Monday, May 30, 2022

Land Restoration and Biodiversity by FANRPAN

30 May 2022. Land Restoration and Biodiversity by FANRPAN

Healthy and productive land resources – soil, water, and biodiversity – are the foundation of our societies and economies. In recent decades, land resources have been subject to persistent degradation and loss due to global patterns of human domination. An estimated 20% of Africa’s soil (6.6 million km2) is degraded owing to soil erosion, salinization, pollution and loss of vegetation or soil fertility.

The underlying causes of land degradation is multifaceted, with human pressure, poverty contributions to economic opportunities influenced by institutional factors, making significant contributions. Land degradation affects a large portion of drylands and many places of humid ecosystems on the continent.
In Africa, reversing soil degradation is a priority. Land which is seemingly irreparably degraded can be restored. Land offers a huge opportunity to identify and enable the adoption and implementation of productive, equitable and sustainable land management (SLM) for poverty reduction.

The Land Restoration and Biodiversity Webinar focused on land restoration and biodiversity relevant innovations/solutions worthy of investment. It will also shed light on the land restoration and biodiversity challenges and the key governance frameworks and their shortcomings.
  • Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda - Director & Chair: ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems (ARUA-SFS) Future Africa, University of Pretoria
  • Prof. Barend Erasmus - Dean in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS)
  • University of Pretoria (UP)
  • Mr. Levis Kavagi - Africa Coordinator, Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme
  • UN Environment Programme
  • Ms. Deka Moussa Ragueh - Senior Regional Adviser for Natural Capital
  • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
  • Ms. Sithembile Mwamakamba - Director Policy Research and Analysis, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
It shed light on the land restoration and biodiversity challenges and the key governance frameworks and their shortcomings as contained in the draft thematic brief :

Related: 

11/05 Recording first webinar: 

17/05 Recording second webinar: 

24/05 Recording third webinar:
The nexus between people, animals and wellbeing has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of people. However, the crosscutting nature of this nexus and its impacts is yet to be expressly realised in the existing global and regional governance frameworks. Indeed, in this regard, as far as Africa is concerned, undertakings pertaining to the elements (people, animal and ecosystems) of the referred to nexus are individually inferred from instruments such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the Revised African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (R-ACCNNR), with such inferences permeating to sub-regional governance frameworks.

Desiring to foster greater policy uptake on the cross-cutting nature of this theme, the Climate, Land, Agriculture and Biodiversity (CLAB)-Africa Project provides a platform where African scientific community can advance practical and effective solutions that are tailor made for the peculiar African context.

This webinar on People-Animals-Ecosystem, Health and Wellbeing will focus on recommendations for improving human health through interventions in ecosystems and animal health. The webinar featured the following speakers; 
  • Prof Lindiwe Majele Sibanda - Director and Chair: ARUA Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems, Future African University of Pretoria
  • Dr Stephanie Jane Fazekas Salyer Senior Advisor, Technical Strategy & Partnerships, Africa Center for Disease Control
  • Prof Linde du Toit - Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal Science in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • Ms. Wezi Chunga-Sambo - Program Officer, Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), African Union Commission (AUC)
  • Prof Wanda Markotter - Director of the Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, DSI-NRF South African Research Chair in “Infectious Diseases of Animals ” (Zoonoses) and Chair in People, Health and Places at the Future Africa Institute. 
  • Ms Sithembile Mwamakamba - Director of Policy Research and Analysis, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN)
  • Mr Hasheem Banda - Chairman, Small and Medium Poultry Farmers Association (Malawi)

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