CESDEN – Online January Meeting

The Carpathian ESD Expert Network (CESDEN) held an online meeting moderated by Tamara Mitrofanenko and Elena Fischer from UNEP’s Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention. Participants included ESD and nature protection experts from the seven Carpathian countries, Eurac Research, and Leuphana University. The following topics were discussed:

1. Key Activities from 2024

• Steps Forward Education Festival (Košice, Slovakia, November 2024): This event focused on new approaches to ESD in the Carpathians, highlighting cross-sectoral links between education, pastoralism, biodiversity, tourism, and cultural heritage. Participants shared their impressions and experiences from the festival.
• UNECE Forum for ESD and Youth (Limassol, Cyprus, June 2024): The Forum emphasized Carpathian youth participation and multilateral partnerships. Insights were shared from the World Café discussion on amplifying youth voices for ESD.

2. Engaging Youth and Young Researchers

• Carpathian Convention Youth Engagement: The Carpathian Conventions seeks to establish a “Carpathian Convention Youth Focal Point” to increase youth involvement, including collaboration with UNECE Youth Delegates and other youth-related initiatives.
• European Wilderness Society Initiatives: The organization currently has projects like SMARTOUR and Youth Green Conference to engage youth in environmental activities. The Youth Green Conference will be held in September 2025 in Austria.
• Shifting Towards Ecotourism Project: The project focuses on heritage interpretation and involving young scientists in creating tourism management plans for Ukrainian national parks.
• ProBioTIC Project: The project promotes biodiversity through transdisciplinary learning interventions, including summer schools and university modules.

3. Outlook for 2025

• Linking Biodiversity, Pastoralism, Cultural Heritage via ESD: The project will align institutional frameworks and fostering transnational cooperation. Upcoming events include the Carpathian Convention Working Group on Forestry and Biodiversity, UNECE Steering Committee ESD Meeting, and Forum Carpaticum.
• Updates from Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises: Environmental awareness and education initiatives, including river cleanups and the Plastic Cup project.
• Science for the Carpathians: Upcoming events and collaborations focusing on marginalized regions and communities, including the Forum Carpaticum and IAG Regional Conference on Geomorphology.

The meeting concluded with discussions on enhancing youth participation, upcoming events, and collaborative projects to promote sustainable development in the Carpathian region.