In memoriam of Professor Walter Liese

The late Dr. Walter Liese (middle) doing laboratory work with scientists from Indonesia and Thailand. Credit: Walter Liese.

Beijing, China, 28 February 2023: INBAR deeply mourns the passing of Dr. Walter Liese, who died 24 February 2023. Dr. Liese was a pioneer in the bamboo world, and his efforts were instrumental to the formation of INBAR, while making enormous contributions to global sustainable forestry.

Dr. Liese was a world-renowned forestry and wood researcher as well as wood biologist. Since 1951, he was a highly respected scientist in the bamboo world for his pioneering works in bamboo anatomy and structure as well as the treatment and processing of bamboo materials. The publication of his monograph The Anatomy of Bamboo Culms by INBAR in 1998 was a landmark text that acted as a stimulator and prime mover for knowledge generation in bamboo anatomy, growth, taxonomy and preservation. Throughout his remarkable career, his passion for global forestry never waned, wielding his profound knowledge and rich experiences in editorial capacities at scientific journals like Journal of Bamboo and Rattan and World Bamboo and Rattan.

Photo portrait. Credit: Walter Liese.

Dr. Liese was also highly regarded by the international community for his exemplary and thoughtful leadership. He undertook a leading role in the first-ever international working group established by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) on “Protection and Utilization of Bamboo and Related Species” in 1976. During his tenure as President of IUFRO, he was a tireless advocate for the involvement of developing countries in the organization’s work while helping build the organization’s tropical forestry program. When he led the organization, he helped strengthen connections between several important figures critical to global bamboo development, such as Professor Jiang Zehui, Co-Chair of the INBAR Board of Trustees, and Dr. Gilles Lessard, former Associate Director of Forestry of the International Development Research Centre, Canada (IDRC), both of whom were instrumental in the establishment of INBAR in 1997.

Over the last 25 years, INBAR has made great contributions in the promotion and distribution of bamboo and rattan information and knowledge around the world. INBAR has now become a premiere development platform for international cooperation, furthering the bamboo cause. In his article written for INBAR in 2020, Dr. Liese expressed his gratification for being able to play a key role in facilitating the development of strong networks to “share and boost bamboo research.” He highlighted the “very important” impact of INBAR’s trainings on the bamboo sector, which “employs millions of people in rural communities,” and expressed his hope that the “international enthusiasm for bamboo… will continue undeterred for many years yet to come.”

The departure of Dr. Liese is an inestimable loss to global forestry. Countless researchers and scientists across Asia benefited from his involvement in their projects. Though he is no longer with us, we will always honor his memory and carry forward his legacy in our work to promote the sustainable development of bamboo and rattan.

With his kind heart, Dr. Liese was well liked by those around him. He will be greatly missed by colleagues and friends at INBAR and the broader forestry community. Our thoughts are with his friends and family in this difficult time.