CAC 2026- Kathmandu, Nepal

The Society for Conservation Biology’s Impact Evaluation Working Group is hosting a symposium at the 6th Conservation Asia Congress, taking place 3–5 June 2026 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Symposium: Evaluating the Impacts of Conservation on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing in Asia
Thursday, 4 June 2026 | 11:00–12:30 | ‘Platinum’ Room

Addressing intertwined biodiversity and wellbeing crises in Asia requires robust evidence on which interventions truly work. Impact evaluation, by identifying the causal effects of policies and programmes, is essential to guide effective and equitable conservation action. This symposium aims to bring together researchers and practitioners to share evidence, methods, and lessons to strengthen conservation outcomes. We are pleased to welcome the following speakers:

Alex Caruana — Are we comparing apples to oranges? The challenge of evaluating conservation programs and policies
Tanya O’Garra — Quantifying Mechanisms to Impact in a Community-Managed Fisheries Programme in the Philippines
Benjamin Chipperfield — Conservation increases the resilience of coupled human and natural systems: experimental evidnece from fish conservation zones in Laos
Paul Thung — Applying realist evaluation to explain reduced deforestation in community-led conservation in Indonesian Borneo
Avantika Thapa — Socio-ecological traps in a biodiversity hotspot: Causal pathways linking ecosystem degradation and human well-being through agricultural loss in the Darjeeling Himalaya
Aditja Malgaonkar — Synthetic substitutes as a conservation tool: Evaluating synthetic leopard fur for demand reduction and species recovery

Learn more about the congress here, or register to attend here.