Organized by Wildlife Watch Group – 2006-03-12 09:45:19
http://www.environmentaljournalists.lk
International Conference on Conservation in Conflict
April 25-29, 2006 in Kathmandu, Nepal
Organized by Wildlife Watch Group (WWG), with Embassy of Finland, Kathmandu WWF, Nepal Program and The Mountain Institute (TMI), Kathmandu.
Background
We are entering the 21st century with a deep sense of responsibility to take care of our earth and all its gifts to mankind. There is no limit to human ingenuity when we put our minds and hearts on a challenge. People can and will find ways of continuing conservation efforts in the most adverse conditions. With this belief, we have taken the initiative to organize an international conference on Conservation in Conflict.
Nepal has set examples of several successes in conservation and contributed towards global biodiversity conservation. Recently, the country has become an unfortunate witness to record the adverse effect of armed conflicts on the environment. The impact has been especially critical after 2000.
The on-going insurgency has destroyed physical infrastructure such as guard posts, range posts, sector offices and the headquarters of some national parks and conservation areas forcing the conservation staff and security personnel to abandon the area. This has lead to an increase in poaching of wild animals, deforestation and illegal trade in medicinal plants.
Armed conflict is a serious problem in many parts of the world today. It brings untold sufferings and causes enormous loss of human life. The direct impacts of conflicts on society and economics have long been understood.
It is now also realized that conflicts wreak devastating harm on the environment, damage biodiversity and put pressure on the natural resources upon which people depend. A degraded environment puts people’s future livelihood security at risk, setting the stage for further political instability and conflict.
Armed conflicts create complex challenges for conservation. Circumstances and the root cause of the arm conflicts in different parts of the world may also vary.
However, by drawing general principles and recommendations based on a wide range of experiences of doing conservation in conflict situation can help develop appropriate strategies to prevent and/or mitigate the impacts of armed conflicts on the environment and natural resources including biodiversity.
Wildlife Watch Group (WWG), with the support of the Finnish Embassy, Kathmandu, WWF Nepal Program and The Mountain Institute (TMI) Kathmandu, is organizing an international conference on conflict in conservation in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The objective of conference is:
To identify and raise awareness about the negative impacts of armed conflict on the environment, and to develop strategies to mitigate impacts during and after conflict.
The Specific Objectives are:
• 1. To bring together experiences of conservation management in areas affected by armed conflict from various parts of the world to better understand the challenges.
• 2. To review negative impacts of armed conflict on conservation organizations and their efforts.
• 3. Analyze a wide range of practical experiences in reducing these impacts during and after conflict.
• 4. To come up with resolutions to strengthen international legal framework and improve enforcement of existing international conventions in protecting environment.
Venue: Kathmandu, Nepal
Date: April 25-29, 2006
Experts/ field activists working in conflict-inflicted areas of the world are encouraged to participate. WWG has some resources to support deserving candidates and to ensure global representation. The identified areas are: South Asia, Mekong, Central Asia, Balkan, North Africa/ Arabia, Central Africa, Central and South America.
For Details:
Mr. Mangal Man Shakya Conference Director International Conference on Conservation and Conflict GPO Box 8975, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977 1 5550452, 5553870, 5524188, 5011010 Fax: +977-1-5011006 E-mail: wwg@citesnepal.org, info@citesnepal.org www.citesnepal.org
WILDLIFE WATCH GROUP Wise Use House Jwagal-10 Kopundol, Lalitpur, Kathmandu Nepal
Distributed by the World Environmental Journalists EGroup(WEJeG) Moderator: Dharman Wickremaretne List Owner:Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum(SLEJF) 434/3 Sri Jayawardenapura – Sri Lanka. http://www.environmentaljournalists.lk http://www.srilankanwaterfalls.org afejchairman@yahoo.com
