By Wepukhulu Rasto, Nairobi
A major regional push to protect Africa’s threatened biodiversity has been launched in Kenya, with 24 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa set to benefit from a new information platform designed to turn biodiversity data into concrete conservation and policy action.
The Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa (BOESA) was launched by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in partnership with the European Union, putting regional biodiversity knowledge at the centre of efforts to meet global conservation targets by 2030.
The launch took place in Nairobi on September 22 during the Regional Workshop on Integrated Landscape-Seascape Modelling for Climate Resilience Development in East Africa.
Photo|Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza DG RCMRD (left), Sanne Willems Regional Partnerships Delegation of EU to Kenya and other officials Launching BOESA
BOESA brings together biodiversity information, regional experiences and practical conservation knowledge aimed at helping governments, researchers, conservationists, development partners and communities make better-informed decisions on the protection of nature.
The initiative comes at a critical moment as African countries work towards the 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
According to Sanne Willems, it also comes just weeks before the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), scheduled for October 19–30 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Photo| Sanne Willems, Regional Partnerships Delegation Of The European Union to Kenya.
“COP17 will conduct the first global review of collective progress in implementing the biodiversity framework, increasing the importance of regional information that can help identify conservation gaps and measure progress,”She said.
Sanne Willems of the European Union Delegation to Kenya said years of research risked having limited impact if scientific findings were not translated into policy and action.
“Collecting data is not enough,” she added, highlighting the need to make information accessible to young people and decision-makers while strengthening countries’ capacity to act on it.
RCMRD Director General Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza said BOESA would make biodiversity information more accessible to those working to protect nature across the region.
Photo|Emmanuel Nkurunziza the Director General RCMRD Speaking in Nairobi during the Launch of BOESA.
“The publication brings together data, knowledge and regional experiences to support informed decisions and advance nature-positive action,” Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza said.
Developed under the RCoE-ESA initiative, BOESA also reinforces RCMRD’s use of geospatial technology, Earth observation and knowledge-sharing in addressing environmental challenges and supporting sustainable development.
The new regional resource is expected to provide a platform for shared learning, stronger collaboration and greater visibility of biodiversity issues as countries race to meet their 2030 conservation .