The full conference schedule will soon be available...

Pre-conference workshops, roundtables and other events will soon be available...

Dedicated sessions:

The technical sesions are grouped under dedicated sessions based on three main themes under which several areas of interes will be addressed, as indicated below:

1. Sessions addressing changes and challenges in humid tropics

Areas of main interest:
Assessing status of ecosystems and species and human dimensions in the humid tropics:

• Review of status of current situation in the humid tropics in terms of changes in key habitats, populations of endangered taxa and/or livelihoods, and any related loss of cultural diversity based on individual, collective or institutional experiences and/or on original research.

Challenges 

• Human induced changes on habitats and species and water regimes due to deforestation, filling of wetlands, desertification, urbanization, etc;
• Climate change induced changes on habitats and species, water regimes; and
• Water related risks-both human induced and due to climate change.

2. Sessions addressing opportunities for meeting the challenges

Areas of main interest:
Meeting the challenges with best practices and opportunities:

• Experiences on managing habitats and species - Integrated conservation approaches/ecosystem approach to protected area  management/management of biodiversity outside PAs;
• Integrated conservation approaches for managing wetlands and water related systems – catchments to the coasts;
• Maintaining connectivity between fragmented habitats;
• Ensuring biosecurity in the humid tropics: especially managing alien species and LMOs or GMOs in natural, human–modified or man-made habitats; 
• Lessons learnt from sustainable use of natural resources;
• Learning from past experiences in eco-tourism to promote suitable development; 
• Meeting the problems of climate change;
• Sustainable use of bio-resources (including sustainable harvest and use of non-wood forest produce*)  that have economic, medicinal, nutritional or cultural value; and    
• Using technology for sustainable use of bio-resources and adapting to climate change.

3. Session on humid tropics futures and global partnerships

Areas of main interest:
Humid Tropics Futures and opportunities for partnerships

• Community participation in managing humid tropical ecosystems and poverty reduction;
• Forging partnerships with the business sector (e.g. for ecotourism, sustainable use of natural resources and  biotechnology using bio-resources) and best practices; 
• Over-coming barriers for technical collaboration for the use of bio-resources (including use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge) in the humid tropics;
• Lessons learned and best practices from country experiences on collaboration (between private and government sector, collaboration between resources managers and communities, regional collaboration, bilateral collaboration, etc.) for conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, mitigating impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development; 
• Enhancing technological collaboration and technology transfer – case studies on bilateral collaboration for use of best practices under the three conference themes;
• Case studies on successes and problems of achieving equitable sharing of benefits from bio-resources and enabling benefit sharing with traditional knowledge holders;
• Enhancing information flow on best practices and environmentally sound practices for sustainable use of bio- resources and water in humid tropical ecosystems; 
• Mitigating water related risks in the humid tropics;
• Promoting information flow on best practices to promote biosecurity in the humid tropics;
• Promoting information exchange on best practices under the three broad conference themes;
• Promoting communication, education and public awareness under the three broad conference themes. 

The main dedicated sessions will have sub-themes which will be provided once the abstracts are finalized.

The conference organizers are calling for sponsors, facilitators and organizers of roundtables, special events and pre-conference workshops

Conference deadlines

Presenters and early bird registration	31st October 2006
Abstract submission	31st October 2006
Exhibitor registration	7th November 2006
Conference registration for organizers of special events (other than roundtables and pre-conference workshops)	1st November 2006
Hotel bookings (through conference accommodation coordinator).	30th November 2006