People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria — Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi Ouzou (UMMTO) — Faculty of Human and Social Sciences — Department of Education Sciences
National colloquium held in person — 2–3 November 2026 (provisional dates)
The Department of Education Sciences at Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi Ouzou has issued a call for papers for a national in-person colloquium devoted to environmental education and training in Kabylia. Below is the full text of the call.
What it is about
Kabylia is a mountainous, forested region known for its many natural riches. Nevertheless, it is now confronted with major environmental risks that are shaking its ecosystems, its natural heritage and the living conditions of its populations. Belkaid (2016) points out that Kabylia is the mountainous and forested region most affected by the phenomenon of forest fires in northern Algeria. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (2021), for its part, notes that 80% of fires in Algeria are of human origin, often due to negligence or to criminal acts. The natural configuration of the region — characterised in particular by rugged relief and abundant forest cover — makes it extremely vulnerable to the forest fires that proliferate in summer. To this scourge are added two further growing environmental challenges, namely the proliferation of waste and the increasing scarcity of water resources.
These issues certainly require technical and institutional responses for the urgent management of crises. However, they also call for educational, cultural, social and civic dimensions. Individual and collective behaviours, patterns of consumption, everyday practices and public awareness are determining factors in the prevention and management of these risks and crises.
Environmental education and training therefore constitute a major strategic lever, capable of forming a population that is conscious of environmental issues and equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and sense of commitment needed to act individually and collectively in favour of environmental protection (Belgrade Charter, UNESCO, 1975).
Faced with these environmental risks in Kabylia, it seems to us indispensable to seek to mobilise all the actors concerned, in order to reflect collectively on the prevention mechanisms, intervention strategies and awareness-raising measures to be implemented.
The organisation of this colloquium is a civic contribution by its initiator and by our university (UMMTO). We intend it to be a space for dialogue, for the exchange of experiences and for the co-construction of solutions, bringing together actors from research, education, local authorities, public institutions, technical services, civil society and the media.
It is a colloquium open to the territory, where scientific knowledge enters into dialogue with the experience of local authorities, civil protection services, forestry conservation bodies, environmental directorates, water administrations, schools, village associations, religious preachers and all actors on the ground. It will make it possible, we hope, to build a genuine regional dynamic around environmental resilience in this region with its specific and difficult relief.
Questions raised
Faced with the environmental risks affecting Kabylia — in particular forest fires, the proliferation of waste and the scarcity of water resources — what educational, institutional, social and territorial levers are capable of strengthening prevention, awareness-raising and citizen mobilisation? What strategies of action and intervention can be implemented in order to develop a genuine culture of prevention and protection against these environmental calamities?
Objectives of the colloquium
- Identification of the main environmental risks affecting Kabylia and analysis of their impacts on populations and territories.
- Examination of the role of educational, training and socialisation institutions in raising awareness of environmental risks and issues.
- Highlighting of ancestral customs in terms of environmental practices and management, as well as the initiatives and good practices developed by local authorities, public institutions and civil society.
- Proposal of pedagogical, institutional and participatory strategies making it possible to strengthen prevention and intervention in the face of environmental risks.
- Encouraging and contributing to the emergence of a civic environmental culture founded on individual and collective responsibility.
- Promotion of dialogue and exchange between researchers, decision-makers, practitioners and actors on the ground.
Thematic areas
1. Major environmental risks in Kabylia
- Regional environmental specificities and vulnerabilities in Kabylia.
- Forest fires: causes, impacts and prevention strategies.
- The proliferation of waste: causes, impacts, management strategies, preservation of natural spaces.
- The scarcity of water resources: causes, impacts, management strategies, preservation of water resources.
2. Education, training and awareness-raising in the face of environmental risks
- Environmental education in the various institutions of socialisation.
- Training of teachers, educators and practitioners in environmental education.
- Raising the awareness of young people and local populations in the face of environmental risks.
- Pedagogical innovations and educational tools. Project-based education, community pedagogies, learning through action and in the field.
- The contribution of regional ancestral environmental customs in Kabylia (Kabyle environmental anthropology).
3. Territorial environmental governance
- Public policies and local mechanisms for environmental management.
- The role of wilayas, daïras and communes in the prevention, management and protection of the environment.
- The role and actions of departmental executive directorates and technical services.
- Mechanisms and procedures of coordination between the various territorial actors.
4. Civil society, media and citizen mobilisation
- Associative movements and commitment for the benefit of the environment.
- Grassroots actions and community initiatives for the benefit of the environment.
- Environmental communication and the role of the regional media.
5. Testimonies, reviews of experience and good practices
- Local, national and international experiences relating to the issues assigned to the colloquium.
- Institutional and intersectoral partnerships.
- Recommendations for Kabylia.
Who the colloquium is for
- Researchers, teacher-researchers and doctoral students.
- Educational and training establishments (heads and teachers).
- Experts and consultants in environmental matters.
- Representatives of wilayas, daïras and communes.
- Heads of departmental executive directorates (environment, forests, water resources, civil protection, agriculture, education, youth and sports, vocational training, health, culture, religious affairs, etc.).
- Constituted bodies and intervention services.
- Heads and senior staff of public administrations.
- Media, journalists and communication professionals.
- Environmental, cultural and civic associations.
- Businesses and organisations engaged with environmental questions.
Types of contributions accepted
- Scientific papers.
- Reviews of actions and interventions.
- Feedback on experience and testimonies from the field.
- Presentations of innovative projects or schemes.
- Accounts of experiences, practices, forms of knowledge, customs or environmental behaviours inherited from past generations.
- Scientific or institutional posters.
- Other formats.
Expected outcomes
The organisers aim to:
- Give the population a real understanding of the environmental challenges and issues in Kabylia.
- Create a network of actors engaged in prevention in the face of environmental risks.
- Promote formal and informal environmental education among all segments of the region’s population.
- Propose operational recommendations for decision-makers and institutions.
- Produce a roadmap for strengthening the environmental culture and the resilience of populations and territories.
Colloquium leadership
- Honorary President: Prof. Bouda Ahmed, Rector of UMMTO
- Supervisor: Prof. Boutaba Farid, Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
- President of the Colloquium: Prof. Mezioud Ahmed, Teacher-Researcher, UMMTO
Key dates and guidelines
| Colloquium dates (provisional) | 2–3 November 2026 |
| Deadline for submission of proposals (abstracts) | 15 September 2026 |
| Notification of acceptance to participants | 25 September 2026 |
| Confirmation of participation and receipt of full papers | 10 October 2026 |
Abstracts must be between 200 and 300 words, accompanied by keywords and five indicative references.
Presentations are limited to 15 minutes.
Languages of presentation: Amazigh, Arabic, French and English.
Contact and Submissions
Send your proposals (abstracts) to: education.environnement@ummto.
Please specify your surname and first name; your academic rank and host institution; your email address and telephone number; and the thematic area chosen.
