Tuy Sereivathana (Vathana)

Roles: Special Guest

Vathana is internationally recognized for his Asian elephant conservation efforts — he has received the Goldman Environmental Prize (2010), is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer (2011), and is a member of the Asian Green Forum. He builds on 20+ years of researching elephant populations and successfully mitigating human-elephant conflict. He has introduced innovative low-cost solutions to help farmers defend their fields while improving their farming practices and has pioneered community outreach to teach children in remote villages about elephants and other wildlife. His work has brought hope and empowerment to local communities and has improved the prospects of endangered Asian elephants. His commitment to conservation in Cambodia is demonstrated by his other leadership roles, which include: Chairman of the Cambodian Rural Development Team, Vice Chair of a local NGO, Natural Life; and member of the Technical Working Group for Forest Reform in Cambodia. Vathana holds an MSc and BSc in Forestry from Belarus Government University of Technology.