Press Release

Press Release 

   Urban Economy Forum Launches Global Dialogue on Regenerative Futures through

the Zen Forest Da Lat Initiative

Da Lat, Vietnam | May 2026

The First International Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the Zen Forest Da Lat Global Initiative convened an extraordinary interdisciplinary gathering of international experts, United Nations representatives, academic leaders, sustainability practitioners, innovation strategists, financial experts, planners, and wellness advocates to explore a new generation of regenerative territorial development models.

Convened by the Urban Economy Forum (UEF), together with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), the World Urban Pavilion, UNEP-associated experts, and strategic implementation partners including NewOak Capital, the meeting represented far more than a conventional conference or technical consultation. Participants repeatedly described the EGM as the beginning of a long-term collaborative journey — one capable of building a critical mass of global expertise around an emerging platform for regenerative transformation.

Located in the ecological highlands of Da Lat, Vietnam, the Zen Forest initiative was presented as an integrated platform positioned at the intersection of regenerative tourism, preventive health, biodiversity stewardship, sustainability innovation, knowledge ecosystems, wellness economies, circular systems, and inclusive territorial development.

Throughout the discussions, contributors emphasized that the initiative seeks to move beyond conventional tourism or real estate development paradigms toward a fully integrated territorial model capable of simultaneously restoring ecosystems, strengthening communities, improving human well-being, generating knowledge, and creating long-term regenerative prosperity.

The initiative is structured around two mutually reinforcing pillars:

• the Global Initiative for Eco-Tourism Transformation, and
• the Global Hub for Health, Well-being and Sustainability.

Over the course of the meeting, participants highlighted the uniqueness of the initiative’s transformative approach and its potential to establish new international standards at the intersection of:

• regenerative tourism,
• wellness-centered development,
• biodiversity-positive territorial planning,
• AI-enabled sustainability systems,
• cultural continuity,
• nature-based solutions,
• and human-centered economic transformation.

Among the major recommendations and emerging priorities identified during the meeting were:

1. The development of integrated governance and measurement systems for regenerative territorial transformation.
2. The creation of international research and knowledge-sharing platforms.
3. The incorporation of AI-supported intelligence and resilience planning tools, including foresight and scenario simulations.
4. The establishment of strong community-centered and culturally inclusive implementation frameworks, and.
5. The positioning of Zen Forest Da Lat as a living laboratory for future-oriented sustainability innovation.

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the need to move beyond sustainability understood merely as harm reduction toward regenerative systems capable of generating measurable positive ecological, social, cultural, and economic outcomes.

Speaking during the meeting, Kaveh Madani, Director UNINWEH, emphasized the global significance of the initiative:

“Sustainability must extend beyond environmental metrics alone. Projects such as Zen Forest Da Lat offer an opportunity to connect science, health, resilience, and human well-being into practical systems capable of generating globally transferable lessons.”

Contributors associated with UNEP’s sustainable tourism frameworks also highlighted the importance of operational implementation systems capable of translating climate action, circular economy principles, biodiversity stewardship, and behavioral transformation into measurable territorial outcomes.

Svitlana Mikhalyeva, Sustainability Leader, UNEP, noted:

“Tourism can no longer be understood simply as a service sector. Properly designed, it can become a transformative force capable of influencing lifestyles, ecological awareness, responsible consumption, and long-term resilience.”

The discussions also explored emerging concepts such as regenerative economies, “mental tourism,” nature as medicine, AI-supported governance systems, resilience foresight, indigenous stewardship, and holistic well-being frameworks linking emotional, ecological, and societal restoration.

Participants repeatedly stressed that the richness of the meeting resulted precisely from the diversity of perspectives assembled — bringing together experts from vastly different regions, disciplines, and cultural backgrounds while maintaining a shared commitment to regenerative futures.

In his concluding reflections, Reza Pourvaziry framed the initiative within a broader global challenge:

“The central question before us is whether humanity is still capable of creating a meaningful legacy for future generations through genuine collaboration, shared knowledge, and collective action. Zen Forest Da Lat represents an opportunity to begin answering that question together.”

The meeting concluded with broad agreement that Zen Forest Da Lat possesses the potential to evolve into a globally significant demonstration platform for regenerative territorial transformation, wellness-centered development, and future-oriented sustainability innovation.

Participants also confirmed their intention to continue building an international advisory and collaboration ecosystem capable of supporting the initiative through future phases of research, implementation, partnership development, and global dissemination.

About Urban Economy Forum (UEF)
The Urban Economy Forum is a global platform dedicated to advancing the urban economy, sustainable development, and cross-sector collaboration among cities, institutions, and the private sector.

About NewOak Capital LLC
NewOak Capital LLC is an international finance, capital markets, and venture firm with sustainable development and technology affiliates (Silverline Capital OU) and a capability economics AI platform (Pantha Cap Inc.) focused on globally scalable, technology-driven, innovative, sustainable projects and new models of urban investment and transformation.

Media and institutional inquiries may be directed to Urban Economy Forum at info@ueforum.org,  NewOak Fintech Phuc Thien JSC at rdvari@newoak.com, or  Silkline Capital OÜ at robert@silkline.capital