Rationale

Human activities like deforestation, urbanization, and industrialization have drastically altered forest ecosystems. Logging, forest conversion to agriculture, and infrastructure development have led to habitat loss, fragmentation, and environmental degradation, threatening biodiversity and disrupting ecological processes such as carbon sequestration, water regulation, and climate stabilization.

Climate change exacerbates these challenges, affecting forest health and resilience through rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events. Shifts in species distribution, phenology, and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases are notable impacts. Conservation strategies must adapt to these evolving environmental conditions.

Amidst these global challenges, effective solutions require multidisciplinary approaches and international collaboration, combining scientific research, public policy, and active roles from academia and civil society.

The International Conference on Environment and Forest Conservation (ICEFC) is a recurring international event that fosters multidisciplinary discussions on forestry and environmental issues across global, national, regional, and local levels. It serves as a platform for academics, scientists, and scholars worldwide to share research, knowledge, technology, and innovations in forestry, environmental conservation, and related fields.

ICEFC is a collaborative effort between IPB University, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Tropical Biology (SEAMEO BIOTROP), Mindanao State University, and Kastamonu University. Previous conferences were held in the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, and the Philippines again. For the 5th ICEFC in 2024, IPB University will host the event, focusing on the theme “Forest Conservation in the Anthropocene: Adapting to New Environmental Realities.”

This theme reflects the Anthropocene’s unprecedented challenges and opportunities, requiring new approaches to sustainable forest management and conservation. Key discussion topics include:

  1. Technology for Resource and Ecotourism Management,
  2. Climate Change and Sustainable Forest Resources Management,
  3. Resource Utilization, Ethnobiology, and Bioprospecting,
  4. Policy and Education for Conservation, and
  5. Biodiversity and Human-Wildlife Interaction.

ICEFC 2024 aims to generate innovative solutions for global and local forest and environmental conservation.