment“:
Klaus Töpfer
“On the way to the Anthropocene. Conse-
quences for scientific research, societal un-
derstanding and political responsibility“
Anne Buttimer
“Diverse perspectives on society and envi-
ronment: retrospect and prospect“
The Keynote-lecture will take place in MAIN
13 and will be broadcasted live in KEY 7 if
the maximum occupancy is exceeded.
LAST MINUTE CHANGE
FIELD TRIP HD 01: From Rome to
Prussia...
New meeting point: the horse-shoe shaped
„Rundbau of Institute of Geography –
Zülpicher Str. 41“ (cf. map on p. 291 of the
programme)
DEAR GEOGRAPHERS
AND HONOURED
GUESTS,
On behalf of the
German geogra-
phical communi-
ties, the University
of Cologne and the
Local Organising
Committee, it is a
great pleasure to
welcome you to the
32nd International
Geographical Con-
gress in Cologne.
All individuals and
institutions involved
feel very honoured
to have contributed
to this extraordinary
event. And they feel
rewarded by the
unprecedented at-
tendance for an IGU
congress.
Today will certainly be the most crowded
day of our event – hopefully the lines at
registration will not be too long. But once
this checkpoint is behind you, the remai-
ning days are sure to flow smoothly. Sure,
the construction sites are less pleasant to
look at. But during these times of financial
squeeze in the educational sector, our Uni-
versity community is happy to see the long-
awaited refurbishments progress – any de-
lay at this point would cause new financial
risks.
We have strived to ensure accessibility for
geographers of all ages and from the glo-
bal South and North. And we hope we have
succeeded in making the IGC 2012 a plat-
form for a focused exchange of ideas and
a memorable festival of and for Geography.
We are also curious to know, of course, if
our efforts to complement the traditional
backbone of IGC - the Commissions and
Task Forces - with broader and boundary-
spanning key topics are seen as adding a
rewarding new element to the mix.
Enjoy the day and for those who have regis-
tered: See you tonight at the Lord Mayor’s
reception!
On behalf of the Local Organising
Committe e,
Frauke Kraas and Dietrich Soyez
GET IN TOUCH
E-Mail to the editorial office
info@igc2012.org
IGC-Facebook
facebook.com/igc2012
IGC-Twitter
twitter.com/IGC_Cologne2012.de
IGC TODAY 27.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
Official Opening
Make Your Voice Heard
“W
elcome to Europe, welcome
to Germany, welcome to Colo-
gne” – these were the words
spoken by Professor Frauke Kraas and Pro-
fessor Dietrich Soyez, Chairs of the IGC Lo-
cal Organising Committee, as they welco-
med geographers from all around the world
to the 32nd IGC in Cologne. The guests
had gathered for the opening event at a very
special place – the Cologne Philharmonic
Hall, located in the heart of Cologne beside
the towering Cologne Cathedral.
True to its slogan, “Down to Earth”, the
Congress will be taking place at the Univer-
sity of Cologne. As the University’s rector
Professor Axel Freimuth pointed out, the
University is not only one of the oldest and
largest in Germany but counts as one of 11
top level research universities in Germany. It
is therefore proud to be the official venue of
the IGC.
Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Advisor to the
President of the European Commission,
would like to see the IGC and geographers
in general take their work beyond the uni-
versity halls. The challenges facing humani-
ty demand solutions that require input from
the scientific community. “Geographers
naturally bring together all the necessary
disciplines needed for the solution-finding
process,” says Glover.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn, a global advocate of Geography,
also welcomed the IGC participants. She
talked about how the travels with her father
awakened her early interest in Geography.
“Humans can only live with nature; they can
never control it,” said Her Royal Highness
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. As Pro-
fessor Eckart Ehlers explained in his Inau-
gural Lecture, the footprints left behind by
humans are indeed indelible. The age of the
Anthropocene is here, placing geographers
in their role as bridge-builders between the
natural world and society at the forefront.
Professor Ron Abler, President of the IGU,
Professor Hans-Rudolf Bork, President of
the German Geographical Society and An-
gela Spizig, Mayor of the City of Cologne,
also gave welcome addresses. True to the
occasion, the musical performances by the
Symphonic Orchestra, Bigband and Choir
of St. Ursula-Gymnasium Brühl all had to
do with Geography. The crowd particularly
enjoyed the students’ renditions of Robert
Schuman’s “Rhenish”, Ernst Toch’s “Geo-
graphical Fugue” and Lynn DeShazo’s “For
the Beauty of the Earth”.
Welcome to Cologne







4000 km
Registered participants by country of residence
t
227.

3.0
APPENDIX
Appendix | 221
IGC TODAY 27.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
INTERVIEW
EDITH MUKAKAYUMBA, PH.D.
PRÉSIDENTE
MAISON DE LA GÉOGRAPHIE
DE MONTRÉAL
Je suis devenue gé-
ographe parce que
mon pays d’origine,
le Rwanda, de con-
cert avec mon pays
d’adoption, le Ca-
nada, qui a donné
la bourse d’études
grâce à laquelle j’ai
poursuivi mes étu-
des de deuxième
cycle en géographie,
a décidé de mon orientation. Et maintenant
que je suis géographe depuis quelque
temps, les choses plus importantes sont
: assumer mon identité de géographe et
réaffirmer sa valeur dans une société où
elle est malmenée; poursuivre mon travail
d’information et de formation des citoy-
ens responsables, notamment grâce aux
méthodes pédagogiques qui privilégient la
proximité (via les cafés géographiques par
exemple); promouvoir une géographie qui
sert, aussi, à faire la paix et, ainsi, contri-
buer à la correction et à la préventions des
tragédies inhérentes au « somnambulisme
téléguidé ».
WEATHER
27.08.2012
22ºC, cloudy
IMPRINT
University of Cologne info@igc2012.org
Albertus-Magnus-Platz www.igc2012.org
50923 Köln
IGC KOMPAKT
YOUNG RESEARCHERS WORK-
SHOPS
When the initial planning for the IGC 2012
began, both the Scientific Committee and
the junior researchers involved wanted to
better integrate younger researchers in the
conference.
To this end, a special programme was set
up for post-docs, postgraduates and un-
dergraduates with workshops on topics
such as managing a PhD thesis, writing
and publishing in English, finding funding
opportunities and planning a scientific ca-
reer. A science slam and a special poster
competition is also part of the programme.
In the “Careers in Science” workshop on 26
August, three senior professors with bi- and
multinational university careers met with 18
postgraduates and post-docs at the World-
o-Science-Café and spoke about their own
experiences in the field. In both plenary and
small-group formats, they engaged the stu-
dents in an intensive exchange about future
prospects and the challenges of interna-
tional careers in Geography.
Henrik, Undergraduate Student, Germany:
“The methods of our seminar were very in-
novative and motivating – we had a very
intensive time and we surely learnt how to
best integrate a PhD thesis into the system
of our daily life.”
Prof. Hervé Théry, France/Brazil: “Going
abroad for your PhD or Postdoc studies
is a great chance for your career, but also
for your personal development. There are
many opportunities – for example, Brazil is
currently offering about 100.000 grants for
outgoing but also for incoming ‘young tal-
ents’.”
Martina, PostDoc, Spain: “It was very mo-
tivating to learn which different approaches
to a university career exist; it was also good
to hear that for publishing, impact factors of
journals are often regarded less important
than addressing the relevant reader groups:
‘publish in the journals you read!’”
A special social programme has also been
organised for the younger geographers –
and for all those young at heart – by the
Cologne Geography Department’s student
council. Certain to be the highlight is the big
party planned for Wednesday!
Harald Sterly
Q
uestions about society and envi-
ronment have always been central
concerns for geography (Gaia gra-
phein). In classical times issues of health,
cultural identity and political economy were
couched in terms of people’s relations to
their natural surroundings. In later centuries,
some European nations claimed cultural su-
periority on the basis of their “ideal” physi-
cal environments, often extending their do-
mains to empires and colonies worldwide.
Practices of geography associated
with such claims were branded as
“environmental determinism” and
the mid-20th century witnessed
an aggressive attempt to bols-
ter a definition of geography as
the study of spatial interactions.
A clear separation of human and
physical branches followed, as “space”
was regarded as a tabula rasa on which
processes unfolded following the requisites
of economic and technological efficiency.
Implications of this new orthodoxy included
an eclipse of both historical perspective and
environmental concerns.
Reintegration
Two important counter voices, however,
were heard. Man’s Role in Changing the
Face of the Earth (R.L.Thomas, ed. 1956)
and Traces on the Rhodian Shore (C. Gla-
cken, 1967), re-awakened interest in both
landscape transformations and dramatic
changes in human perceptions and be-
haviours vis-à-vis environments over time.
Strongly emerging from both was the cen-
trality of livelihoods (ways of life) as a core
analytical focus of geographic enquiry. Gen-
res de vie (ways of life, life-ways) offered an
integrative approach to the understanding
of society and environment on three dis-
tinct levels: cognitive (knowledge, percep-
tions, values), i.e., noosphere, functional
(interactions, industry, social organisation),
i.e., socio-technosphere, and organic (rela-
tionship to place and local resources), i.e.,
biosphere. With each of these levels there is
an associated challenge of human interest:
identity (noosphere), order (socio-technos-
phere) and niche (biosphere), all three with
a varying horizon of time, through past, pre-
sent and future.
Getting to the roots Z
This presentation outlines four distinct
worlds-views (“root metaphors”)
which geographers have deplo-
yed in their studies of these hu-
man interests: world as organic
whole, world as mosaic, world
as mechanical system, world as
arena of spontaneous events. Each
“root metaphor” is anchored in its own
criteria of truth and results derived from any
one of these procedures cannot be evalu-
ated in terms of the criteria of another. Sci-
entific preference for one or other of these
stances can be easily related to concurrent
political priorities; likewise the demise and
replacement of them can also be related to
societal judgement.
Exciting challenges ahead
The conclusion points toward emerging
challenges for research on society and envi-
ronment in Century 21. It highlights the con-
trasting stances on science and society in
terms of those of “Archimedes” (top-down)
and “Little Prince” (bottom-up), noting
also the need to regard societal interests
as changing over time. Recent concep-
tions of an evolving universe – including its
noosphere – as in states of becoming pose
especially exciting challenges for Gaia-gra-
phein.
Prof. Anne Buttimer.
TODAY‘S SAYING
Organisation is great!
I‘ve been looking forward
to meeting all colleagues.
IGC 2012 is simply great fun!
- Frank Schüssler | Jade University of
Applied Sciences Oldenburg | Germany -
KEYNOTE “SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT”
Diverse Perspectives on
Societ y and Environment:
Retrospect and Prospect
Prof. Anne Buttimer speaks about the “root metaphors” of geography
and the challenges as they evolve
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
A total of 124 high school students from five
continents participated in the competition
held 21 - 25 August in Cologne, tackling the
tests and challenges put in front of them.
With 32 nations taking part – from Australia
and Mongolia to the People’s Republic of
China and the UK – this year’s iGeo was the
largest since its founding in 1996.
And the winners are……
Samuel Chua, Singapore; Wojtek Kaczmar-
czyk, Poland; Stefania Ursicâ, Romania; Ta-
ivo Pungas, Estonia; Rimgaudas Stundzia,
Lithuania; Hana Parízková, Czech Republic;
Constantin Popa, Romania; Maris Serzans,
Latvia; Max Rogge, Germany; Brendan Tan,
Singapore.
Test of skill and knowledge
The competition consisted of three parts:
two written exams to test the knowledge of
the pupils and a fieldwork exercise to check
up on their practical and methodical skills.
Participants were asked to draw maps and
develop urban planning scenarios for the
inner city’s waterfront. Aside from the ac-
tual competition, another important aspect
of the iGEO is intercultural exchange. The
highlight of the Olympiad was the intercul-
tural evening at the Rautenstrauch Joest-
Museum, where the participants presented
a colourful collaborative performance on
stage.
Dorothea Wiktorin
iGEO
The Geography Olympiad
Recognises the World’s Best!
Sylvia Löhrmann, State Minister of Schools and Education, presen-
ted 13 gold medals to the winners of the 9th International Geography
Olympiad (iGEO).

PART 3
222 | Appendix
DATES
28.08.2012, 11.45 am:
Keynote-lecture “Urbanisation &
Demographic Change“
Martin Lees
“Demographic change and urbanisation
within the boundaries of a fragile planet“
Surinder Aggarwal
“Emerging global urban order and challen-
ges for harmonious urban development“
The keynote lecture will take place in MAIN
13 and will be broadcasted live in KEY 7 if
the maximum occupancy is exceeded.
LAST MINUTE CHANGE
FIELD TRIP HD 05: Cologne ca-
thedral treasury
New meeting point: Main entrance of Colo-
gne Cathedral
VGDH PhD-AWARD
Award of the price for the best PhD-thesis
in human geography is postponed: It will
now take place during the poster session
tomorrow at 6:30 pm.
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
I hope you are en-
joying Cologne and
the Congress. With
Sunday’s specta-
cular Opening Ce-
remony, yesterday’s
full day of congress
sessions, and last
night’s Mayor’s
Reception in the
Cologne Town Hall
behind us, today
marks the halfway point of the Congress.
So much has happened already, but much
remains to enjoy...
Today’s session devoted to Facets of Con-
tested Geographies: Negotiating lieux de
mémoire in Transnational Contexts (10:00–
11:30 am in COM 01) was organized by
IGU Vice Presidents Ruth Fincher and Diet-
rich Soyez at the request of the IGU Execu-
tive Committee. The session is a response
to the controversies regarding the location
of the 2010 IGU Regional Conference in Tel
Aviv and the venue of the November 2011
IGU Regional Conference in Santiago—
the Escuela Militar Bernardo O’Higgins.
The session will focus on general geogra-
phic approaches to understanding places
deemed sanctified or profaned.
The first IGU General Assembly session
was held yesterday afternoon. Among the
items to be addressed at today’s General
Assembly session is the election of the IGU
President for 2012-2016 and of four IGU
Vice Presidents for the same period. While
only National Committees of countries in
good standing may nominate candidates
for the IGU Executive Committee and cast
ballots in the General Assembly, all indivi-
duals registered for the Congress may ob-
serve the General Assembly. If you’d would
like to watch the election, come to Com 01
from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. The exact time of the
balloting has not been fixed, but it will most
likely occur between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
Enjoy the day and the city. I hope to see you
tonight at the Congress Dinner.
Ron Abler
President, International Geographical Union
GET IN TOUCH
E-Mail to the editorial office
info@igc2012.org
IGC-Facebook
facebook.com/igc2012
IGC-Twitter
twitter.com/IGC_Cologne2012.de
IGC TODAY 28.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
LORD MAYOR’S RECEPTION
An Official Welcome to
Cologne!
The Lord Mayor of Cologne extends a warm welcome to IGC 2012
participants at the city’s historic town hall.
L
ast evening, with the first day of IGC
sessions and lectures behind them,
some 620 scientists and scholars from
around the world made their way from one
14th century institution – the University of
Cologne – to the next, Cologne’s historic
town hall, where they were received by the
city’s Lord Mayor Jürgen Roters.
Proud hosts
The town hall’s “Piazzetta”, where the Lord
Mayor received his guests amid music and
bretzels, was abuzz with the excitement of
a day of firsts – the first full day of IGC sessi-
ons and lectures of the first Congress to be
held in Germany in over 100 years.
Honoured that his city of Cologne had been
selected as the venue of the International
Geographical Union’s (IGU) quadrennial
meeting, Lord Mayor Roters noted the apt-
ness of the choice. As the Lord Mayor poin-
ted out in his address, science and research
have been a part of the city’s fabric since
the founding of the University of Cologne
in 1388, making it a central research hub
within Germany.
The Lord Mayor also called attention to how
well-timed the choice was, with the Univer-
sity – in Roters’ words “a true gem” in the
region’s science landscape – having just
been named a “University of Excellence” by
the Federal Government of Germany. A per-
fect location for a week of high-calibre and
stimulating discussion for the international
geographical community.
Truly “down to earth“
Before handing over to IGU President Ron
Abler, the Lord Mayor congratulated Profes-
sor Kraas and the rest of the Local Organi-
sing Committee for putting on such a high-
profile event in Cologne, a cosmopolitan city
that prides itself for its friendliness and its
uncomplicated, down-to-earth way. Just
another reason why Cologne is the perfect
choice for the IGC.
Last night at Cologne´s historic town hall.
From left to right: Dietrich Soyez, Frauke Kraas, Ron Abler, Jürgen Roters.
Full-Rate Parcipants
Accompanying Persons
PhD Students
Untergraduates
1307
71
440
247
Registered participants by status
t
The Chief Scientific Advisor of the President
of the European Commission, Professor
Anne Glover, passed three ‘golden rules’
on to the young researchers, when she,
and her assistant, the geographer Dr. Jan
Marco Müller, gathered with the young geo-
graphers for drinks and an informal chat af-
ter the IGC’s Official Opening Ceremony: Be
positive. Be proud of the exciting research
you are doing and don’t forget to communi-
cate it beyond academia. And finally, don’t
be shy.
Admitting that she used to be very shy her-
self, Professor Glover suggested: “Just ask
yourself: What’s the worst that could hap-
pen? If it’s anything less than dying, then
don’t worry.”
Not being afraid of rejections seems to have
served Professor Glover well in her extraor-
dinary career as scientist and policy advisor.
Professor in microbiology at the University
of Aberdeen, she was appointed scientific
advisor to the Scottish government in 2006
and European Chief Scientific Advisor in
2011.
Despite her light-hearted style, her honest
advice left the young researchers very im-
pressed. As Vanessa Rodriguez, a young
researcher from Brazil, currently studying in
Cologne put it: “Anne is such an inspirati-
onal person! It’s amazing to have had this
opportunity to talk to her!”
Valerie Viehoff
IGC
Professor Anne Glover meets
with young researchers
Full-Rate Parcipants
Accompanying Persons
PhD Students
Untergraduates
1307
71
440
247

3.0
APPENDIX
Appendix | 223
IGC SPOTLIGHT
COMPETENCE-ORIENTED
GEOGRAPHY TEACHING
The two-day symposium “Geography and
School” held in German got off to a good
start yesterday, with more than 300 parti-
cipants in attendance. Our mission of inte-
grating educators responsible for modern
geography teaching into the IGC was clear-
ly accomplished!
The main symposium sessions addressed
four key competencies: systemic thinking,
methods and skills, orientation in space
and communication. Best-practice ex-
amples from all types of German schools
were presented during the sessions, with
the goal of identifying the components of
competence-oriented geography teaching.
IGC participants interested in the subject of
geographical education are invited to join
the symposium TODAY from 10:00-11:30
am. The panel discussion on International
online-discussions of German, Indian and
American students concerning global cli-
mate change with Hans-Rudolf Bork (Pre-
sident of the German Geographic Society/
DGfG) and Hartmut Grassl (Max Planck
Institute, Hamburg) will take place in room
MAIN 13.
Dorothea Wiktorin
IGC TODAY 28.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
INTERVIEW
HLAING MAW OO
I wanted to be a geographer, because…
Being an architect
and a planner res-
ponsible for human
settlements plan-
ning, I felt an urge
to understand inter-
relations and prob-
lems of the changing
physical and socio-
economical environ-
ment in my country. I
believed such under-
standing to be vital, in fulfilling my planning
tasks responsibly. That is why I became a
geographer. While exploring parts and bits
of the vast field of Geography, I have come
to understand that the most important task
of geographers, both physical and human,
is to contribute towards the well-being of
humankind. All the encounters with and
explorations of nature, places, people, acti-
vities and traditions undertaken by the geo-
graphers in an unbiased and open-minded
manner facilitate a better understanding of
the past and the present, which I believe is
an essential step towards a better future.
WEATHER
28.08.2012
26ºC, cloudy
IMPRINT
University of Cologne info@igc2012.org
Albertus-Magnus-Platz www.igc2012.org
50923 Köln
M
ore than half of the world’s popu-
lation is now living in urban areas,
making urbanization a defining
phenomenon of this century. At the centre
of this transformation are cities in develo-
ping countries.
The new face of urbanization
Developing countries, with a 73% share
of global urban population and high urban
growth rates, are the new actors in contem-
porary urbanization. Urbanization today is
driven by globalization forces, neo-liberali-
zation tendencies, technology transfer and
national policy changes. Push factors that
propelled urbanization until the mid-90s
are now being reversed by pull forces. Ur-
ban growth is not uniform, but rather
this urban transition is dominated
by the developments occurring
in the world’s megacities, glo-
bal cities and emerging urban
agglomerations. Recent trends
also indicate high growth rates
of mid-size cities. Voluntary mig-
ration that had fuelled early migra-
tion streams is now being supplemented
and reshaped by recruitment agencies,
employment regimes and immigration po-
licies. Recent demographic structures also
exhibit signs of change, with more women
migrants and swelling elderly and young
population cohorts.
Developed countries, on the contrary, ex-
hibit a stabilizing or even negative urban
growth trend following declining fertility le-
vels. Counter-urbanization is the trend, with
more expansion in the rural settings for both
working and living environments. Mega-
urbanization has slowed down and urban
transitions have matured, except in the
transition countries of industrializing Eastern
Europe. Countries in Latin America like Bra-
zil have joined the developed countries list
with high urban population share.
Impacts
Advanced capitalism, largely responsib-
le for contemporary urbanization process,
distances humans from nature and indivi-
duals from society. The natural world (in-
cluding urban ecosystems) is being abused
and mediated through resource exploitati-
on, urban sprawl, air and water pollution.
Climate change, ecological footprints and
natural disasters are the results. Likewise,
neo-colonization along with neo-liberalizati-
on also incurs social costs for the majority,
while generating only minoreconomic bene-
fits for a small number of urban residents.
Conflicts over social and economic spaces
disturb the social harmony of the urban so-
ciety. Both converging and diverging forces
are operating simultaneously to produce
concentrated and highly differentiated and
fragmented urban landscapes. The pheno-
menon of ‘local losers’ and ‘global winners’
is also becoming more evident.
Towards a harmonious
urban development
To achieve harmonious urban
development, developing coun-
tries’ foremost challenge is con-
servation and protection of (urban)
ecosystems and to provide poverty
reduction. For wealthy countries the chal-
lenge lies in containing urban sprawl, pro-
moting inner cities, encouraging mixed land
use planning, and appreciating emerging
social and cultural heterogeneity for har-
monious and inclusive urban landscapes.
Energy efficiency through judicious land
use and public transport development will
be essential for combating climate change.
Overall, what is most
needed is a shift in
theoretical under-
pinnings and urban
research to explain
emerging urban
forms, agglomerati-
on economies, rural-
urban fuzzy dichoto-
my, rising inequities,
and new urbanism.
Professor Surinder Aggarwal
COMMENT OF THE DAY
“The programme is well organized.
Especially the session in applied geo-
graphy gave young researchers a great
overview on geographers‘ practical
work.“
- Vergara Adrian | Universidad del Norte |
Colombia -
KEYNOTE “URBANISATION & DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE”
Emerging global urban order
and challenges to achieving a
harmonious urban development
Professor Surinder Aggarwal addresses current urbanization trends
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
Press breakfast at the “Alter Senatssaal“ Tuesday morning
Happy Birthday,
dear Frauke!

PART 3
224 | Appendix
DATES
29.08.2012, 11.45 am:
Keynote-lecture “Global Change
and Globalisation“:
Eduardo de Mulder
“Global planetary change and human glo-
balization“
Bruno Messerli
“Global change and globalisation – challen-
ges for Geography“
The Keynote-lecture will take place in MAIN
13 and will be broadcasted live in KEY 7 if
the maximum occupancy is exceeded.
LAST MINUTE CHANGES
FIELD TRIP HD 08: Cologne – a
cultural melting pot
Postponed to 1:00 pm
FIELD TRIP HD 09: Cologne ca-
thedral excavations
New meeting point: Main entrance of
Cologne Cathedral
Session C08.24-06 Land Degra-
dation and Geomorphology: Mo-
nitoring, Assessment, and Theory
Development 4 (scheduled 16:00
in MAIN 01):
SESSION CANCELLED
DEAR GEOGRAPHERS!
While we are gat-
hering at the Uni-
versity of Cologne
the largest river of
Central Europe, the
Rhine, is still flowing
through the city as
peacefully as ever,
undisturbed by
the buzz created
by 2300 geogra-
phers. Tourist boats
and container ships are passing under the
bridges connecting the two parts of Colog-
ne either side of the stream. Most visitors to
Cologne are impressed by the picturesque
view of this unique “riverscape”.
Cologne and the Rhine are an excellent ex-
ample of human-environment interactions
and reactions. From time to time continuous
heavy precipitation in the Rhine’s catchment
area causes severe inundations, putting the
old city centre of Cologne at risk of being
flooded. In the past, extreme floods often
devastated the centre of Cologne. The
most severe summer flood of the last mil-
lennium hit Cologne in July 1342. Bridges
were destroyed. Rows of houses bordering
the river were washed away. Erosion cut
deep gullies into the meadows along the
Rhine and hillslope erosion destroyed fertile
agricultural land.
A volcanic eruption between June 1783
and February 1784 at the Laki fissure in Ice-
land was responsible for the most severe
winter flood of the last centuries in Central
Europe. The winter of 1783/1784 was one
of the coldest since records began.
When spring arrived, sudden warm wea-
ther combined with heavy rainfall resulted
in unprecedented amounts of snowmelt
gushing down the Rhine. Large blocks of
floating ice blocked bridges and many sett-
lement areas along the Rhine suffered from
severe flooding.
In Bonn, a 13-year old boy named Ludwig
van Beethoven, was trapped with his pa-
rents in the top floor of their house. They
narrowly escaped the floods and survived.
Many others were not so lucky. It’s hard to
imagine that during these floods, Rhine wa-
ter gushing through the old town of Colog-
ne, destroyed everything on its way. Today
mobile flood walls protect the old town of
Cologne.
Floods and severe erosion are, needless
to say, not only a characteristic of Colog-
ne. In China, floods and erosion have been
shaping landscapes for a long time. The
famous geographer Ferdinand Freiherr von
Richthofen, chair of the organising com-
mittee of the 7th International Congress of
Geography in Berlin in 1899, investigated
erosional landscapes and floods in China.
Ferdinand von Richthofen‘s merits were
honoured this year in his hometown Pokój
(former Carlsruhe) in Poland in June 2012.
A bust was erected as a visible and hope-
fully long-lasting symbol of this joint Polish-
German cooperation.
Hans-Rudolf Bork
IGC TODAY 29.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
IMPRESSIONS
The IGC 2012 Barometer:
Sunny Outlook
After two full days of Congress sessions, lectures, symposia, field trips
and mingling, people have plenty to say about the Congress.
M
AIN, the hub of IGC happenings.
The turquoise-clad volunteers, all
briefed and bright-eyed, stand at
the ready to assist the IGC scholars and
scientists from around the world. “Well or-
ganised” is perhaps the most common
feedback from Congress participants. “No
matter where you turn, there’s always so-
meone you can approach for help,” says
one geographer from Hong Kong.
For some, who find the Congress overwhel-
ming – not only by its size but by the sheer
breadth of its scientific programme – this is
an important aspect. Shanti Sumartojo, a
sociologist from the Australian National Uni-
versity, who used the walking tour of the city
to get her “thinking geographically”, appre-
ciated the fact that the organisers thought
of offering childcare. “This really sets the
right tone,” says Sumartojo, who often tra-
vels with her children.
Mala Mohammed Daura from the University
of Maiduguri in Nigeria and President of the
Association of Nigerian Geographers spoke
positively not only of the platform offered
by the Congress for international exchange
and insight, but of the efforts made to at-
tract greater participation from geographers
from the developing world.
For young geographers just launching their
careers, the IGC is seen as a great chan-
ce to gather feedback on the value of their
work. A PhD student from Germany says
the Congress is key for positioning his own
work in the larger context. “The keynotes in
particular, which articulate where Geogra-
phy is heading in terms of its future tasks,
have been central in helping me gauge my
own work and where it fits into the bigger
picture.”
For more established geographers, the
Congress is a chance to catch up with in-
ternational colleagues and gather new in-
put. The Congress has all-around value for
Arndt Schimmelmann, a geochemist from
Indiana University. “What’s so great is that I
get to see stuff I’m not normally confronted
with. And this time around I’ve even found
new venues and opportunities for collabo-
rations.”
Two young professors from Université Paris
8 were particularly pleased with the proximi-
ty of the IGC this time around. “It’s a shame
we have to go home so soon.” Which, by
the way, seems to be a common sentiment
among this year’s Congress-goers.
Thumbs Up: Everything is going fine at the IGC 2012 in Cologne
t
Globalisation and global change have made
Geography not only a dynamic but a salient,
future-oriented science.
Understanding the need to spread the word
about the importance of Geography, IGU
geographers visited local schools in the
Cologne-Bonn region to report on their la-
test research. The renowned colleagues re-
sponded positively to our idea of promoting
the relevance of Geography to the younger
generation and were eager to participate. “It
sounds both fun and informative,” says Prof.
David Lanegran from Minnesota (USA). “I’ve
heard much about German Gymnasiums - I
never thought I’d be able to visit one.”
Sparking real interest
Lanegran’s wish came true – he lectured
on “Development, urbanization and restruc-
turing of the iron mining region of northern
Minnesota and the related developments in
Detroit” at the Irmgardis Gymnasium in Co-
logne. His talk inspired the students to ask
excellent questions and even compare the
situation in the Manufacturing Belt with the
structural change in Germany’s own Ruhr-
gebiet, exploring the transferability of the si-
tuation in Detroit to that of the Opel factory
in Bochum.
Veronika Selbach
SCHOOLS PROGRAMME
Down to earth: Science meets
school – geographers visit local
schools
GET IN TOUCH
E-Mail to the editorial office
info@igc2012.org
IGC-Facebook
facebook.com/igc2012
IGC-Twitter
twitter.com/IGC_Cologne2012.de

3.0
APPENDIX
Appendix | 225
„MY DAY AT THE IGC...“
Its been an eventful
three days at the IGC
and the information
counter has been a
great vantage point
to witness the acti-
vity of the congress.
The variety of parti-
cipants is astound-
ing, we have had the
chance to interact
with geographers
from around the
world; from students
to professors and researchers and doyens
of their fields. We saw them meet old col-
leagues and friends, exchange ideas in the
lobby, rush from one session to another,
meet new people, leave excitedly for excur-
sions, arrange to discuss things further du-
ring the evening social programmes or plan
a tour of the historic city of Cologne in free
time.The energy is infectious.
I also had the chance to attend a few sessi-
ons yesterday and have a list of new ideas
to explore. A PhD research can be a lonely
journey, it is opportunities like these where
one can share the intellectual excitement
of fellow researchers, locate one’s own re-
search in the current work in the discipline
and truly feel a part of a larger academic
effort to understand our world.
Megha Sud
WEATHER
29.08.2012
28ºC, sunny
IMPRINT
University of Cologne info@igc2012.org
Albertus-Magnus-Platz www.igc2012.org
50923 Köln
IGC TODAY 29.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
IGC SPOTLIGHT
GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING:
PROMOTING GEOGRAPHY’S
COMPETENCES THROUGH AN
INTERNATIONAL UN-YEAR
Thinking globally and acting appropriately
locally presupposes global understanding.
A global understanding of socio-cultural
and natural realities is an essential human
condition in the 21st century: People need
to understand how their everyday actions
are embedded in global processes, and
what the global impacts of these actions
are in order to achieve more sustainable
ways of living.
To reach these goals and to promote ge-
ography’s visibility in the field, the IGU has
launched an initiative for an International
UN-Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) in
2016. This is a unique opportunity to gain
worldwide public attention for geography’s
competences in mastering major challeng-
es of our time.
This initiative aims to bridge the awareness
gap between local acts and global effects
by stimulating transdisciplinary research ini-
tiatives through education and information,
which will yield actionable insights into the
ways people can live together more sus-
tainably.
The IYGU organisation will include conti-
nental action centres, as well as national
working groups for the different fields of
action. This initiative is gathering the best-
known experts from all scientific fields. It
is supported by global umbrella organisa-
tions, such as the International Council for
Science, the International Social Sciences
Council, the International Institute of Phi-
losophy and the Humanities, as well as the
International Human Dimension Program.
The IYGU has strong partners in economy,
media, and politics. Nobel Prize laureates
and leading representatives of sustainability
policies act as goodwill ambassadors.
We invite all geographers to support this
vital initiative on the national, continental,
and global level. If you are interested in
this initiative, please contact the secretariat
IYUN_IGU@uni-jena.de.
Further information is available on
www.global-understanding.info.
Prof. Dr. Benno Werlen
Executive Director of IYGU
H
umanity finds itself at an evolutionary
crossroads. The choice is that of a
perfect storm of progressively dee-
pening crises on the one hand, and expan-
ding perspectives of unprecedented oppor-
tunities, on the other (Club of Rome 2012).
Holistic action is now urgently needed to
avoid the significant costs and consequen-
ces, both in economic and human terms
(OECD 2012). These two quotations by two
different organizations, but with comparable
content, may be illustrative of our current si-
tuation and knowledge, while we recognise
the limitations of our unique planet.
First, we look back and demonstra-
te with instructive figures what has
happened in climate change and
in global change, i.e. in nature
and in society. Four scenarios
show the climate change pro-
cesses from 1870 to 2100. We
will then present the effects of the
human-induced global change in
the 20th century, which the author himself
(McNeill 2005) called a turbulent and dra-
matic scenario. We know that perhaps 80%
of these changes have occurred only in the
second half of the 20th century. Therefore, it
would be much more instructive to analyse
and to compare only the last 50 years and
to link the natural and the anthropogenic
forces in different local or regional studies.
Secondly, four topics may show that geo-
graphy has ideal prerequisites for an active
and innovative participation in international
research programmes from the past to the
future. We call the first topic “Linking natural
and social sciences: Geography as Bridge–
Builder”. It all began with the UNESCO - Man
and Biosphere Programme in 1971, and en-
ded with the last 2011 Nobel Prize Winners
Symposium in Stockholm and the wonder-
ful formulation “Ecosystems and social sys-
tems are dynamic and inextricably linked”.
Why has geography not made much better
use of this unique chance to play a leading
role in this domain of research? Of course,
geography also needs basic grassroots and
specialised research. We argue, however,
that at least some qualified collaborators
should spare a certain amount of their time
for this promising “interdisciplinary respon-
sibility” with a rapidly increasing significance
since Rio 1992. Society and economy are
starting to realise that our planet’s natural
resources are limited, surprisingly 40 years
after the publication of “Limits to Growth”
(Meadows et al, Club of Rome, 1972). We
therefore propose the second and much
more concrete title for a stronger enga-
gement of geography in attractive
questions of sustainability: “Eco-
system Services and Resource
Use”. Knowing that this issue
needs to be addressed on a glo-
bal level, we also propose a more
active participation of geographers
in international research programmes.
All these efforts are useless if we do not find
a way in which our knowledge can contribu-
te to so-called “science – policy dialogues”
(third title) or even in political decision ma-
king processes.
My last point is an appeal to support the
“International Research in Geographical
and Environmental Education” (fourth title)
on all levels and in all regions of the world.
The reason is evident: We are at a cross-
roads with global change and globalisation,
and therefore we need to consider a new
way of thinking about global solidarity and
responsibility and about a new relationship
between nature and society. All this de-
mands more courage to intervene in politi-
cal decision processes from the local to the
global level and more energy to support the
education of the next generations in order
to change today’s Global Change.
Professor Bruno Messerli
COMMENT OF THE DAY
“Nice to meet colleagues from all over
the world, the networking at this con-
gress is even more important than the
very interesting sessions on scientific
topics.”
- Michael Lukas | Universidad de Chile -
KEYNOTE “GLOBAL CHANGE AND GLOBALISATION”
Global Change and Globalisation
– Challenges for Geography
IGC field trip impression: „From Rome to Prussia“ (Amelie and her group)
Megha from the
IGC-Team

PART 3
226 | Appendix
GET IN TOUCH
E-Mail to the editorial office
info@igc2012.org
IGC-Facebook
facebook.com/igc2012
IGC-Twitter
twitter.com/IGC_Cologne2012
DATES
30.08.2012, 11.45 am:
Keynote-lecture “Risks and
Conflicts“:
Stephan Baas
“Disaster Risk and Crises - Challenges for
Food and Nutrition Security“
Derek Gregory
“Deadly embrace: war, distance and
intimacy“
The Keynote-lecture will take place in MAIN
13 and will be broadcasted live in KEY 7 if
the maximum occupancy is exceeded.
LAST MINUTE CHANGE
Business Meeting of the Com-
mission on Land Degradation and
Desertification
Starts earlier! At 10:00 am in MAIN 02
DEAR COLLEAGUES,
More than 2,400
geographers from
some 80 coun-
tries have gathe-
red for this year’s
IGC, making for a
unique event with
an unprecedented
turnout. High atten-
dance coupled with
the innovative pro-
gramme offers a wonderful chance to meet
and exchange our ideas.
It is particularly important to have partici-
pants from Asia, Africa and Latin America,
as they are traditionally underrepresented
at IGU events. A special meeting, chaired
by Prof. Chris Mutambirwa of the University
of Zimbabwe, was held August 28th for our
60 IGC delegates from 12 African nations.
The objective was to discuss participation
in IGU activities as well as issues surround-
ing the development of Geography in Africa.
Another special session was held August
27th on the ambitious project initiated by
the IGU and its former President Adalberto
Vallega. The IGU seeks UNESCO’s support
for the proclamation of the International
Year of Global Understanding (IYGU). One
of its scopes is to better the global visibility
of Geography, including research, teaching
and the dissemination of knowledge on the
ways we inhabit an increasingly globalised
world. The project was presented by its
coordinator, Prof. Benno Werlen (University
of Jena), former IGU President Prof. Bruno
Messerli and Prof. John Pickles (University
of North Carolina).
The “ordinary” sessions are what lay at the
heart of the IGC, of course. With so many in-
teresting events scheduled over the course
of the Congress – and often at the same
time – it’s hard to fit it all in. Our days in
Cologne are full – full not only with meetings
and presentation but with friendly contacts
and enjoyable nights in this exciting city.
Vladimir Kolossov
IGC TODAY 30.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
POSTER SESSION
Definitely Worth the Walk
Some 350 attendees “hoofed it” to the other side of campus to view
the poster exhibition on Tuesday – and were not disappointed.
B
y 6 pm on Tuesday, the foyer of the
Chemistry building several city blocks
away from the rest of the IGC happe-
nings was packed. And buzzing with peop-
le – some cradling beers, others taking no-
tes – ambling, mingling, stopping, listening,
pointing, asking and explaining. The event
was the first of two IGC Poster Sessions,
featuring a total of 180 scientific posters on
the Congress’ four key topics.
A winning format
The first round of posters, 80 in all, covered
projects in the area “Global Change and
Globalisation” and “Urbanisation and De-
mographic Change”. With poster authors
on hand to field questions from interes-
ted passers-by, the format is the science
community’s version of the “elevator pitch”.
Professor Duval Fernandes from Brazil, who
busily represented his PhD student’s poster
“The New Migratory Flow from Haiti to Bra-
zil”, is a real advocate of this often downgra-
ded presentation format. “It’s a great way to
get ideas out there – quickly, personally and
with impact,” Fernandes said, who had just
exchanged cards with a scientist from Peru.
“It can also be the beginning of something
new.”
For the “youngsters” in the field who had
their own showing as part of the IGC’s
Young Researchers’ Forum, the session
was in most cases a debut. Ana Hoinic, a
student from the University of Bucharest
and the youngest participant at just 22, had
admittedly been nervous. “I’m at the very
beginning of my career, so I’m starting with
the most rudimentary form of presentation,”
Hoinic said. “I’m just hoping for lots of feed-
back – from professors and people who are
already doing real research.” Punyatoya Pa-
tra, an associate professor from the Univer-
sity of Delhi, who had been hovering interes-
tedly around Hoinic’s poster, piped in with a
knowing and supportive, “And it’s from this
stage we grow.”
Awards
Tuesday’s Poster Session ended in an
awards ceremony, with the top three pre-
senters in each category receiving an armful
of prizes – certificates, congress mugs, t-
shirts, gift vouchers, flowers and plenty of
applause from fellow scientists. First-timer
Ana Hoinic was among the evening’s win-
ners, receiving the Young Researchers’ Fo-
rum Second Prize and some feedback she
won’t soon forget.
Mission accomplished
The goal of the IGC’s Poster Session for-
mat was two-fold – to stimulate scientific
exchange in a relaxed, collegial atmosphere
and to give greater prominence to the pos-
ter format. Anyone who was there would
agree: Mission accomplished.
Poster session in the POSTER-building
t
SCHOOLS PRGRAMME
MY DAY AT THE IGC
I liked to visit the university because I want
to study there later. I was very impressed
by the atmosphere. Did not think that there
would be so many people. The speeches
were very interesting but sometimes hard
to understand. I liked the speech about the
Croation tourism (O. Albolino, University of
Naples) the most.
Statement from Nils Hast, pupil of the Gym-
nasium Gerresheim, Düsseldorf
From a pupil´s point of view it was very
interesting to see the general purpose of
events like these. It was impressing how
many people from all over the world came
together, „only“ to discuss geographical
matters with likeminded persons. It showed
how important it is, to remain in exchange
about this topic.
Statement from Bastian Kohler, pupil of the
Gymnasium Gerresheim, Düsseldorf
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE POSTER
SESSION:
Global Change and Globalisation
1. Gilles Rixhon et al.
Dating coastal landforms in central Chile by cosmogenic nuclides: in-situ 10Be ages of a
wave-cut platform and a depositional marine terrace
Urbanisation and Demographic Change
1. Elzbieta Bilska-Wodecka et al.
Electoral aspects of the socio-political variability of big cities in Poland
Risks and Conflicts
1. Estuning Mei et al.
Managing evacuation in Ngargomulyo municipalities: An example of the Merapi volcanic
crises
Society and Environment
1. Oana Ionus et al.
Landslide-susceptibility analysis, mapping and validation in the Balacita Piedmont
(south-west Romania)
IGU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ELECTION RESULTS
President: Vladimir Kolossov, Russia
Vice Presidents: - RB Singh, India
- Dieter Soyez, Germany
- Joos Droogleever-
Fortuijn,The Netherlands
- Jarkko Saarinen, Finland

3.0
APPENDIX
Appendix | 227
IGC TODAY 30.08.2012
32ND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS IN COLOGNE 26 - 30 AUGUST 2012
IGC
COLOGNE 2012
DOWN TO EARTH
INTERVIEW
DONGYING WEI
CHAIR OF IGU COMMISSION ON
GEOPARKS
I wanted to be a geographer, be-
cause…
… it was my true
interest, from early
on. I began studying
Geography when I
was in middle school
and thought it was
really interesting. I
enjoyed answering
questions in class
and got very good
scores. I went to the
School of Geogra-
phy at Beijing Normal University and studied
with very good geographers – it was there I
realised that Geography also demands hard
work if you want to dig deeper and know
more.
What’s your most important task
as a geographer?
As a long-time geographer and now in my
fourth year as Chair of the Commission on
Geoparks, I think one of my most important
tasks right now is communicating the role
of the Geopark not only as an education
tool, but as a site for recreation and nature
conservation. The concept of sustainability
as applied to Geoparks also needs further
developing. Commission member research
needs to be better communicated to vari-
ous academic, industry and policy players
in order to influence policy more effectively.
Young Researchers from four different
countries used the opportunity to ap-
ply for the IGC YRF Poster Sessi-
on which was held on Tuesday
evening during the „official“
IGC Poster Session. Covering
a wide range of topics the
Young Researchers bravely
mastered the challenge to
make a standing on an interna-
tional congress. All visitors to the
poster exhibition were invited to vote
for their favorite student poster by ballot.
I
t’s become commonplace to claim that
contemporary wars are fought from a
distance: the iconic version is the drone
missions flown over Afghanistan, Pakis-
tan, Yemen and elsewhere from the United
States. Yet wars have been waged at a
distance throughout history, and we
need a surer sense of the histori-
cal curve through which military
violence has shaped (and been
shaped by) the friction of distance.
But we also need a sharper calib-
ration of war’s geography, including
the emergence of new media to convey the
theatre of war to distant audiences, chan-
ges in military logistics, and extensions to
the range of weapons systems. Each of
these has its own history and geography,
and a series of critical moments can be
identified, from the Crimean War through
to wars fought in the shadows of 9/11, that
brings into closer view the distinctiveness of
late modern war. Yet for all these changes
the ‘death of distance’ – and the distance
of death – in today’s liquid world have
been greatly exaggerated: contrary
to Friedman’s absurdist claim, the
world is not flat, even for the US
military. The spaces of war have
become more complex, punctu-
ated by a developing dialectic bet-
ween ‘here’ and ‘there’, but there remains
a stark intimacy to many killing spaces that
requires careful reflection.
Derek Gregory
COMMENT OF THE DAY
“I wasn´t able to travel the world this
summer but now the world comes to
visit me.“
- Angela Klein | Volunteer | Germany -
KEYNOTE “RISKS AND CONFLICTS“
Deadly embrace: war, distance
and intimacy
WEATHER
30.08.2012
23ºC, rainy
IMPRINT
University of Cologne info@igc2012.org
Albertus-Magnus-Platz www.igc2012.org
50923 Köln
Congress dinner at the
“
Gilden im Zims“ brewery
IGU SUSTAINABLE CITIES
PROJECT
On Monday August 27, the results of one of
the IGU special projects have been shared
with IGC participants: the sustainable cities
project (IGU Global Sustainable Cities Infor-
mation Network). At the request of IGU’s
executive board, between 2010 and 2012 a
group of Chinese scholars from Hunan Uni-
versity in Changsha has developed a pilot
project with inputs from Prof. Ton Dietz from
the University of Amsterdam in the Nether-
lands (on behalf of IGU). With Changsha
city as an example a ‘rainbow method’ was
developed, and used on two websites:
In English: www.oursus.org
and in Chinese: http://zh.oursus.org.
Seven different rainbow colors are being
used to organize information about seven
major elements of urban sustainability. For
each of the rainbow colors (themes) there
is room for:
(1) experiences (by website users/ any type
of contributor)
(2) products and cases (for businesses and
agencies): both ‘advertisements’ and
‘approved’ examples of sustainable
products and cases
(3) challenges (for sharing comments and
criticisms) and
(4) campaigns (for the ‘environmental
movement’).
Social media are fully integrated.
Any questions?
Dr Fu Rong: drfurong@163.com
Ms Qiu Li: qiuli@hnu.edu.cn
Prof Ton Dietz: dietzaj@ascleiden.nl
Hence, the winners truly represent the opi-
nion of all participants.
We are happy to announce the
three winners of the YRF Poster
Session! Congratulations!
1st Place: Kristof Dorau | Co-
logne | Germany
2nd Place: Ana-Ilinca Hoinic |
Bucharest | Romania
3rd Place: Elisabeth Militz | Jena |
Germany
IGC SPOTLIGHT
YOUNG RESEARCHERS
POSTERSESSION
Thank you to the Local Organising Committee, the Institute of Geography and the IGC 2012 Volunteers. And to all participants:
thanks for having participated in the IGC 2012, Cologne. Have a safe journey back home. See you again in Kyoto.
HAVE A LOOK AT...
... the IGU Journals Database, which is the
IGU‘s extensive list of Geography or Geo-
graphy-related journals of the world. You
can search by country, journal name, key
word or other attributes.
The database was initiated by Ton Dietz
and colleagues at the African Studies Cen-
tre in Leiden.
http://www.igu-online.org

KÖLNER GEOGRAPHISCHE ARBEITEN
Herausgegeben vom
GEOGRAPHISCHEN INSTITUT DER UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN
durch
G. Bareth h. Besler B. Braun h. Bremer e. Brunotte h. Brückner F. kraas t. mansFeldt J. nipper u.
r
adtke k. schneider G. schweizer d. soyez d. J. werner
Schriftleitung: D. wiktorin
Heft 1 Kellersohn, Heinrich (1952):
Untersuchungen zur Morphologie der Talanfänge im
mitteleuro päischen Raum. 104 S., 19 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 2 reitzenstein, Ursula (1953):
Das Ruhrkohlengebiet im Vest Recklinghausen zwi-
schen Emscher und Lippe. 102 S., 13 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 3 Brux, Hedwig (1952):
Standortfragen der neueren Wohnsiedlungen am Bei-
spiel der Städte Köln und Essen. 73 S., 2 Abb., ver-
griffen.
Heft 4 Knapp, Rüdiger (1953):
Studien zur Vegetation und panzengeographischen
Gliede rung Nord west-Italiens und der Süd-Schweiz. 59
S., 3 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 5 hermes, Karl (1955):
Die Lage der oberen Waldgrenze in den Gebirgen
der Erde und ihr Ab stand zur Schneegrenze. 277 S.,
4 Karten u. 4 Tafeln in bes. Mappe, vergriffen.
Heft 6/7 Weigt, Ernst (1955):
Europäer in Ostafrika - Klimabedingungen und Wirt-
schafts grundlagen. XIV u. 385 S., 37 Karten u. Fig., 30
Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 8 DrehWalD, Hans Rudolf (1955):
Zur Entstehung der Spillways in Nord-England und
Süd-Schottland. Eine allgemeine und regionale Unter-
suchung. 82 S., 24 Karten u. Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 9/10 uhlig, Harald (1956):
Die Kulturlandschaft - Methoden der Forschung und
das Bei spiel Nord ostengland. VI u. 355 S., 2 Karten, 56
Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 11 Jansen, Hans (1957):
Die sozial- und siedlungsgeographische Entwick-
lung im westli chen Jülicher Land. 116 S., 15 Karten,
16 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 12 Wiegelmann, Günter (1958):
Natürliche Gunst und Ungunst im Wandel rheinischer
Agrarland schaften. 220 S., 16 Karten, 11 Abb., ver-
griffen.
Heft 13 zschocKe, Reinhart (1959):
Siedlung und Flur der Kölner Ackerebene zwischen
Rhein und Ville. 132 S., 10 Karten, 17 Abb., ver griffen.
Heft 14 BirKenhauer, Josef (1960):
Die Eifel in ihrer Individualität und Gliederung.
210 S., 16 Karten, 4 Prole, 16 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 15 Karger, Adolf (1963):
Die Entwicklung der Siedlungen im westlichen Sla vo-
nien. 120 S., 15 Karten, 4 Tafeln, (Franz Steiner Verlag
GmbH, Wiesbaden) € 14.-
Heft 16
zschocKe, Herlig (1963):
Die Waldhufensiedlungen am linken deutschen Nieder-
rhein. 82 S., 20 Karten, vergriffen.
Heft 17 Dörrenhaus, Fritz (1966):
Der Ritten und seine Erdpyramiden.
BecKer, Hans (1966):
Vergleichende Betrachtung der Entstehung von Erdpy-
rami den in ver schiedenen Klimagebieten der Erde.
X u. 112 S., 6 Karten, 16 Tafeln, 11 Fig., € 14.-
Heft 18 Bartel, Jürgen (1966):
Baum und Strauch in der rheinischen Agrarlandschaft.
84 S., 8 Karten, 31 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 19 Klasen, Jürgen (1967):
Vergleichende Landschaftskunde der englischen Mar-
schen. 331 S., 88 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 20 simons, Peter (1968):
Die Entwicklung des Anbaus und die Verbreitung der
Nutz panzen in der ägyptischen Nilstromoase von 1800
bis zur Gegenwart. Eine agrargeogra phische Untersu-
chung. 218 S., 47 Karten, 36 Fotos, u. zahlr. Tab., € 6.-
Heft 21 richter, Werner (1969):
Historische Entwicklung und junger Wandel der Agrar-
landschaft Is raels, dargestellt am Beispiel Nordgali läas.
360 S., 65 Karten, 28 Abb., zahlr. Tab., ver griffen.
Heft 22 zschocKe, Reinhart (1969):
Siedlungsgeographische Untersuchungen der Gehöfer-
schaften im Bereich von Saar-Ruwer-Prims. 79 S.,
8 Karten, mehrere Tab., vergriffen.
Heft 23 schmitz, Helge (1969):
Glazialmorphologische Untersuchungen im Bergland
Nordwestspaniens (Galicien/Léon). 144 S., 7 Karten,
1 Prol, 26 Abb., € 10.-
Heft 24 zschocKe, Reinhart (1970):
Die Kulturlandschaft des Hunsrücks und seiner Rand-
landschaften in der Gegenwart und in ihrer histori schen
Entwicklung. XI u. 254 S., 34 Karten, 12 Abb., (Franz
Steiner Verlag GmbH, Wiesbaden) vergriffen.
Heft 25 schacht, Siegfried (1971):
Drei ausgewählte Reisbaulandschaften im westlichen
Mittel meerge biet (Küstenhof von Valencia, Sadobe-
cken, Camargue). 199 S., 26 Abb., 29 Fotos, ver griffen.

Heft 26 Koch, Wilfried (1971):
Funktionale Strukturwandlungen in Taiwan. Das Bei-
spiel Luchou im Umland der Millionenstadt Taipei.
261 S., 10 Karten, 5 Abb., 35 Fotos, € 21.-
Sonderband Forschungen zur allgemeinen unD
regionalen geographie (1971):
Festschrift für Kurt Kayser zur Vollendung des
65. Lebensjahres. XXXIII u. 448 S., 31 Karten, 14 Fig.,
36 Abb., (Franz Steiner Verlag GmbH, Wiesbaden)
€ 43.-
Heft 27 schlüssel, Peter (1972):
Entwicklungen im Einußbereich der Großstadt, darge
stellt am Bei spiel der Stadtrandgemeinde Lövenich bei
Köln. 297 S., 16 Karten, 30 Fotos, zahlr. Tab., stati sti-
scher Anhang, € 19.-
Heft 28 KursaWe, Hans-Dieter (1973):
Monheim, neue Stadtentwicklung zwischen den Groß
städten. 263 S., 38 Abb., 14 Fotos, € 10.-
Heft 29 henKel, Gerhard (1973):
Die Wüstungen des Sintfeldes. Eine historisch-
geogra phi sche Unter suchung zur Genese einer alten
westfälischen Kulturlandschaft. 156 S., 28 Abb., 28 Fo-
tos, vergriffen.
Heft 30 im Dienste Der geographie unD Karto-
graphie (1973):
Symposium Emil Meynen. VI u. 107 S., 1 Karte, 3 Abb.,
5 Fotos, € 7.-
Heft 31 BecKer, Hans (1974):
Das Land zwischen Etsch und Piave als Begegnungs-
raum von Deut schen, Ladinern und Italienern in den
südlichen Ostalpen. 200 S., 20 Kar ten, 12 Fig., 29 Abb.,
€ 29.-
Heft 32 nölle, Fritz W. (1975):
Siegburg und Troisdorf. Die Entwicklung zwei-
er Nach barstädte an der unteren Sieg. XV u. 312 S.,
52 Tab., 43 Abb., 14 Bilder, € 11.-
Heft 33 saBelBerg, Elmar (1975):
Der Zerfall der Mezzadria in der Toskana urbana.
Ent stehung, Be deutung und gegenwärtige Auösung
eines agraren Betriebssystems in Mittel italien. 260 S.,
43 Abb., 16 Fotos, € 13.-
Heft 34 mathematische VorhersagemoDelle zur
geWässergüte (1976):
symaDer, Wolfhard: Multivariate Nährstoffunter su-
chungen zu Vorhersagezwecken in Fließgewässern am
Nordrand der Ei fel.
rump, Hans Hermann: Mathematische Vorhersagemo-
delle für Pestizide und Schadstoffe in Gewässern der
Niederrheinischen Bucht und der Nordeifel. 276 S.,
1 Karte, 19 Abb., 48 Tab., € 10.-
Heft 35 strahl, Dorothea (1977):
Sozialökonomische Wertmaßstäbe und ihre Wandel
bar keit im länd lichen Raum. Untersucht an Beispielen
aus dem Dollendorfer und Hillesheimer Kalkgebiet und
der öst lichen Hocheifel. 221 S., 1 Karte, 4 Beil., 5 Fig.,
€ 10.-
Heft 36 Bremer, Hanna und pFeFFer, Karl-Heinz
(Hrsg.) (1978):
Zur Landschaftsentwick lung der Eifel. Beiträge zur Ge-
ologie, Bodenkunde und Geomorpho logie. 255 S., 40
Abb., 7 Tab., 6 Beil., vergriffen.
Heft 37 hegner, Rüdiger (1979):
Nichtimmergrüne Waldformationen der Tropen.
Unter su chungen zu ihrer Typologie und Verbreitung.
410 S., 57 Abb., 64 Tab., € 15.-
Heft 38 zenses, Elisabeth (1980):
Reliefentwicklung in der nördlichen Eifel. 220 S., 17
Abb., 10 Karten, € 14.-
Heft 39 Kuppels, Inge (1981):
Die Karstspalten der Schwäbischen Alb als Leitformen
für die Morpho genese. 221 S., 13 Abb., 16 Tab., 12 Kar-
ten, vergriffen.
Heft 40 toporoWsKy, Norbert (1982):
Zentrale Orte und zentralörtliche Beziehungen in der
Nordeifel und ihrem Bördenvorland vom Ende des 18.
Jahrhunderts bis zur Gegenwart. VIII u. 218 S., 35 Tab.,
8 Karten, vergriffen.
Heft 41 schmiDt, Siegfried (1982):
Wandlungen von Gefügemustern und Wirtschaftsfor-
men im ländli chen Raum der südwestlichen Rhein-
bacher Lößplatte zwischen 1660 und 1830. 360 S.,
10 Kar ten, 16 Tab., € 16.-
Heft 42 Burger, Dieter (1982):
Reliefgenese und Hangentwicklung im Gebiet zwischen
Sayn und Wied. 139 S., 83 Fig., 12 Tab., € 10.-
Heft 43 nicKe, Herbert (1983):
Reliefgenese des südlichen Bergischen Landes zwi-
schen Wupper und Sieg. 286 S., 25 Abb., 2 Karten,
6 Prole, € 15.
Heft 44 arentz, Ludwig (1983):
Nährstoffe und Spurenelemente in Böden der Vulkanei-
fel. Eine land schaftsökologische Untersuchung mit Hil-
fe multivariater statistischer Verfahren. 247 S., 47 Abb.,
16 Tab., € 12.-
Heft 45 eK, Camille und pFeFFer, Karl-Heinz
(Hrsg.) (1984):
Le karst belge / Karstphäno mene in Nordrhein-West-
falen. 583 S., 137 Abb., 23 Tab., 34 Fotos, € 23.-
Heft 46 Junge, Harald (1987):
Reliefgenerationen und Petrovarianz im Norden der Ei-
feler Nord-Süd-Zone. 245 S., 11 Tab., 32 Abb., 5 Ta feln,
vergriffen.
Heft 47 zehner, Klaus (1987):
Stadtteile und Zentren in Köln. Eine sozialgeographi-
sche Untersuchung zu Raumstruktur und räumlichem
Verhalten in der Großstadt. IX u. 171 S., 17 Karten,
23 Tab., 16 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 48 KuBinioK, Jochen (1988):
Kristallinvergrusung an Beispielen aus Südostaustra lien
und deutschen Mittelgebirgen. 178 S., 10 Karten, 27
Abb., 7 Fotos, € 12.-
Heft 49 Janus, Ursula (1988):
Löß der südlichen Niederrheinischen Bucht. 174 S.,
3 Karten, 5 Tab., 31 Abb., € 12.-
Heft 50 zenses, Elisabeth (1989):
Kaltzeitliche Überformung des Altreliefs in Süd- und
Zentral-Wales im Vergleich zur Nord-Eifel. 148 S., 13
Karten, 12 Tab., 33 Abb., € 12.-.

Heft 51 BreitBach, Thomas (1989):
Basaltschuttdecken in der Hocheifel. Indikatoren plei-
stozäner Reliefüberprägung. Mit Vergleichsuntersu-
chungen im Hessischen Bergland. 265 S., 5 Tab.,
41 Abb., € 15.-
Heft 52 Borger, Harald (1990):
Bohnerze und Quarzsande als Indikatoren paläogeo-
graphi scher Verwitte rungsprozesse und der Alt reliefge-
nese östlich von Albstadt (Schwäbische Alb). XII u. 209
S., 11 Karten, 18 Tab., 38 Abb., 35 Fotos, € 17.-
Heft 53 Florian, Andrea-Johanna (1990):
Passagen. Ein Beispiel innerstädtischer Revitali sie rung
im Interessenkonikt zwischen Stadtentwicklung und
Einzelhandel. 223 S., 72 Tab., 14 Abb., € 15.-
Heft 54 nutz, Manfred (1991):
Räumliche Mobilität der Studierenden und Struktur des
Hochschulwesens in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
Eine Analyse des Entscheidungsverhaltens bei der Stu-
dienortwahl und der Einzugsgebiete der Universitä ten.
X u. 191 S., 29 Karten, 10 Tab., 23 Abb., € 16.-
Heft 55 riether, Norbert (1991):
Geomorphologische Prozesse im Lichte von Sedimen-
ten aus dem westlichen Sri Lanka. 236 S., 40 Tab.,
104 Abb., € 17.-
Heft 56 Würz, Axel (1992):
Die Vegetation der Moore Südtirols. IX u. 97 S., 54
Tab., 6 Abb., € 16.-
Heft 57 nipper, Josef & nutz, Manfred (Hrsg.) un ter
Mitarb. v. Dorothea WiKtorin (1993):
Kriegszerstörung und Wiederaufbau deutscher Städte.
Geographische Studien zu Schadensausmaß und Be
völkerungsschutz im Zweiten Weltkrieg, zu Wiederauf-
bauideen und Aufbaurealität. VIII u. 228 S., zahlr. Kar-
ten, Tab., Abb. u. Fotos, vergriffen.
Heft 58 reuBer, Paul (1993):
Heimat in der Großstadt. Eine sozialgeographische Stu-
die zu Raumbezug und Entstehung von Ortsbin dung am
Beispiel Kölns und seiner Stadtviertel. X u. 154 S., 7
Karten, 7 Tab., 38 Abb., vergriffen.
Heft 59 Weiss, Günther (1993):
Heimat vor den Toren der Großstadt. Eine sozialgeo
graphische Studie zu raumbezogener Bindung und Be-
wertung in Randgebieten des Verdichtungsraums am
Beispiel des Umlandes von Köln. X u. 176 S., 6 Kar ten,
20 Abb., € 17.-
Heft 60 sachs, Klaus (1993):
Ortsbindung von Ausländern. Eine sozialgeographische
Untersuchung zur Bedeutung der Großstadt als Heimat
raum für ausländische Arbeitnehmer am Beispiel
von Köln. XII u. 138 S., 3 Karten, 8 Tab., 16 Abb.,
€ 17.-
Heft 61 geBharDt, Hans & schWeizer, Günther
(Hrsg.) unter Mitarb. v. Paul reuBer (1995):
Zuhause in der Großstadt. Ortsbindung und räumliche
Identikation im Verdichtungsraum. Mit Beiträgen von
H. Geb hardt, P. Reuber, K. Sachs, G. Schweizer, B.-A.
Steg mann, G. Weiss, K. Zehner. VIII u. 107 S., zahlr.
Karten, Tab. u. Abb., € 17.-
Heft 62 alisch, Matthias (1995):
Das äolische Relief der mittleren Oberen Allerniede-
rung (Ostniedersachsen) - spät- und postglaziale Mor-
phogenese, Ausdehnung und Festlegung histori scher
Wehsande, Sandabgrabungen und Schutzaspekte. IX u.
176 S., 5 Karten teilw. farbig, 13 Tab., 41 Abb., 10 Fo-
tos, € 19.-
Heft 63 Brunotte, Ernst; immenDorF, Ralf &
schlimm, Reinhold (1994):
Die Naturlandschaft und ihre Umgestaltung durch den
Menschen. Erläuterungen zur Hochschulexkursions-
karte Köln und Umgebung. Mit Beiträgen von
A.J. Ka lis & J. Meurers-Balke und Chr. Wallossek.
VIII u. 123 S., 23 Karten, 1 farbige Kartenbeilage, 11
Tab., 20 Abb., € 18.-
Heft 64 VerJans, Theo (1995):
Vergleichende vegetationskundlich-ökologische Stu-
dien in der alpinen Stufe des Latemar und Rosengarten
(Prov. Bozen und Trient) auf der Grundlage panzen
soziologischer und pedologischer Erhebungen. X u.
98 S., 45 Tab., 70 Abb., 12 Anlagen, vergriffen.
Heft 65 WallosseK, Christoph & Würz, Axel
(Hrsg.) (1995):
Studien zur Biogeographie, Geoökologie und Umwelt-
belastung. VII u. 136 S., zahlr. Karten, Tab. u. Abb., €
17.-
Heft 66 raDtKe, Ulrich (Hrsg.) (1995):
Vom Südatlantik bis zur Ostsee - neue Ergebnisse der
Meeres- und Küstenforschung. Beiträge der 13. Jahres-
tagung des Arbeitskreises Geographie der Meere und
Küsten vom 25.-27. Mai 1995 in Köln. VI u. 242 S.,
zahlr. Karten, Tab., Abb. u. Fotos, € 19.-
Heft 67 manz, Hermann Heinrich (1995):
Der Wiederaufbau der Zentren der beiden Städte Mag-
deburg und Hannover nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Ein
Vergleich der politischen Hintergründe, der Auf bau-
ziele, der Planungen und deren Realisation. IV u. 165
S., 67 Abb., 20 Fotos, € 17.-
Heft 68 stegmann, Bernd-Achim (1997):
Großstadt im Image. Eine wahrnehmungsgeo graphi
sche Studie zu raumbezogenen Images und zum Image-
marketing in Printmedien am Beispiel Kölns und seiner
Stadtviertel. XII u. 219 S., 10 Tab., 19 Abb., 6 Karten,
vergriffen.
Heft 69 soyez, Dietrich & Bauer, Jutta (Hrsg.)
(1998):
Luftbildauswertung als angewandte Umweltforschung.
VII u. 146 S., zahlr. Karten, Tab. u. Abb., € 18.-
Heft 70 raDtKe, Ulrich (Hrsg.) (1998):
Lumineszenzdatierung äolischer Sedimente. Beiträge
zur Genese und Altersstellung jungquartärer Dünen und
Lösse in Deutschland. VIII u. 124 S., zahlr. Karten, Tab.
u. Abb., € 17.-
Heft 71 höhmann, Marc (1999):
Flächenrecycling als raumwirksame Interaktion. Eine
politisch-geographische Untersuchung über Entschei-
dungsstrukturen und Koniktpotentiale räumlicher Ver
änderungen am Beispiel von Köln. VIII u. 125 S., 16
Abb., 7 Karten, 7 Fotos, € 17.-

Heft 72 BuBenzer, Olaf (1999):
Sedimentfallen als Zeugen der spät- und postglazialen
Hang- und Talbodenentwicklung im Einzugsgebiet der
Schwülme (Südniedersachsen). X u. 132 S., 53 Abb., 7
Karten, 16 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 73 WiKtorin, Dorothea (2000):
Grundeigentum und Stadtentwicklung nach der Wende.
Räumliche Wirkungen der Transformation von Grund-
eigentumsverhältnissen seit 1990 am Beispiel der In-
nenstadt und Äußeren Neustadt von Dresden. VIII u.
151 S., 20 Abb., 10 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 74 WallosseK, Christoph (2000):
Der Buntschwingel (Festuca varia agg., Poaceae) im
Alpenraum. Untersuchungen zur Taxonomie, Verbrei-
tung, Ökologie und Phytosoziologie einer kritischen
Artengruppe. XII u. 142 S., 45 Abb., 30 Tab., 19 Fotos,
€ 18.-
Heft 75 Knupp, Marcus (2001):
Wochenmärkte im Jemen. Ein traditionelles Versor-
gungssystem als Indikator gesellschaftlichen Wandels.
XIV u. 152 S., 11 Abb., 9 Karten, 29 Tab., 16 Fotos,
€ 18.-
Heft 76 soyez, Dietrich & schulz, Christian (Hrsg.)
(2002):
Wirtschaftgeographie und Umweltproblematik. VI u.
118 S., zahlr. Tab. u. Abb., € 18.-
Heft 77 Bollig, Michael, Brunotte, Ernst & Be-
cKer, Thorsten (Hrsg.) (2002):
Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven zu Kultur- und Land-
schaftswandel im ariden und semiariden Nordwest Na-
mibia. VI u. 219 S., zahlr. Tab., Abb., Karten u. Fotos,
€ 25.-
Heft 78 thönnessen, Manfred (2002):
Elementdynamik in fassadenbegrünendem Wilden Wein
(Parthenocissus tricuspidata). XII u. 113 S., 30 Abb. u.
Fotos, 51 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 79 sprunKel, Elke (2003):
Vegetationskund lich-ökologische Untersuchungen in
Kiesgruben des Kölner Stadtgebietes unter besonderer
Berücksichtigung der Naturschutzproblematik im Ver-
dichtungsraum. X u. 188 S., 45 Abb., 47 Tab., Anhang:
34 Tab., 8 Karten. CD-Rom Publikation, € 12.-
Heft 80 BuBenzer, Olaf (Hrsg.) (2003):
Studien zur Angewandten Geomorphologie und Land-
schaftsforschung. VI u. 110 S., 43 Abb., 10 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 81 schellmann, Gerhard & raDtKe, Ulrich,
with contributions by Franziska Whelan (2004):
The Marine Quaternary of Barbados. XII u. 137 S.,
zahlr. Tab. u. Abb., € 30.-
Heft 82 schWeizer, Günther; Kraas, Frauke & zeh-
ner, Klaus (Hrsg.) (2004):
Köln und der Kölner Raum. Ein geographischer Ex-
kursionsführer. Teil 1: Stadt und Umland. VI u. 244 S.,
zahlr. Abb., € 20.-
Heft 83 schWeizer, Günther; Kraas, Frauke & zeh-
ner, Klaus (Hrsg.) (2004):
Köln und der Kölner Raum. Ein geographischer Exkur-
sionsführer. Teil 2: Themen-Exkursionen. VI u. 190 S.,
zahlr. Abb., € 20.-
Heft 84 hamhaBer, Johannes (2004):
Streit um Strom. Eine geographische Koniktanalyse
New Yorker Elektrizitätsimporte aus Québec. IX u. 131
S., 33 Abb., 18 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 85 chilla, Tobias (2004):
‚Natur’-Elemente in der Stadtgestaltung. Dis-
kurs, Institutionalisierung und Umsetzungspraxis
am Beispiel von Fassadenbegrünung. X u. 123 S., 24
Abb., € 18.-
Heft 86 Bläser, Ralf (2005):
Gut situiert: Bankwatch-NGOs in Washington, D.C.. XI
u. 186 S., 36 Abb., 8 Tab., € 18.-
Heft 87 hartmann, Kerstin (2007):
Jungquartäre Reliefentwicklung, Substratgenese, Kli-
mageschichte und aktuelle Morphodynamik am Ostrand
der Namib in der Region HartmannstalMarienusstal
(NW-Namibia). 204 S., 68 Abb., 23 Tab., 113 Fotos, 11
Karten, € 20,-
Heft 88 Wang, Hui (2007):
The forefront of urban China. New Special Develop-
ment Zones and their impact on the spatial transforma-
tion of Chinese cities - A case study of Xi‘an. XI u. 148
S., 27 Abb., 23. Tab., € 18,-
Heft 89 Blöchl, Alexander (2010):
Ökonomische Analyse von Naturrisiken am Beispiel
von Hangrutschungen der Schwäbischen Alb. XII u.
114 S., 27 Abb., 19 Tab., € 18,-
Heft 90 curDt, Constanze & Bareth, Georg (eds.)
(2010):
Proceedings of the Data Management Workshop, 29.-
30.10.2009, Univ. of Cologne, Germany. VII u. 154 S.,
97 Abb., 5 Tab., € 18,-
Heft 91 Dittrich, Monika (2010):
Physische Handelsbilanzen. Verlagert der Norden Um-
weltbelastungen nach Süden? XIII u. 152 S., 44 Abb.,
19 Karten, 11 Tab., € 18,-
Heft 92 Lenz-Wiedemann, Victoria & Bareth, Ge-
org (2011):
Proceedings of the Workshop on Remote Sensing Me-
thods for Change Detection and Process Modelling,
18.-19.11.2010, University of Cologne, Germany. VII
u. 179 S., 123 Abb., 22 Tab., € 18,-
Heft 93 Kraas, Frauke, Zehner, Klaus & Gelhar,
Martina (Hrsg.) (2013):
Köln und der Kölner Raum. Ein geographischer Exkur-
sionsführer. V u. 108 S., 74 Abb., 6 Tab., € 18,-
Heft 94 Bendig, Juliane & Bareth, Georg (eds.)
(2014):
Proceedings of the Workshop on UAV-based Remote
Sensing Methods for Monitoring Vegetation. VI u. 177
S., 95 Abb., 25 Tab., € 18,-
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