NAIROBI, Dec 03 (IPS) – The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) first Plenary session in Africa is a “crucial acknowledgement of Africa’s important contribution to biodiversity conservation, which is a global public good, a heritage that Africa has the privilege to share with the peoples of the world,” says Dr. Luthando Dziba, from South Africa, co-chair of the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel.
The eleventh session of the IPBES Plenary—IPBES 11—is scheduled to be held in Windhoek, Namibia, from December 10-16, 2024.
Africa is one of the most ecologically diverse continents on Earth and is home to eight of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Its unique ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity thrive in a wide range of spectacular landscapes and seascapes, including wide-open plains, deserts, mountains, forested cliffs, coral reefs, mangrove forests and the Great Rift Valley.
This rich biodiversity offers significant benefits to people but also presents a number of challenges and opportunities amid a spiralling global biodiversity crisis.
Dziba told IPS that the Plenary is the governing body of IPBES, made up of the representatives of IPBES member States—currently 147 from around the world—who meet annually to “either consider requests from countries for new scientific assessments or consider reports…
