BlueSeeds’ Post

On the sidelines of the Africa Climate Change Summit 2023, KCDF in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, NETFUND, and WWF Kenya, will be hosting the "Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Biodiversity Conservation" side event on September 6th, 2023, from 8 am (EAT), at KICC, Nairobi.   Biodiversity loss is one of the triple planetary crises we all face. Biodiversity and ecosystem services underpin many aspects of most African countries’ economic activities. Efforts to integrate ecological considerations into mainstream decision-making across countries and economic sectors are still nascent, and the unmet financing needs remain significant.   The event will seek to  1. Provide a forum to exchange knowledge and showcase best practices on Biodiversity interventions in Africa. 2. Demonstrate and communicate the impact of innovative financing mechanisms on biodiversity conservation.  3. Attract private sector investment through Innovative financial mechanisms for biodiversity conservation. #KCDFimpactingCommunities #ShiftThePower NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT TRUST FUND (NETFUND-Kenya) WWF-Kenya Grace Maingi Emilly Omudho Caesar Ngule Bonnie Tinda

World Wildlife Fund released a new report, "Can your money do better". Highlights: - Member States of the EU are directing between €34 billion and €48 billion of EU subsidies per year into activities that harm biodiversity - Biodiversity harmful subsidies span all major sectors of the economy but the bulk of them is allocated to agriculture. - Direct subsidies in other sectors such as fisheries (between €59 - €138 million), transport infrastructure (€1.7 billion - €14.1 billion) and water infrastructure (€1.3 billion - €2 billion) are also significantly contributing to nature loss. - This misallocation of funds from EU countries starkly contrasts with the needs identified in the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, which requires an estimated €48 billion annually to finance activities by farmers, landowners, rural and coastal communities to effectively protect and restore biodiversity. - Currently, the EU and its Member States fall short of this target by more than €18 billion each year. Executive summary of the report attached. #subsidies #agriculture #biodiversity

We are delighted to announce that Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) OFFICIAL is participating in the #NationalMangroveDialogue! Research has indicated that, mangroves can store up to five times as much organic #carbon compared to tropical terrestrial forest. Global focus on #mangroves has been increasing over the last three decades considering their role and contribution to various ambitions including Sustainable Development Goals, #Biodiversity #Conservation and #Climate Action. This has led to development of various tools that would guide management and conservation of this critical ecosystem. Mangrove have been included in Climate and biodiversity policies and frameworks, including, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Actions Plans. Countries have also developed own mangrove management plans and strategies to guide sustainable utilization and management for continued provision of good and services. WWF-Kenya Wetlands International IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa IUCN Kenya Forest Service #Diani #Kwale

A quick guide to invertebrate #conservation in Australia! I put this data together a couple of years ago for a presentation, and have just updated it as a few more species were listed last year. Compared to other animals, invertebrates are not well represented on Australia's #threatenedspecies lists and the number of protected species are a miniscule proportion of our total invert biodiversity! #OzInverts #insectconservation

#SSETS #MySDGFocusWithSSETS I am a zoologist with interest in wildlife conservation and parasitology. My research area aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are zero hunger (SDG 2), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), clinmate action (SDG 13) and life in land (SDG 15). Firstly, life on land which includes conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems. My research focuses on ways to conserve Nigerian amphibians. Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrates and over harvesting from the wild is one of the causes of their decline. My research aims to identify areas where intense hunting of amphibians occur in and profer solutions such as sustainable frog farming. Secondly, climate action: the impact of climate change can be seen in animal species forced migration and in extreme cases, extinction as well as zoonoses (disease transmission from animals to humans). Of course, climate change at the base is influenced by unchecked and intense human activities such as industrialisation among others. My research seeks to mitigate ways to identify human activities that are detrimental to the environment and profer implementable solutions. Third is responsible consumption and production. This involves the efficient use of natural resources, in this case amphibians through sustainable frog farming. Lastly zero hunger which involves engaging the small scale frog farmers and advancing ways to increase productivity to meet up with the meat/ protein demands of Nigeria's increasing population. My research aligns with IUCN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Through SSETS, I have connected with @Amina Hassan Abubakar and Benedicta Uchendu Thank you Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lancaster University, British Council, National Universities Commission (NUC), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna Dr Viola Akhigbe Dr. Akanimo Odon

🚨SALMON IN GREAT BRITAIN NOW ENDANGERED🚨 In response to this week's IUCN classification of ‘endangered’ for wild Atlantic salmon in most of Great Britain, the Missing Salmon Alliance has collectively released a statement, highlighting the urgency of taking action and how the Alliance is actively working towards the restoration of the species. The Missing Salmon Alliance is focused on the conservation of Atlantic salmon through various workstreams including research, restoration, advocacy, policy, regulation and the law. What is clear from the latest IUCN classification is that Governments and Regulators must now do much more to secure a future for this iconic species. This new IUCN classification of “endangered” must lead to the UK and devolved governments giving salmon a much greater priority as part of its commitments to restore biodiversity in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework signed in December 2022. Read the full statement via the link below. https://lnkd.in/eUdVmKNW

Webinar: Launch of the FAO Biodiversity Knowledge Hub on the occasion of the First Anniversary of the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Agrifood systems can do a lot more to biodiversity mainstreaming!

IUCN - Is it up to the job? It is good that this question is being asked. Created in 1964, the IUCN Red List, after nearly six decades, has assessed just 2% of the world’s species, skewing toward well-known charismatic species such as big cats and apes. Species listed as “data deficient” are twice as likely to be threatened but are less likely to get funding compared with species that have been assessed as threatened. From the article: Gonzalez, who is co-chair of GEO BON, a global network of thousands of researchers dedicated to improving how biodiversity is measured [said] on its own it is not fit for the purposes it is now required to perform.... “Let’s say the IUCN red list disappears tomorrow. What instrument, what tool are we going to use to see if we’ve met our goals on threats to biodiversity?” says Ortuño-Crespo. “I think the best thing that we could do at this stage is have an honest, open conversation about what works really well on the IUCN red list and what works terribly. Just lay it all out. To make matters worse, the IUCN Red List is also used by CITES to consider species for listing on the appendices. So, CITES imports the Red List blind spots, so to speak, including for heavily traded species (like commercial marine fish species). It further takes 12 years on average to go from an upgrade in Red List status to getting a CITES listing. Neither CITES nor the IUCN Red List are fit for purpose today. #Biodiversity #Collapse #Regulation https://lnkd.in/g5pKZqCX

Yesterday was a momentous occasion! The day marked the culmination of extensive behind-the-scenes efforts that involved a dedicated team of great people from IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa, WWF-Kenya, The Nature Conservancy, African Wildlife Foundation, and Conservation International, led by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, to get the National Biodiversity Coordination Mechanism (NBCM) off the ground. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the #NBCM aims to enhance the coordination of biodiversity conservation efforts and align actions by state and non-state actors to meet Kenya’s national and global commitments, beginning with those outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It was a huge honor to witness the one-of-a-kind high-level launch that purposely brought together representatives from various state departments, lead agencies, civil society, indigenous groups, local communities, youth, and faith-based organizations, demonstrating the government’s dedication to a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach, as encouraged by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (#KMGBF). To everyone involved in biodiversity conservation, this is a crucial moment to grasp Kenya’s commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework (#GBF), also known as the Biodiversity Plan, and how all of us—individuals, communities, civil society, government departments and agencies—can contribute to delivering Kenya’s ambitions. For starters, here is the link to the GBF Targets along with guidance notes: https://lnkd.in/dkaK9qQA. And, in this link, you will find Kenya’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) #targets recently submitted to the CBD: https://lnkd.in/dg42s-5a. Through this mechanism, we have the opportunity as a country to adopt a more consolidated and coordinated approach to biodiversity conservation, leading to a more effective implementation of conservation strategies and actions. Hop on board!

Exciting News for Our Oceans! A new study has confirmed that seaweed and mussel farms are not just about sustainable food sources; they're also biodiversity hotspots! 🐚🐟 The article from The Fish Site details a study by The Nature Conservancy in New Zealand and the Gulf of Maine, highlighting the positive effects of seaweed and mussel farms on marine biodiversity. Key findings include the attraction of diverse fish species to these farms due to the habitat they provide, similar to natural underwater environments. This research underscores the potential of coastal aquaculture to contribute positively to marine ecosystems, offering a sustainable approach to enhancing biodiversity in oceanic habitats. 🌊 For a detailed exploration of the study's findings and implications for marine conservation and aquaculture, you can read the full article https://lnkd.in/eEUT3Tai #marineconservation #seaweed #shellfish #oceanfarms #ocean #oceanfarming #missionocean #biodiversity #ecosystem #farming #research