The forestry industry is a major source of water pollution in countries producing pulp and paper, and treatment of this wastewater needs to be achieved both economically and efficiently. The application of the anaerobic process, which has been shown to have distinct advantages over conventional wastewater treatment in certain situations, has generated growing interest. This symposium enabled the exchange of views and experiences on anaerobic treatment of forest industry wastewaters and was a forum for the presentation of the latest research efforts in this field.