Over 100 participate in LiWeFor seminar 2024 in Kota Samarahan

KUCHING (Oct 15): Over 100 participants attended the Living Labs for Wetland Research (LiWeFoR) seminar 2024 at Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi) in Kota Samarahan today.

The one-day event aimed to establish and develop a global network of Living Labs of wetland forest research, education and management.

In her opening speech, Tropi Director Datu Dr Lulie Melling emphasised the importance of the LiWeFoR project.

“Tropi is proud to be part of this global network, which will significantly enhance our understanding of tropical peatlands.

“These collaborative efforts will address critical environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable management strategies,” she said.

Lulie also shared that the LiWeFor project aims to systematically raise expertise among researchers and decision-makers, enhance career awareness, build a capable workforce, and promote science-related careers.

“I want to encourage everyone to engage actively in the discussions, share your insights, and seize the opportunity to collaborate with peers from various institutions and regions.

“Together, we can create a robust network that will drive forward impactful research and sustainable management practices for wetland ecosystems,” she said.

The seminar featured 15 oral presentations and several poster sessions delivered by researchers and doctor of philosophy (PhD) students from the participating organisations.

Topics ranged from greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation strategies in tropical peatland forests, with case studies from Borneo, the Peruvian Amazon, the Congo Basin, Uganda, and La Réunion, to research from boreal regions, such as the Baltic states, Scandinavia, and Finland.

In addition, joint field campaigns to global greenhouse gas emission hotspots in tropical wetland forest regions, such as Peru and Malaysia, will strengthen educational knowledge transfer. This exploratory research component binds together other activities from all partners.

The programme was co-organised by Tropi, the University of Tartu, Estonia, and the Malaysia Peat Society (MPS).