The International Symposium on Conservation and Management of Wetlands (ISCMW) is a biennial programme organised by the Sabah Society of Wetlands. The symposium raises awareness about the importance of wetlands through sharing scientific findings and addressing management gaps. The 4th ISCMW was themed “Wetlands and Biodiversity: Conservation Status and Actions Beyond 2020”.
The virtual symposium
The forum brought together more than 100 national (federal and state levels) and international participants, in addition to experts, academicians, and practitioners, to discuss the way forward for sustainable wetlands management. Among the critical areas brought in focus included the current status of wetlands conservation and management at the national, regional, and global levels, gaps and challenges, and the status, targets, and goals for preserving wetlands beyond 2020.
The forum took place on both virtual and physical platforms.
The forum covered three main Sessions: Wetlands Conservation Status and Challenges; Wetlands Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; and Wetlands and Biodiversity: Moving Forward. Cheryl Rita Kaur, MIMA Head of the Centre for Coastal and Marine Environment, was invited to speak on the “Conservation of Wetlands and Biodiversity in the Last Two Decades in Peninsular Malaysia”. Other speakers included Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid for the Keynote Address, Dr Robert Ong from the Sabah Forestry Department, Dr Lulie Melling from the Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI), Raphael Glemet from IUCN, Assoc. Prof. Dr Daniel Friess from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Assoc. Prof. Dr Harinder Rai Singh from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Dr Annadel Cabanban from Wetlands International, Philippines, Ir. Dr Lee Hin Lee from NAHRIM, to name a few.
The Keynote Presentation addressed wetlands conservation status and challenges and needs for the near future to ensure sustainability.
Session 1 of the Symposium, in which MIMA represented an essential topic.
Overall, the forum came out with several mechanisms by adopting resolutions on the following aspects, i.e., institutional capacity, monitoring and reporting, sustainable financing, and deliverables.
The recording of the symposium is available at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/swcskkw/videos/437314280687373