Skip to main content
Preloader Close

info.gorilla[at]mak.ac.ug

3nd International Conference on Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change (GORILLA) 2024

IGU

The 1st International GORILLA Conference Opens at Mak

The Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe officially opens the Inaugural International GORILLA Conference on 4th December 2020, Protea Hotel, Kampala Uganda.

The Inaugural International Conference on Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems and Livelihoods under Global Environmental Change (GORILLA) has been opened at Makerere University. This conference had earlier been planned for May, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The two-day GORILLA conference targets sharing knowledge and research on emerging science, technology, tools and innovations around resilient communities, ecosystems and livelihoods.

The conference brought together distinguished scholars, students from a range of geographically aligned disciplines and Community of Practice as well as policy and decision makers from across the World. 200 people from 43 countries worldwide submitted the abstracts organized around the topics which generally inform the global resilience and sustainability agenda.

The conference was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on 4th December, 2020 at Protea Hotel in Kampala. The function was also joined by the President International Geographical Union (IGU)- Prof. Michael Meadows and the Executive Director the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Dr. Tom Okurut. It was graced by  the Principal  College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)  Prof. Bernard Bashaasha and his Deputy Assoc. Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga and,  the Dean, School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Assoc. Professor Fred Babweteera.

Prof. Michael Meadow of the IGUProf. Noble Banadda of Makerere University and Prof Wenwu Zhao presented the keynote addresses during the official opening session.

The conference was organised by the International Geographical Union (IGU), International Association of Landscape Ecology (IALE), IGU Commision on African Studies, IGU Commission on Bio geography and Biodiversity, IGU Commission on Geography of Future Earth and the Uganda Geographical Association (UGA).

It was sponsored by the Government of Uganda, Makerere University, the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Africa IALE, Brac, ARUA Water for communities, the Embassy of Sweden and the UK Research and Innovation among others.

While officially opening the conference, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe welcomed participants to Makerere noting that this was the first international conference organized at the University after the outbreak of COVID-19. He congratulated the organizers upon being resilient and bold in organizing the conference.  He also thanked the international delegates for being enthusiastic enough to come for this conference.