Since the early 21st century, conventional development strategies have been questioned by various development analysts, particularly those concerned with environmental, human, and socio-economic impact issues and conflicts. Debates about issues surrounding the degradation of natural resources, forests, coastal areas, and agricultural land, as well as understanding of climate change, have given rise to new propositions for a green development paradigm. The conceptual understanding of the green development paradigm relates to strategies and planning of all aspects including environmental planning, rural and urban planning, regional development planning, agricultural and industrial development planning. This shift toward green development directly supports global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, clean energy, and the protection of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
The Asian Tropical Region, covering South, Southeast, and parts of East Asia, are regions with large populations, rich biodiversity, and high growth. More importantly, this is a culturally rich region. The Asian Tropical Region (ATR) is the most dynamic region and continues to strive to balance its development path. Most of the economic growth in this region is supported by the exploitation of shared natural resources, namely forests, land, and water. Agriculture remains the dominant livelihood strategy with very slow technology adoption. However, this region also utilizes its ecosystem services for the tourism sector to diversify livelihoods. Rural and urban development is still unbalanced but rather urban-biased. Unfortunately, urban housing and settlement development sometimes threatens agricultural land. Addressing these developmental imbalances and resource management issues through green development initiatives aligns closely with the principles of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth promoted under the SDGs.
ATR faces climate change due to high use of fossil fuels for various economic sectors, including agriculture, transportation, tourism, energy, and industry. This region is beginning to redirect its past development toward green development to reduce the negative effects of climate change and social injustice. Green development is a multidisciplinary effort and requires further synchronization and coordination to achieve maximum effect. Additionally, green development has several challenges at the governance level. Promoting collaborative solutions to overcome these governance and implementation challenges contributes directly to accelerating SDG progress in the region.
Based on this perspectives, the Graduate School of Andalas University initiates discussions about various aspects of green development, particularly in tropical regions. One discussion forum is the "International Conference on Green Development in Tropical Region (ICGDTR)" which serves not only as an academic exchange platform but also as a regional contribution toward advancing the SDGs.
This conference invites all stakeholders from government organizations, private sector, NGOs, universities, and research institutions to present and discuss academic propositions, experiences, and research findings related to the conference theme. Through this conference, we can actively participate in increasing the quantity and quality of scientific works produced by researchers, lecturers, and students. This effort not only aims to strengthen individual academic contributions but also to significantly elevate the reputation and academic ranking of Andalas University. Additionally, this conference is expected to provide the same positive impact for all partner institutions involved in this collaboration, creating mutually beneficial synergies in science and technology development. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of the conference encourages knowledge sharing that is directly relevant to addressing multiple SDGs, thereby contributing to sustainable development at local, national, and regional levels.
