International Congress for Conservation Biology (12-16 Dec 2021; Kigali, Rwanda)

International Congress for Conservation Biology

ICCB 2021: The Future is Now: Sustaining biodiversity for today and tomorrow

Proposal Submission Deadline

The deadline to submit proposals for symposia, workshops, roundtable discussions and training courses for SCB’s International Congress for Conservation Biology () is next Tuesday 16 March.

Visit the  for information on each session type and to submit your proposal.

We understand that Covid-19 temporarily complicates your ability to assemble a definitive lineup of speakers for an in-person event. Consequently:

  • Proposals do not require a full list of committed speakers at this time.
  • Starting in May, organizers who are short of invited speakers will have an opportunity to source talks from accepted abstracts for contributed presentations (oral and speed talks).

We hope this flexibility will help you organize a proposal in this uncertain time. Finally, please note that we’re prepared to move ICCB to a virtual format, if necessary (see ). Accepted proposals will be valid for both congress modules. Should ICCB happen in-person, we will accommodate limited virtual presentations in select symposia.

ICCB Announces its First Plenary Speaker!

We’re excited to announce Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka as an ICCB plenary speaker! Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka is the founder and CEO of Conservation through Public Health (), a non-profit that focuses on the interdependence of wildlife and human health.

Covid-19 has rearranged our priorities as conservation scientists and practitioners, highlighted humanity’s fragile relationship with nature and introduced opportunities to reposition biodiversity conservation in society. We are excited to spotlight Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka’s exemplary work on the interdependence of human health and wildlife conservation and obtain her insights on what conservation scientists and practitioners can do to help avoid future pandemics.

Questions? Contact ICCBTeam@conbio.org.

Award winning conservation scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is the founder and CEO of Conservation through Public Trust. She will deliver a keynote address at ICCB. Photo by Jo Anne McArthur.

Planning for ICCB: Covid-19 Contingency Plan

The enables SCB and ICCB service providers to pivot smoothly and in a timely fashion from an in-person congress to a fully virtual event. Mindful of the time attendees need to organize travel plans to Rwanda, secure funding, etc., our contingency plan provides at least five months advance notice (mid-June – mid-July 2021) of any decision to move ICCB to a virtual platform.

ICCB 2021 Theme

The theme for ICCB 2021—The Future is Now: Sustaining biodiversity for today and tomorrow—highlights the urgent need to conserve biodiversity for the present as we advance the science, practice, and social justice-based knowledge necessary to sustain life for future generations.

There are about 1,063 mountain gorillas in the wild. Their conservation is considered a success story in Rwanda and the region.
Lake Ruhondo, Central Highlands, Rwanda. Whether industry and development in heavily industrialized nations or rural villages in developing countries, the demands on landscapes to support human activity and life threatens the species and biodiversity upon which we all depend.

Kigali, Rwanda

Kigali is a highly walkable capital city known for vibrant markets, historical monuments, a thriving art scene, and a range of budget-friendly accommodation options that offer easy connections to the business district and the Kigali Convention Centre, the host venue for ICCB 2021.

Rwanda is a leader in conservation, becoming one of the first nations in the world to ban single-use plastics and hailed for its efforts to conserve endangered mountain gorillas and establish responsible eco-tourism sectors that support robust biodiversity and economic growth. Rwanda is home to several ecosystems rich in biodiversity and several national parks, including the famous Volcanoes National Park.

In addition to mountain gorillas, Rwanda supports hippos, giraffes, elephants, leopards, zebra, and more than 700 species of birds. Rwanda has a rich cultural heritage and celebrates its creativity and environment throughout the year with festivals and events. It is the top nation in the world for the proportion of women in parliament and invests heavily in museums and cultural history.

With its reliable transportation infrastructure, travelers can navigate Rwanda’s beautiful countryside and connect to daily flights to southern, central and east Africa.

 

Challenges, opportunity, and beauty: Photos in this announcement show challenges and opportunities in conservation, including the Mountain gorilla, a conservation success story, the Central Highlands, which shows pressure on the landscape to support communities, and the three volcanoes at the intersection of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda borders: Muhabura, Mgahinga and Sabinyo; their wild peaks tower over rich biodiversity of the mountains and the landscapes that support community life.

The Regal Sunbird (Nectarinia regia, top photo) is native to the Albertine Rift montane forests stretching from Uganda to Tanzania. Sourced from.

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