RCMRD Launches Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa to Strengthen Regional Conservation Action

Nairobi, Kenya | 22 September 2026

Biodiversity knowledge is critical to understanding the pressures facing nature and informing the decisions needed to address them. Across Eastern and Southern Africa, valuable biodiversity data, research and regional experience exist across countries and institutions. The challenge is making this knowledge accessible and useful for policy and action.

It is against this backdrop that the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) through the Regional Centre of Excellence for Eastern an Southern Africa (RCoE-ESA), in collaboration with the European Union and Landscape Alliance, launched the Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa (BOESA) in Nairobi on 22 September 2026.

The publication was launched during the ArcX Programme Regional Workshop on Integrated Landscape-Seascape Modelling for Climate Resilience Development in East Africa, held from 22–24 September 2026.

Bringing regional biodiversity knowledge together

BOESA brings together biodiversity information, regional perspectives, case studies and practical experiences from 24 countries across Eastern and Southern Africa. It is designed to make this knowledge more accessible to policymakers, conservation practitioners, researchers, development partners, communities and other stakeholders working to advance biodiversity conservation.

The publication responds to an important need: moving beyond the collection of data to ensuring that knowledge can inform decisions and support action.

“BOESA reflects the importance of bringing together data, knowledge and regional experiences to support informed decisions for biodiversity conservation,” said Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Director General, RCMRD. “By making this information more accessible, we aim to support policymakers, conservation practitioners, researchers, development partners and communities in advancing nature-positive action across the region.”

Connecting research, policy and action

For Sanne Willems, a Regional Partnership Official from the Delegation of the European Union to Kenya, the value of initiatives such as BOESA lies in strengthening the connection between research and practical policy action.

“We try to translate research and mapping into practical policy data. We have seen many programmes over the years do incredibly valuable research, but we often lack the next step of translating it into policy and therefore translating it into action afterwards. Collecting data is not enough.”

She noted that the programme seeks to translate data into accessible information for young people and decision-makers while building the capacity of countries to take action based on the information collected.

This science-to-policy-to-action pathway is central to BOESA’s purpose. By bringing together regional evidence and experiences in one resource, the publication provides a foundation for greater understanding, knowledge sharing and informed biodiversity action.

BOESA and the global biodiversity agenda

The launch comes at an important point in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and its 2030 targets. It also takes place ahead of the 17^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), scheduled for 19–30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia. COP17 will feature the first global review of collective progress in implementing the KMGBF.

In this context, BOESA provides a regional resource for bringing together information, experiences and insights that can contribute to understanding biodiversity progress, challenges and priorities across Eastern and Southern Africa.

RCMRD’s role in advancing accessible biodiversity knowledge

The development of BOESA reinforces RCMRD’s role in applying geospatial information, Earth observation and knowledge-sharing to environmental and sustainable development challenges.

For RCMRD, the publication also demonstrates how geospatial intelligence can extend beyond maps and datasets to become accessible knowledge that supports decision-making. BOESA is therefore not only a publication; it represents an approach to connecting data, knowledge, policy and action.

As countries work towards the 2030 biodiversity targets, strengthening access to credible, relevant and locally grounded information will remain important for conservation planning, collaboration and implementation.

Conserve Nature. Empower Communities.

Explore BOESA

Read the BOESA publication

Visit the BOESA website

RCMRD strengthens the region's science–policy interface through data, technology and inclusive cooperation at the Convention on Biological Diversity's technical meetings held last month in Nairobi.

As Parties prepare to gather in Armenia for the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the groundwork laid earlier this year in Nairobi is shaping what RCMRD brings to the table.

From 27 July to 12 August 2026, the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) joined governments, scientists, policymakers, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), women's organisations and youth representatives at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) for the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) and the 7th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-7) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

As a Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre (TSCC) under the CBD, RCMRD used the two-week meetings to strengthen the link between scientific knowledge, technology and policy. Its engagement included the launch of the Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern and Southern Africa (BOESA), contributions to discussions on gender-responsive implementation, and collaboration with fellow African TSCCs to advance coordinated support for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).

Launching BOESA: A New Lens on Biodiversity in Eastern and Southern Africa

On 31 July, RCMRD launched BOESA during a side event at SBSTTA-28, organised under the biodiversity component of the Africa Regional Centres of Excellence (ArcX) programme. Through ArcX, RCMRD hosts the Regional Centre of Excellence for Forests, Biodiversity and Seascape Ecosystems Management in Eastern and Southern Africa (RCoE-ESA) — a continental initiative contributing to the AU–EU Innovation Agenda and aligned with the EU Global Gateway Strategy.

BOESA is a living, evidence-based regional platform bringing together biodiversity, forest and seascape data, country-level insights and emerging trends across 24 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Developed under the EU-funded RCoE-ESA and co-implemented by RCMRD and Landscape Alliance, the platform is designed to strengthen access to information and support evidence-based biodiversity planning, monitoring and decision-making.

The launch was preceded by a panel discussion, "Strengthening the Science–Policy Interface and Regional Technical Cooperation," moderated by RCMRD's Abigael Sum and featuring:

• Ntakadzeni Tshidada (South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI)
• Sharon Ruthia (CBD Women's Caucus)
• Lucy Mulenkei (Indigenous Information Network)
• Mary Kyanyi (Power Shift Africa / GYBN-Africa)

The conversation surfaced four themes set to shape KM-GBF implementation across the region:

TSCCs as bridges, not just repositories. Panellists stressed that regional and subregional support centres must move beyond housing data. Their real value lies in translating scientific evidence into practical policy and implementation support — through knowledge products, harmonised methodologies, technical assistance and stronger national science–policy platforms. RCMRD has already begun playing this role through its support to countries during the Seventh National Reporting cycle under the CBD.

Gender-responsive implementation requires structural change. Panellists called for gender-responsive biodiversity action that goes beyond references to inclusivity, addressing structural barriers through flexible and accessible financing, gender-disaggregated data, meaningful participation of women in decision-making, and stronger institutional mechanisms for integrating gender into biodiversity planning and reporting.

Indigenous knowledge must be protected as well as integrated. The panel underscored the need to integrate Indigenous and traditional knowledge into biodiversity decision-making in ways that respect community rights, identifying biocultural protocols and free, prior and informed consent as essential safeguards.

Youth are already doing the work — largely unfunded. Young people are already driving conservation through mangrove restoration, community-led initiatives and ocean clean-ups. The discussion called for greater investment in youth-led action and meaningful opportunities for young people in biodiversity decision-making.

Inside the BOESA Platform

BOESA brings together resources designed to make regional biodiversity information more accessible and actionable, including a map gallery, country profiles, case studies and an Adventure Hub aimed at engaging younger audiences through conservation storytelling.

The platform also features three core tools:

• KM-GBF Target 3 Tracker — year-on-year data from 2020 to 2025 on protected and conserved area coverage, supporting monitoring and national reporting.
• WDPCA Validator — developed with UNEP-WCMC, helping data providers standardise protected and conserved area information before submission.
• KM-GBF Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) Tool — assesses country and institutional capacity across eight dimensions, including technical, legal, policy and financial readiness.

The data already points to a critical conservation priority: across the 24 countries covered by BOESA, only 61.5% of Key Biodiversity Areas currently fall within protected areas — a significant gap requiring targeted action.

A full BOESA publication, offering deeper analysis of biodiversity trends across Eastern and Southern Africa, is expected in the coming weeks.

SBI-7: Putting Gender at the Centre of Biodiversity Data and Implementation

On 4 August, RCMRD joined an SBI-7 side event convened with the CBD Women's Caucus, CARICOM, SPREP, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN CEESP, focused on how regional and subregional support centres can advance gender-responsive implementation of the KM-GBF.

Representing RCMRD, Abigael Sum highlighted the need to treat inclusivity not simply as an outcome, but as integral to technical and scientific cooperation — from knowledge generation and technology access to decision-making and policy implementation.

RCMRD's experience also pointed to areas needing further work. Capacity needs assessments across Member States show strong demand for technical support in GIS, Earth observation, biodiversity monitoring, spatial planning and data management — alongside greater support for inclusive planning and the participation of women, youth and IPLCs.

A key challenge raised was the limited availability of gender-disaggregated biodiversity data. While geospatial technologies can map ecosystems and natural resources with increasing precision, biodiversity datasets often say little about the people who depend on, manage or use those resources, or how environmental change affects women and other groups differently. This gap has direct policy consequences: without data that captures social and gender dimensions, it becomes harder to design interventions that respond to differentiated impacts and needs.

The discussions reinforced the importance of strengthening both the technical capacity and institutional approaches needed to generate and use more inclusive biodiversity data.

Strengthening Collaboration among Africa's TSCCs

RCMRD also joined fellow African Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres — the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Centre de Suivi Écologique (CSE) and COMIFAC — for a side event on strengthening collaboration among Africa's TSCCs.

The discussions identified six priorities for moving from cooperation to coordinated action:

1. Strengthening technical and scientific cooperation
2. Expanding capacity-building and knowledge exchange
3. Providing tailored technical assistance to countries
4. Advancing data and knowledge integration for evidence-based decision-making
5. Scaling peer-to-peer learning and regional collaboration
6. Enhancing coordination and visibility of TSCC contributions

As Parties accelerate implementation of the KM-GBF and prepare for CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026, RCMRD's engagement at SBSTTA-28 and SBI-7 reaffirmed the value of strong regional technical cooperation. The discussions made clear that science and technology deliver the greatest impact when translated into practical support for countries and communities — and when the data informing decisions reflects the realities of women, youth and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

Through RCoE-ESA and its broader technical and scientific cooperation mandate, RCMRD remains committed to leveraging geospatial technologies, Earth observation, data, knowledge and capacity development to support countries and partners in advancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable development across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Explore BOESA and its tools at rcoe-boesa.rcmrd.org.