The first International Symposium and Workshop on Tropical Peatlands organized in the context of CARBOPEAT Project held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 25-29 August 2007 focused on vulnerabilities of and risks to their carbon pools, linked to mitigation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through the ‘wise use’ of natural resources. This Kuching 2008 International Symposium and Workshop will be a follow-up of the Yogyakarta meeting and will revolve around the theme Peatland Development: Wise Use and Impact Management.

Covering the entire scope from science to implementation, it provides a major opportunity at which to present the latest data and information on tropical peatlands and their wise use and to assess their important role in the carbon cycle, nationally, regionally and globally. At the same time, there will be deliberations on impact mitigations, policy guidance, strategies for implementation as well as legal and institutional issues involving Government Agencies in Southeast Asia and the EU, International Conventions, industry, local communities and other interested parties.