Participants at the 6th Asian Congress for Conservation Biology in Kathmandu, Nepal, have adopted the Kathmandu Resolution 2026, establishing a new regional framework focused on grassroots leadership, Indigenous rights, and biodiversity protection across Asia. According to coverage published by Mongabay and reported by UA.News, the gathering addressed severe pressures facing regional ecosystems and called for a fundamental shift away from top-down conservation models.
Scope and Demographics of the Kathmandu Congress
The early June congress convened nearly 500 conservationists hailing from 42 countries to examine pressing environmental challenges under the overarching theme of harmonizing biodiversity and human well-being. Data cited by Mongabay indicates that the summit drew heavily from the Global South, with 390 participants representing developing nations. The event also prioritized emerging professionals and gender diversity, recording 357 early-career participants, 151 students, and 38 individuals identifying as representatives of Indigenous or local communities. Furthermore, 43% of attendees identified as women or members of gender minorities.
The extensive program featured 11 plenary speeches, 300 oral presentations distributed across 24 sessions, 19 symposia, 59 poster presentations, and 12 distinct workshops. Technical discussions tackled high-stakes wildlife management issues, including the conservation status of the Asiatic cheetah, Arabian and snow leopards, elephants, various primates, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Attendees also evaluated complex human-wildlife interactions, community-led stewardship models, and broader regional conservation policies.
Core Pillars of the Kathmandu Resolution 2026
According to the reported text, the document prioritizes peaceful regional interaction, systematic knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and the strengthening of national chapters within the Society for Conservation Biology. A central tenet of the resolution is challenging economic frameworks that treat nature strictly as capital designated for commercial exploitation.
To implement these goals, the resolution directs the conservation sector to dismantle rigid, top-down management structures. It advocates instead for models that formally recognize community rights, protect independent decision-making by local populations, and tie conservation outcomes directly to public well-being. The framework explicitly emphasizes the necessity of fostering leadership roles for students, women, gender minorities, Indigenous peoples, and local communities.
Accessibility Measures and Financial Hurdles
Organizers sought to broaden attendance from lower-income regions by providing travel cost reimbursements, registration fee waivers, or direct discounts to roughly 160 participants. According to student feedback cited in the source reporting, the $229 registration fee levied on members of the Society for Conservation Biology from low- and middle-income countries remained prohibitively expensive for numerous applicants.
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