XIV World Forest Congress 2015

Wildlife Forum

Wednesday 9 September 2015
10.00 - 15.00

The one-day Wildlife Forum will address challenges and opportunities in sustainable wildlife management, showcasing the experiences of countries, organizations, indigenous peoples, and local communities in addressing poverty alleviation and livelihood security issues while safeguarding the world’s rich and diverse wildlife. 

Click to view Programme | speakers in Hall 5/6 |  speakers in Hall 4CD 

10.00
Hall 5/6

Opening plenary
Achieving sustainable wildlife management and improving local livelihoods

10.45-12.15
Hall 5/6

Can strengthening communities' roles in wildlife management help conservation? Rights, governance and tenure in wildlife management
Community involvement is essential for a successful sustainable wildlife management.  Issues on land tenure and governance will be discussed, introducing some of the approaches on community-based management of the wildlife resources.

10.45-12.15
Hall 4CD

Human wildlife conflict – A major threat to sustainable wildlife management
Due to land use changes, loss of habitat as well as food sources, conflict between humans and wildlife have been increasing. How can local communities live in harmony with wildlife and support wildlife conservation, while improving their livelihoods?

12.15-12.45
Hall 5/6

Launching event of fact sheets on sustainable wildlife management
Come by to pick up the third and fourth in the series of fact sheets on sustainable wildlife management, produced by the CPW.  You will also get a chance to have a sneak peak of the Glossary of Wildlife Terminology that will be launched soon.

12.45-14.15
Hall 5/6

Cooperation, legislation and innovation
This session discusses the need for strong inter-agency collaboration, adequate legislation and the deployment of novel and innovative approaches to counter wildlife and forest crime. These include track and trace systems (inter alia, for timber), the use of specialized investigative techniques, forensics and professional data collection and analysis.

12.45-14.15
Hall 4CD

Bushmeat: biting the hands that feed
In tropical areas worldwide, the meat of wild animals (wildmeat) has long been a part of the staple diet of forest-dwelling peoples. Contrary to a popular view, this cultural preference is not a matter of lack of awareness or entrepreneurship. It relates ultimately to the low productivity of domestic livestock in tropical forest conditions, and the high risks and investment costs associated with such husbandry. Wild harvest is often the most accessible and sustainable form of protein source. The main aim of this session is to present new studies on the use of wild meat in tropical areas in Latin America, Africa and Asia, discuss current challenges, and propose new lines of research to achieve sustainable consumption and trade of bushmeat.

14.15-15.00
Hall 5/6

Closing plenary
What roles do the women play in the sustainable management of the wildlife resources? A highlight of the key recommendations and outcomes of the Wildlife Forum will be presented.

Sustainable wildlife management practices help to conserve native fauna and their natural habitats, and to improve the livelihoods of rural communities.  Deforestation and conversion of forested habitats to agricultural and other land uses, forest fragmentation and degradation, wildlife habitat encroachment, overgrazing, human-wildlife conflict, and the unregulated, unsustainable exploitation of wildlife and its products (bushmeat) pose threats to wildlife resources. 


The first Wildlife Forum offers a unique opportunity to exchange information and knowledge on initiatives across different sectors and biomes related to the sustainable use and conservation of terrestrial and semi-terrestrial wildlife.  The event will focus on four main topics:

  • community-based resource management, tenure and governance
  • human wildlife conflict
  • institutional arrangements to combat wildlife crime
  • bushmeat, food security and livelihoods

The Wildlife Forum is organized by the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management, a voluntary partnership of 13 international organizations with substantive mandates and programmes for the sustainable use and conservation of wildlife resources.

Who can attend?

Everyone registered for the World Forestry Congress, from all sectors, is welcome to join the Wildlife Forum.

Please indicate your interest in attending the event when registering for the Congress.