On 15 May 2008, the
Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG) organized a meeting on "Mapping Future Trends and Interventions for Biodiversity Conservation in Africa Over the Next Ten Years". The day-long meeting in Washington, DC, was supported through the Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support (BATS)
1 for USAID/Africa program. See the attached report and participant list (under Tools and Resources).
The basic question to be answered was:
“What are the priority interventions for biodiversity conservation in Africa over the next ten years?”
The meeting sought to:
- review the USAID BATS report by Chemonics International entitled Protecting Hard-Won Ground that looked at 30 years of USAID support for biodiversity in Africa;
- identify the drivers of past, present, and future change; and
- map trends.
Through the process, we tried to identify which trends were predictable, and where the key uncertainties lie.
This DC Meeting was followed by a workshop on
"The Future of Biodiversity in Africa" (held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September 2008) where African conservation leaders applied their expertise to narrate alternative futures for biodiversity in Africa, including interventions for biodiversity conservation appropriate for USAID and other stakeholders over the next horizon.
Issues discussed included:
Global Change Trends:
- Climate Change
- Water Scarcity
- Population and Urbanization
- Migration
- HIV/AIDS
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Food Insecurity
- Market Impacts on Biodiversity
Economic Growth and Natural Resource Use:
- Extractive Industries
- Bushmeat
- Agriculture
Governance and Institutions:
- Governance and Human Rights
- Conflict and Security
- Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Use
Small Groups were held on “What Conservation Looks Like in Given Scenarios” with feedback from an expert panel on “How Scenarios Play Out”. The session ended with a group discussion on “What USAID and Other Stakeholders Can Do to Maximize African Countries’ Ability to Deal with Different Scenarios".
Please see the Vision Statement and materials produced by African conservation leaders during the follow on workshop on
"The Future of Biodiversity in Africa" held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in September 2008.
1
Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support (BATS) for USAID/Africa is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Africa, Office of Sustainable Development (AFR/SD). Program partners include Chemonics International Inc., U.S. Forest Service/International Programs and the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group.