IPBES Plenary Session Makes First Visit to the Continent on Diversity — Global Issues
NAIROBI, Dec 03 (IPS) – The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) first session of the Conference in Africa is “an important recognition of Africa’s contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, which is useful to society around the world, heritage. that Africa has the right to share with the people of the world,” said Dr. Luthando Dziba, from the South. Africa, co-chair of the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel.
The eleventh session of the IPBES Plenary—IPBES 11—is scheduled to be held in Windhoek, Namibia, from December 10-16, 2024.
Africa is one of the most biologically diverse continents on Earth and is home to eight of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Its unique ecology, species, and genetic diversity thrive in many amazing habitats and oceans, including open plains, deserts, mountains, forested cliffs, coral reefs, mangrove forests, and the Great Rift Valley.
This rich biodiversity provides important benefits to humans but also presents many challenges and opportunities amid the growing global biodiversity crisis.
Dziba told IPS that the Plenary is the governing body of IPBES, made up of representatives of IPBES Member States—currently 147 worldwide—who meet annually to “consider requests from countries for new scientific evaluations or to consider expert evaluation reports of IPBES, and overseeing work related to other IPBES activities of knowledge generation, policy support and capacity building.”
“IPBES members approve the policy makers’ summaries of the IPBES assessment reports and also welcome the full reports. The IPBES Plenary Sessions are spaces for the co-production of relevant knowledge for science policy by both scientists and policy makers.”
The Role of Biodiversity in Human Health, Economy
IPBES primarily aims to strengthen the science-policy interface of biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being, and sustainable development.
IPBES plays a unique role in leveraging the best of technology across knowledge sectors and communities—providing policy-relevant information and promoting the implementation of knowledge-based policies at all levels of government, private sector, and society.
Dr. David Obura, the Chairman of IPBES, says he is fortunate to be the chairman of his first Conference in Africa as the first African Chairman of the forum.
“The African continent still has a lot of biodiversity left. But it’s not just about biodiversity itself; and that is how society and the economy depend on nature,” said Obura.
“Therefore, we need to deepen our understanding of this connection, and this knowledge should reflect within our policy processes in all our countries. The importance of a healthy environment and biodiversity in supporting our economy cannot be overemphasized, especially since a large proportion of Africa’s population is rural. These are farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who directly depend on a productive and healthy ecosystem.”
Obura added that it is important to understand that the ecosystem can only provide security to people if they are healthy, and that the work of IPBES in Namibia in the next two weeks can help advance the aspirations of the continent and the world in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity. The Framework, which seeks to halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people.
Obura also spoke about the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the urgent need to stop further loss in Africa in ways that are good for people. “It’s all about supporting people while maintaining biodiversity,” he said
Amplify Africa’s Voice on Science Policy through IPBES
Dziba agreed. He says that this first ever African Plenary meeting of IPBES gives African countries an even greater voice as part of an important forum for science policy. IPBES member countries make requests for new scientific evaluations that answer or address their key priorities.
IPBES member governments actually have “first access to scientific products that help guide policy on various topics such as invasive alien species, pollination and the management of pollinators to support agricultural production, or other areas such as the sustainable use of wild animals, including African animals. biodiversity.”
Dziba says that the eleventh session of the general meeting will be an opportunity to raise the name of IPBES to African experts, which will enable a wide diversity of African researchers and knowledge managers to see firsthand the importance of IPBES as a platform for scientific policy of government agencies.
Although Africa and its natural heritage have been the subject of scientific research for centuries, Dziba speaks of the ongoing struggle to improve the participation of African experts in the work of IPBES. “The importance of bringing them on board is to increase the knowledge they have about the continent, the knowledge gaps they see and the opportunity to contribute from an African perspective. This inclusion will also give IPBES a strong, inclusive voice and help shape positive global stories about Africa.”
Most of the new members of IPBES in the last two years are governments of the African continent. Ultimately, the goal is to secure IPBES global membership of all governments so that no region is left behind, aiming for a healthy and sustainable planet that is good for all life on Earth.
Obura talks about the unbearable nature of lives and livelihoods—with a large number of people living together—and the disconnection between people and nature as people migrate to cities where the disconnection from nature increases.
Rich Biodiversity Supports Life, Water, and Food Systems
Obura explains that among the most important business at this first African Plenary conference will be the consideration of two new landmark reports by IPBES. ‘Examining the nexus’ will examine the critical links between issues in biodiversity, water, food and health—in terms of climate. It will also explore a range of specific action options to address these issues in a sustainable manner, instead of using single-issue silos, focusing on ensuring the conservation and restoration of human and environmental biodiversity.
Dziba says that there are lessons that member countries can take from Africa, as “the IPBES Regional Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Africa found that the African continent is the last continent with a large number of megaherbivores (animals larger than 1,000 kilograms) such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes , rhinos and hippos.”
He emphasized that this indicates that Africa “has done well in preserving biodiversity.” Africa also has a large variety of carnivores, such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and wolves. Therefore, as a continent, we are the last place of biodiversity conservation, and it is a great privilege and responsibility to continue to protect that biodiversity.” But that assessment also showed that Africa, like other regions of the world, is losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate in human history.
The second assessment to be considered and presented in the next session looks at transformative change—what it is, why it is so necessary, and how it can be achieved for a just and sustainable future, especially in the midst of the world’s ongoing “fast-growing” problems. in their effects on people. Africa is particularly vulnerable to these disasters for many historical and contemporary reasons. The question for all countries is how to initiate the profound positive changes needed across societies, economies, technology and governance to move in these natural directions. The report will help put in place the building blocks and tools to achieve that.”
Ultimately, Obura says, the aim is for the two reports to be adopted by IPBES members in Plenary to inform and serve global stakeholders and African governments in their decisions and actions.
“No effort will be made to make reports accessible so that people can get what they need to make better decisions and choices for a healthy and sustainable society and environment.”
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
