This conference will be attended by international scholars and indigenous peoples with a common goal of promoting better understanding of terraced landscapes worldwide. The conference will highlight the importance of rice terraces and offer a platform for the exchange of ideas on terrace protection, sustainability challenges and solutions, conscientious development, landscape management, and examples of good practice around the world. It will consist of six topical panels, one forum discussion, and a two-day research excursion. The panels will focus on five themes: history, culture, and status quo of terraced agricultural landscapes around the world; tourism development in relation to local traditions and ecology; agro-ecosystems and terraced landscapes as bases for producing green products conservation and management of World Heritage terraced landscapes; Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), policies, laws and regulations in terraced agricultural landscape administration. The Ramsar Convention Secretariat is one of the collaborating institutions of the conference.  

dates: 11-15 November 2010  
location: Mengzi, China  
contact: Song Yu  
phone: +1 (347) 960 8381  
e-mail: wtfc520@sina.com  
www: http://www.1stwtfc-honghe.net/English/About/About.Html