ITTO/CBD Collaborative Initiative convenes conference on biodiversity in Mekong subregion

Community participation and secure tenure are prerequisites for the conservation of biodiversity in the Mekong subregion, and biodiversity conservation initiatives that lead to self-reliance can help alleviate poverty, according to about 100 stakeholders and conservation professionals attending a conference in March as part of the ITTO/Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Collaborative Initiative for Tropical Forest Biodiversity.