Distinguished as the oldest and most renowned Forestry and Environment Symposium in South Asia, the International Forestry and Environment Symposium, organized by the Department of Forestry & Environmental Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, USJ for the 25th consecutive year was held online under 4 sessions on 22nd and 23rd January 2021 at University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. This is one of the premier events where researchers, academia, professionals, policymakers and the industry meet to network, discuss and learn about the latest developments in forestry and environment in the region. The theme of this year’s symposium was “Post Covid -19 Environment and Society”.
Symposium was graced by Dr. Anil Jasinghe ;Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka as the chief guest. Dr. Danister Perera; Advisor, All Ceylon Indigenous Medical Association, Professor J. Patrick A. Hettiaratchi; Department of Civil Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada, Associate Professor Shobha Muthukumaran; Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Melbourne,Australia and Professor Richard Vlosky; Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, United States of America participated as session keynote speakers. Chairman of the University Grants Commission; Prof. Sampath Amaratunga, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura; Prof. Sudantha Liyanage, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences; Prof. Laleen Karunanayake, Prof. Upul Subasinghe, Prof. Hiran Amarasekara, Prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe, Dr. Daham Jayawardana and other members of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, researchers, academia and professionals also participated in the event.
Key research findings and details under the themes of Impacts of COVID -19 on Society and Environment, Forest and Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism, Climate Change and Water Resource Management, Biomass and Sustainable Energy, Waste Management and Pollution Control, Wood Science, Wood and Non Wood Industry, Environmental Economics in Resource Management, Geology, Soil and Disaster Management and Environmental Engineering and Green Technology were discussed by the scholars, local and foreign participants including key government officials, academics, researchers and business leaders in Forestry and Environment Sectors.
