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1. Background
Attention to forest ecosystems has increased recently, in part due to the pressing twin concerns of climate change and environmental pollution and work to improve them is increasing, particularly multi-stakeholder approaches to integrated forest protection and development. Forests in hill and mountainous regions are usually more fragile and subject to threat, but are often havens of biodiversity. In many nations, especially in those that are developing rapidly like China, hill and mountain people are some of the poorest and this impacts ecological system development in hill and mountain areas. We need to increase the capacity of hill and mountain peoples to promote economic and ecological development.

Systematic development of ecosystems in China and many countries of the world have generated many successes and have produced many new models that lead to win-win situations. In these countries and regions, forest ecosystems have been protected and developed, and the economics of mountain and hill communities have improved.

In order to share success stories, and learn from experiences, the "International Symposium on Integrated Sustainable Livelihood Development in Mountain Forest areas" will be held in Linan city, Zhejiang province, China from September 15 to 18, 2008.

2. Discussion topics
The workshop will discuss:
- Utilization, industrialization and commercialization of Non-Timber Forest Products;
- Sustainable ecotourism;
- Appropriate use and development of water resources, particularly micro-hydropower; and
- Policies and other legislative measures in support of the above.
And will evaluate their impacts on mountain forest ecosystem and livelihood development. 

3. Application
Deadline for applications and abstracts of papers of the Symposium is August 5, 2008. please send the abstract of the papers to the organization committee. The invitation letters will be sent out to the foreign participants by the organization committee on August 15, 2008. The formal announcement will be sent to the domestic participants. 

Please download the application form here.
Date
2008-09-14 - 2008-09-17