South Africa

Declaration on Biodiversity Information for African Development

The event is organized by The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and USAID Resilience in the Limpopo Basin Programme (RESILIM)

The conference, Africa Rising: Mobilising Biodiversity Data for Sustainable Development, will take place at the Old Mutual Conference Centre in Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, Cape Town, from 19 to 22 May 2015. It is being organised by SANBI in partnership with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and the Resilience in the Limpopo Basin Programme (RESILIM).

The conference is financially supported by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation, European Union (EU) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It has the following objectives:

• Increase regional understanding of the biodiversity data-science-policy value chain and identify the opportunities and solutions that it presents for sustainable development in Africa;

• Draw attention to relevant tools, resources and learning networks for building effective biodiversity information systems in Africa; and

• Articulate a ‘Plan of Action’ for mobilising and mainstreaming Africa’s policy-relevant biodiversity data, and forge international partnerships to implement it.

Approximately 100 delegates are expected to attend the conference comprising representatives of various research institutions, international organisations, UN agencies, and over 20 African countries.

On 22 May 2015, the delegates will proclaim a ‘Declaration on Biodiversity Information for African Development’ recognizing the potential contribution that biodiversity information can make towards sustainable development in Africa and calling for increased political, financial and technical support to unlock that potential.

Find out more about the event here

Read the Declaration