The 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership hosted the first of its three side events at CBD SBSTTA 14 and WGRI 3 on the 11 May.  The side event entitled National Biodiversity Indicators: African Examples and Needs, was run in collaboration with the Convention on Biological Resources, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Kenya Wildlife Service and the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute. The event provided an opportunity to present work from the United Nations Development Account project, Biodiversity Indicators Capacity Strengthening in Africa, lead by the 2010 BIP and UNEP-WCMC.  The event complimented the SBSTTA Information document:Experiences in the Development of National Biodiversity Indicators (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/14/INF/12)

A number of partners from the Southern and Eastern Africa countries were present on the panel to share their experiences. These included:

Samuel Andanje, Head, Ecosystems and Landscapes, Kenya Wildlife Service

Kahsay G. Asgedom, Director of Protected  Areas, Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority

Geoffroy Citegetse, North East Protected Landscape of Lake Tanganyika, Burundi

Kakanyo Fani Dintwa, Senior Statistician, Central Statistics Office, Botswana

Egline Tauya, Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC)

Achiles Byaruhanga, Executive Director, Nature Uganda

Philip Bubb of UNEP-WCMC and the 2010 BIP Secretariat was also present on the panel and the side event was kindly chaired by Dr Alfred Oteng Yeboah, CBD Focal Point, Ghana.

The side event consisted of a presentation given by all Panel members.  The session started with a brief introduction to the background and structure of the project. The remarkable progress made by the Partners since the project inception just a year ago, was then shared with the presentation of a number of successful indicators produced by participating nations. The key challenges in national indicator development were highlighted such as limited data availability and the lack of awareness or use of biodiversity indicators at all levels (technical, scientific and policy). The key lessons leant and national needs for the institutionalisation of biodiversity indicators where then presented. The presentation was finished with a few words from the Chair, Dr. Alfred  Oteng Yeboah who expressed the need for this work on national indicators capacity building to be continued, not justs within African regions but across the globe.

The session was well attended and generated much interest, ending with a lively debate on the need for national biodiversity indicators.

More Information

National Biodiversity Indicators Portal

Biodiversity Indicators Capacity Strengtheining inproject Africa