Over 500 delegates are in Kenya to discuss biodiversity, conservation and the sustainable development challenges facing the African continent.
Themed, “People: Creating transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa” the forum is the first of its kind, to discuss exclusively African issues.
It is also one of several IUCN Regional Conservation Fora, held across the globe this year, that offer Members an opportunity to shape the agenda for the IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in 2025.
IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar at the Forum opening ceremony yesterday, said “it is the first time we are holding a forum as one African continent, and I know this was the correct decision, because the voices of Africa are better and stronger together. People must be at the centre of our actions. United, we can create solutions that help people and nature thrive, recognising the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.”
Dr Alfred Mutua, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife of the Republic of Kenya, acknowledged Kenya’s rising human-wildlife conflicts and the lack of adequate funding for conservation, advocating for innovative partnerships to enhance Africa’s conservation efforts.
In the past, the three IUCN sub-regions of Africa, under the auspices of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO), West and Central Africa (PACO) and the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (MED), each held their own Regional Conservation Forum.
Africa is facing significant challenges due to the dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss. The continent is severely impacted, necessitating the need for coordinated nature-climate action at a regional level. With the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) signed in 2022, several ambitious targets were set.