Can Southwestern ranchers and environmentalists ever agree on how to care for the biodiversity of the North American desert grasslands? Can a mixture of ecological research and social engagement save the shrinking forests of Morro do Diabo State Park in Sao Paulo, Brazil? How are mega-cities such as New York City already living laboratories for sustainability?

How we live with and shape the environment will be the focus of the International Conference on Biodiversity and Society at Columbia University's Low Library, May 22 to 25. Nine case studies from Arizona to Asia will help 300 leading environmental and social scientists, policy-makers, directors of prominent New York City institutions and citizens focus on global sustainability.

This three-day meeting of the minds is sponsored by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and Columbia University's Earth Institute, in collaboration with the Institute's CIESIN (Center for International Earth Science Information Network) and CERC (Center for Environmental Research and Conservation), as well as the New York Botanical Garden, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Australia's Griffith University.

The conference will build on a series of pilot projects and case studies currently being conducted around the world at sites selected for their biological diversity and social, economic and cultural importance.

"In designing the discussion around real-world projects, we hope to enable people with philosophical differences to collaborate in reaching practical conclusions," says Michael Crow, Executive Vice Provost at Columbia University and the Columbia Earth Institute. "By identifying and developing viable strategies and research agendas, the long-term stewardship of each site will be better served "

Topics for discussion include:

• Large scale and rapid changes in land use in China and Southeast Asia
• Population pressures in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico
• Conservation and environmental governance in the Tonle Sap watershed in Cambodia
• How sustainable cattle ranching is protecting the grasslands of the Chihuahua desert region in Arizona and Mexico
• Increasing local communities' sense of ownership of conservation initiatives in the Metropolitan New York City as a successful experiment in the wise use of natural resources

Each day, site managers and policy-makers will present three of these detailed case studies. Afterward, a group of panelists -- experts in the fields of conservation, public policy, biodiversity and international business -- will discuss the cases from the perspectives of their fields of expertise.

The culmination of the conference will be the release of a declaration on biodiversity and society, which will serve as a contribution to the vital political discussions on these issues, such as those planned for Rio+10 to be held in South Africa in 2002. "It's widely recognized that biological and cultural diversity are essential for our survival," explains conference coordinator Christine Alfsen-Norodom. "But there has to be accountability. There are consequences for all of us if we ignore this."

Confirmed speakers include Dr. Jose Sarukhan, Commissioner for Social and Human Development, Mexico, Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UNCHS (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements) (Habitat), Dr. Mohammed Valli Moosa, South Africa Minister for Environment and Tourism, Dr. Mok Mareth, Environment Minister of Cambodia, Dr. Christine Padoch, Senior Curator of the New York Botanical Garden and Professor Charles Sampford, Director of the Key Center for Law, Justice and Governance, Griffith University.

A $395 fee or Columbia University ID is required of participants. News media coverage is invited. Press should show New York City or United Nations press credentials. For a complete schedule of events, contact Christine Alfsen-Norodom.