ATBC 2018

ATBC 2018 - Linking Natural History and the Conservation for Tomorrow’s Tropical Ecosystems

We are most pleased to host the 55th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) in  Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, Southeast Asia. Never before has the work of tropical biologists and conservationists been as  necessary as it is now, in the Anthropocene. With a global human population of over 7.5 billion (and growing!) and an  economic paradigm based on consumerism and perpetual growth, we humans are putting unsustainable pressures on the  world’s biodiversity and natural systems. This is particularly true in the tropics, where most of the world’s biodiversity is  found. In ATBC 2018 we want to highlight the importance of natural history because, if we want to conserve tropical  biodiversity, we need a robust scientific understanding of how nature works. But we also know that science is necessary  but not enough to do effective conservation. That’s why in ATBC 2018 we want to avoid silos and intend to engage a range  of academic disciplines, professional sectors, and social stakeholders. Together, we will exchange knowledge about  tropical biodiversity and discuss the ways for its effective conservation.

Kuching is a superb location for ATBC’s return to tropical Asia. The capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, Kuching, is  an extremely welcoming and pleasant town where ATBC delegates will enjoy - as Alfred Russell Wallace once did - the  beauty of its riverfront, the vibrance of its streets, and the excellence of the local cuisine. Sarawak, as the rest of Borneo  and much of Southeast Asia, is home to a wide range of human cultures and to some of the most biodiverse forests in the  world. We hope the ATBC 2018 delegates will be exposed to some of this stunning diversity, as well as to the conservation  issues faced here and elsewhere in the tropics. We are looking forward to meet you at ATBC 2018. Selamat Datang!