THEMES AND SUB-THEMES

1. Soil Degradation – inventorization, issues and Management

a. Soil salinization, acidification, compaction (structural degradation), pollution – issues and management
b. Urban soils and their management
c. Soil quality challenges in resilient agriculture
d. Soil erosion – modelling, innovations in management under different land uses
e. Remote sensing and GIS applications for managing soil degradation
f. Integrated watershed management
g. Restoration of degraded soils

2. Water Resources Conservation and Management

a. Conservation irrigation innovations for higher water productivity
b. Conjunctive use of poor quality waters
c. Low-cost groundwater recharge techniques
d. Rain/runoff water harvesting in urban, peri-urban and rural areas
e. Recycling of wastewaters

3. Sustainable Farming Systems vis-a-vis Climate Change

a. Intensification of cropping systems for adaptation to climate change
b. Integrated farming system for livelihood and natural resource security
c. Biodiversity conservation through integrated farming system
d. Coastal ecosystem management

4. Land Use Planning and Management under Changing Soil and Water Scenario

a. Land management in mountainous, plateau, plains, desert, grassland, alpine regions
b. Shifting cultivation – impacts, management
c. Carbon sequestration potential of soils under different land uses and in agro-climatic regions

5. Biodiversity Conservation for Mitigating Climate change

a. Aforestation and forest management for sustained rural livelihood
b. Biodiversity conservation in different agro-ecological regions vis-a-vis climate change
c. Agro-forestry systems – scope, issues and system combinations
d. Protection and preservation of wildlife and flora & fauna in the adverse environmental conditions.

6. Socio-economic and Gender issues in Natural Resource Management

a. Socio-economic constraints in soil and water conservation
b. Socio-economic development and livelihood support to farming community.
c. Women empowerment in natural resource management
d. Role of women in environmental protection

7. Policy Interventions in Soil and Water Management for Global Food security

a. Global policy framework for ensuring food, energy and livelihood security
b. Community participation in conservation and sustainability interventions
c. Irrigation development and rainfed farming systems
d. Policy interventions on the use of groundwater

8. Bio-Industrial approaches to Watershed for Food and Livelihood Security

a. Bio-industrial watershed management for enhancing income and employment generation
b. Extension, Education and Training initiatives for promotion of soil and water conservation.
c. Use of Bio-industrial waste for development and management of degraded Natural Resources.