Managing Forest Resources for Multiple Ecosystem Services

(Fieldwork: 11-12 August 2010)
Background and Objective
Accounting for 20% of global carbon emissions, tropical deforestation and forest degradation also affect 89% of all threatened birds, 83% of mammals, and 91% of threatened plants. Realizing the prominent role of tropical forests in global climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development, managing forest resources for multiple ecosystem services is widely recognized in the international climate change conventions, especially in the Copenhagen Accord reached in December 2009. Furthermore, the Convention on Biological Diversity also recognizes the important linkages between protecting biodiversity and full ecosystem services for reducing poverty in developing countries and mitigating climate change.

The conference brings together international and local academia, policy makers, representatives of forest communities, donors, NGOs, and companies to advance the management of forest ecosystems. The main objective of this conference is to discuss the timely important topics on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation, assessing forest ecosystem services and managing forest resources in the robust and fragile environments with national and international scholars, policy makers, and forestry practitioners. With total forest cover of about 59%, Cambodian government has committed itself to bringing remaining forests under sustainable use and management taking advantages of anticipated  climate change agreement on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) financial mechanism. This conference provides a good opportunity to share experiences with senior government officials and leading scholars in the aforementioned fields.  

Keynotes: 
H.E. TY Sokhun, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
H.E. Dr. CHHENG Kimsun, Director General of Forestry Administration
H.E. Prof. LAV Chhiv Eav, RUPP Rector

Conference Schedule
9 August 2010 (8:00-11:50) 
Registration (8:00-9:00)
Introduction (8:30-8:40): Dr. SASAKI Nophea, University of Hyogo 
Welcoming Speech (8:40-8:50): H.E. Prof. LAV Chhiv Eav, RUPP Rector 
Opening Speech (8:50-9:00): H.E. TY Sokhun, Undersecretary of State, MAFF 
Short Break (9:00-9:15)

Session 1 (9:15-10:35): Status of deforestation, forest degradation, and forest management
Keynote Speech (9:15-9:35): H.E. Dr. CHHENG Kimsun, General Director, FA
 and Normal talks (3 talks)
Break (10:35-10:50)
Session 2 (10:50-11:50): Status of forest ecosystem services (3 talks)
Lunch break: 11:50-13:30 

9 August 2010 (1:30-5:30)
Session 3 (13:30-14:30): Managing Forests for Provisional Ecosystem Services (3 talks) 
Break (14:30-15:00) 
Session 4 (15:30-16:30): Managing Forests for Regulating Ecosystem Services (3 talks)
Break (16:30-16:50)
Session 5 (16:50-17:30): Managing Forests for Human Dimension (2 talks)
Supper Discussions (18:00-20:00)
Closing day 1 

10 August 2010 (8:30-12:00)
Session 6 (8:30-9:30): National Forestry Program of Cambodia (3 talks) 
Session 7 (9:30-10:10): REDD+ and Forest Ecosystems (2 talks)
Break (10:10-10:30)
Session 8 (10:30-11:50): Management Schemes for Forest Ecosystem Services (4 talks)
Closing Speech (11:50-12:00): Dr. YOSHIMOTO Atsushi, ISM, Japan
Lunch and Closing

Special lecture (in Khmer) on 10 August 2010 from 15:30 to 17:00
Fieldwork (optional) 
11 August 2010: Kbal Spean Protected Forest, Siem Reap
12 August 2010: Community Forest in Banteay Srei district, Seim Reap

Due to space limit, all participants are required to register and early registration is encouraged. 

Please also note that there is no fee for conference participation but the number of participants is limited to 100 peoples. Fieldwork participants are required to cover your own fieldwork expenses.