New project aims to build region’s biodiversity knowledge

This month saw the start of a €6.7 million (US$7 million) spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritisation and planning project, which is expected to improve environmental planning and monitor the status of indigenous species and ecosystems in four Southern African Development Community countries, namely South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi, writes Tasneem Bulbulia for Creamer Media’s Engineering News.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute is the lead implementing agency of the project, with country coordination by the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the Wildlife Conservation Society country office in Mozambique, and the Malawi University of Science and Technology. Agence Française de Développement and Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial will each grant €2 million to co-finance the five-year project.

The project will assess a range of different species and ecosystems in each country, using the Red List standards set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These species and ecosystems are considered to be under threat from infrastructure and agricultural development, overuse of natural resources, pollution, biological invasions and climate change.
Full report on Creamer Media’s Engineering News site