Department of Forest Management IPB University Holds 1st ICOSTFOM, Reviewing Sustainable Forest Management
The increasing human population and industrial development have impacted the landscape and climate. Unsustainable forest management causes deforestation that contributes to the global climate crisis and catastrophic landscape changes.
Responding to these challenges, the Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry and Environment (Fahutan) IPB University in collaboration with the Indonesian Forest Management Community (Komhindo) held the 1st International Conference on Sustainable Tropical Forest Management (ICOSTFOM). The event took place at the IPB International Convention Center (IICC).
Dean of Fahutan IPB University, Prof Naresworo Nugroho said that this conference was held as an effort to bridge the role of academics to the problem of landscape dynamics and climate crisis. He hoped that the presentations and oral/poster discussions of the participants could become a forum for the dissemination of research and innovation in tropical forest management.
“Thus, this step can strengthen and increase the role of Indonesian forestry managers in the development of innovation and management policies in Indonesia,” he explained.
ICOSTFOM Chief Executive, Dr Leti Sundawati said that the conference was attended by 130 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Timor Leste, Pakistan, and Sudan. There were 75 papers submitted for oral presentation and six posters for poster presentation.
“The purpose of this conference is to understand and address the impacts of increasing human population and industrial development that are changing landscapes and global climate through sustainable management of tropical forests,” said Dr Leti.
This, she said, is an important task for forest managers, forest regulators, and communities, including academics and scientists.
“Global landscape and climate change causing various disasters will not stop without international efforts and collaboration of all stakeholders,” he continued.
The conference was attended by speakers from home and abroad, including Prof. Christoph Kleinn from Universität Göttingen. He raised the topic of how to manage forests sustainably from the perspective of government policy and technical aspects. The speakers from Fahutan IPB University included Prof. Sudarsono Soedomo and Prof Elias.
From the discussion, it was concluded that the importance of collaboration in sustainably managing tropical forests. Tropical forests with extraordinary biodiversity and climate regulation functions are very important to support life.
Not only presentations and discussions, there were also tropical forest exploration activities at Situ Gunung Suspension Bridge, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java. (*/Rz) (IAAS/TNY)
