{"id":121529,"date":"2025-09-16T16:09:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/16\/africa-eu-from-in-nairobi-urges-adoption-of-science-and-innovation-for-green-transition\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T16:09:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:09:39","slug":"africa-eu-from-in-nairobi-urges-adoption-of-science-and-innovation-for-green-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/africa-eu-from-in-nairobi-urges-adoption-of-science-and-innovation-for-green-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa-EU from in Nairobi urges adoption of Science and Innovation for Green Transition"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 16 \u2013 Policymakers, researchers, donors, regional institutions, civil society, and private sector representatives from Africa and Europe are meeting in Nairobi this week for the annual Africa Regional Centres of Excellence (ArcX) Forum.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The conference, which began on Monday under the EU\u2013Africa partnership, is focused on how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can accelerate Africa\u2019s green transition and sustainable development.<\/p>\n

It is also pushing for evidence-based policymaking, stronger research collaboration, and knowledge sharing to enhance the management of Africa\u2019s forests, biodiversity, and ecosystems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that through science, technology and innovation, we can address the most pressing challenges of our time. We can build stronger connections, foster deeper collaboration, and create lasting impact,\u201d said Ondrej Simek, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation in Kenya.<\/p>\n

Speakers at the forum stressed the urgent need for African governments, research institutions, and development partners to adopt an integrated approach to managing the continent\u2019s natural resources\u2014including forests, water bodies, vegetation, and wildlife.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica is losing its forests at an alarming rate. This has severe economic consequences, threatening not only forests but also agriculture, which employs a huge proportion of Africa\u2019s population,\u201d warned Dr. Robert Nasi, Director of Science at CIFOR-ICRAF.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe result is rising unemployment, desertification, loss of habitats for countless species, declining biodiversity, and damage to the tourism sector\u2014a major contributor to our economies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s ecosystems provide food, clean water, energy, medicines, and jobs, while also protecting communities from the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica is rich in potential and natural resources. Yet potential alone is not enough. We must harness science, technology, and innovation to address the pressing challenges of our time: climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, energy access, as well as ocean and coastal management. Science and technology are no longer luxuries; they are essential,\u201d said Dr. Mahaman Bachir Saley, Science & Technology Specialist at the African Union Commission.<\/p>\n

Experts highlighted that Africa\u2019s ecosystems are interconnected: forests regulate water cycles, wetlands sustain rivers, healthy vegetation supports wildlife, and pollinators play a critical role in agriculture.<\/p>\n

Disruption in one area, they cautioned, destabilizes the entire system.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur economies do not depend on a single resource\u2014they rely on all of them working together. If our forests disappear and water resources are lost, then food security, development, and economic growth will all be undermined,\u201d noted Dr. Peter Minang, Africa Director at CIFOR-ICRAF.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall. The only way to address these challenges is through collective and sustainable management of our forests, ecosystems, biodiversity, and water resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agroecology\u2014an approach that applies ecological principles to farming\u2014was highlighted as a vital solution.<\/p>\n

By improving soil health, retaining water, and reducing dependence on chemical inputs, practices such as intercropping, agroforestry, and the use of native species can boost food production while restoring biodiversity and strengthening resilience to climate shocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Africa, where farming is the dominant land use, agroecology can transform agriculture into a driver of both ecosystem health and rural prosperity,\u201d participants noted.<\/p>\n

Delegates also underscored the need for credible data and effective monitoring systems to guide evidence-based policymaking.<\/p>\n

Without accurate information on species populations, forest cover, land use, and water quality, governments cannot design effective policies or track progress toward commitments such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the African Union\u2019s Agenda 2063.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe irony is that we are getting better at monitoring the crisis but remain terribly bad at fixing it. We have satellites, observatories, and advanced monitoring tools\u2014yet action still lags behind. We must move from simply observing to truly acting, because the economic cost of inaction is staggering,\u201d said Dr. Nasi.<\/p>\n

Dr. Saley added: \u201cTranslating scientific research into political action is critical. Too much of our research remains within universities and fails to reach policymakers. It is time to bridge this gap between knowledge and governance, ensuring that scientific evidence informs decisions for Africa\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ArcX Forum\u2019s call for coordinated, data-driven, and agroecology-informed approaches comes as African nations strive to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n

With the right policies and partnerships, experts say, countries can unlock opportunities in green jobs, nature-based solutions, and sustainable land-use practices that deliver long-term benefits for both people and the planet.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2023 and funded by the European Union, the Africa Regional Centres of Excellence (ArcX) programme supports collaboration across five priority areas: Agroecology, Biodiversity & Forests, Water, Ocean, and Climate.<\/p>\n

Its Biodiversity and Forests component is implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF in partnership with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) in Eastern and Southern Africa, the Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC), and the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE) in West Africa.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 16 \u2013 Policymakers, researchers, donors, regional institutions, civil society, and private sector representatives from Africa and Europe are meeting in Nairobi this week for the annual Africa Regional Centres of Excellence (ArcX) Forum. The conference, which began on Monday under the EU\u2013Africa partnership, is focused on how science, technology, and innovation (STI) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121529\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}