The conference theme will be Ecosystem Services for SDGs in Africa. Discussions will focus on Africa’s contribution towards data and evidence on best practices for management, restoration of ecosystem services for decision making particularly towards the realization of sustainable development goals (SDG).
The issue of Ecosystem Services is crucial for the African continent given that we already experience negative effects of climate change and the situation is projected to worsen. Proper management and restoration of essential ecosystem services will to a large extent ensure we are equipped to deal and or cope with climate change.
Africa’s participation in this forum is also heightened by the fact that there is underwhelming data and information on ecosystem services and climate change from the continent. This makes it difficult to formulate strategic policies and implement action for sustainable development.
The conference will bring together 250 African experts, students, policy makers, and the private sector to discuss, explore and exchange research as well as action on preserving and restoring ecosystem services in the content. In particular we would like to bring as many early career practitioners, specialists and researchers from around the continent to enable learning, exchange and exposure to knowledge, ideas, experiences and contacts that will enhance contributions when they get back home.
The African ESP conference is jointly organised by ICRAF and ESP. Chair of the National Organising Committee is Dr. Peter A Minang, Science Domain Leader, Environmental Services with ICRAF.
Measuring sustainability for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Chris Dickens and Matthew McCartney of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) will run a session that focuses on how to consolidate the data that is being collected on a global scale according to the new procedures for the SDGs. This is going to be the first time that the world will produce coordinated data describing social, economic and environmental issues related to sustainability, the achievement of which will be reliant on the provision of ecosystem services. This session will consider how this data can be synchronised to produce stories related to our sustainability on this planet, which is after all the overall goal of the SDGs.
