Whether in Shakespeare, Dick, or Scholl-Latour, shocking events and developments always have spatial impacts. For the Winter Semester 2023/2024, the Heidelberg Geographical Society (HGG) has invited leading experts to present on urgent contemporary issues and engage in discussions with the audience afterward. Global and regional perspectives will be presented on topics such as land use and climate change, China as a global power, global health, and natural hazards. The series also includes a student presentation that, with impressive photos, illustrates the development processes of a remote high mountain region, providing ample topics for conversation at the HGG Christmas gathering.
All lectures take place in Lecture Hall 2 (HS2) of the Kirchhoff Institute for Physics (KIP), Im Neuenheimer Feld 227. More information can be found on the HGG flyer and website.
Full Schedule for Winter Semester 2023/2024:
- Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 7:15 pm
- Prof. Dr. Julia Pongratz (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)
- “Land Use – From Unintended Climate Effects to Climate Protection”
- Three-quarters of the ice-free land surface is used for agriculture or forestry, affecting the local and global climate. Understanding these impacts is crucial as they can now be leveraged to mitigate climate change. Land use plays a significant role in reaching the 2-degree target by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. This lecture will illustrate land use’s past and future roles, highlighting its potential and risks for climate mitigation.
- Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 7:15 pm
- Prof. Dr. Annika Mattissek (University of Freiburg) & Prof. Dr. Paul Reuber (University of Münster)
- “China as a Power Factor in a ‘World Out of Joint’?”
- China’s rise has shifted global economic and geopolitical power. Regionally and globally, China’s ambitions under Xi Jinping foster a confrontational new bloc mentality. The lecture will examine two case studies to show China’s new role from a geographical perspective, using Bundestag debates and examples from Cambodia to demonstrate China’s impact on space and power structures in other countries.
- Student Presentation (HYBRID – Free Admission)
- Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 7:15 pm
- “Development Processes in the Peripheral High Mountain Region of Ladakh, India”
- Ladakh, in the Trans-Himalayas, undergoes vast changes in its natural, socio-economic, and political landscape. Both gradual changes (glacier retreat, permafrost degradation) and sudden, often catastrophic events (glacial lake outbursts) are significant. Social and economic development, rising tourism, and administrative restructuring bring new challenges. During a three-week field trip, participants explored physical and human geographic developments and adaptation strategies.
- Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 7:15 pm
- Prof. Dr. Bärnighausen (Heidelberg University)
- “Global Health Out of Joint? Climate Change and Other Geographical Factors”
- Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Global Health has been visibly “out of joint.” Climate change, along with globalization, increasingly drives disease spread. The lecture will discuss factors such as access to clean water, pollution, land use change, and global warming and address the challenges these present for global health.
- Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 7:15 pm
- Prof. Dr. Lothar Schrott (University of Bonn)
- “Are Natural Hazards and Risks Increasing? Answers from Geography and Geoscience”
- Earthquakes, landslides, floods, droughts, or wildfires – natural hazards make frequent news headlines. Are these regions truly becoming more dangerous for people? What role does climate change play? This lecture delves into the diversity of natural hazards, discussing identification, monitoring, and prediction methods. Professor Schrott, an expert in natural hazards, will present modern monitoring and early warning systems with examples that illustrate scientific challenges.
