In tropical regions most peatland is covered in natural forest and forms part of the mosaic of humid forest types which include mangrove swamp, lowland dipterocarp forest, montane and cloud forest. Peatswamp forest, which has long been the poor relation of tropical ecosystems, is now regarded as having high environmental and economic importance. This symposium brought together, for the first time in a tropical country, prominent international scientists with knowledge of natural and developed peatland systems, to discuss the twin concepts of biodiversity and sustainability. All 42 papers in this book are concerned with ecological, environmental and economic aspects of tropical peatlands. There are four main sections: history, development and inventory; characteristics and structure; forest structure and biodiversity; and exploitation, natural resource function and sustainability, as well as an introductory section which sets the value of peatlands in an international, regional and national context.