The First Annual Meeting of the Regional Centres of Excellence (RCoEs) for Biodiversity and Forests in Africa (kick-off event) took place from 8-11 October in Dakar, Senegal.
The meeting aimed to chart a transformative roadmap for the sustainable management of the continent’s vast environmental resources and rich biodiversity (including forests, water bodies and wildlife) through data-driven, science-backed solutions and approaches.
The Biodiversity and Forest and the Transversal component of the programme, which is funded by DG INTPA, is to help improve the cross-sectoral and cross-regional coordination and the strategic steering of RCoEs to address science, technology and innovation (STI) challenges and develop the STI capacities of RCoEs in thematic areas related to the green transition.
Lessons learnt from Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Reference Information System (BIOPAMA-RIS, which was the precursor of the Biodiversity and Forest component, and the JRC’s involvement in the implementation of the Biodiversity and Forests component of the programme were presented. The Integrated Management Effectiveness Tool (IMET), which was developed under the BIOPAMA programme and widely adopted in Africa to improve the use and appropriation of planning monitoring-evaluation tools at the conservation site and central administration levels, was presented as well.
The Africa Knowledge Platform was showcased as the infrastructural backbone of the programme, providing geospatial data access, dissemination and sharing as well as a comprehensive suite of Decision Support Systems to bridge the science-policy gap.
The meeting is a cornerstone in the implementation of the RCoEs for the Green Transition programme, and lays the foundation for the work to be carried out over the coming year.
