RCMRD Launches Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa to Boost Regional Conservation
Posted by EDITORIAL
RCMRD and the European Union launch the Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa (BOESA), a key resource strengthening conservation action across 24 countries ahead of COP17.
In Summary
The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), in partnership with the European Union, has launched the Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa (BOESA), a new regional knowledge resource covering 24 countries. Unveiled in Nairobi during a climate resilience workshop, the publication translates biodiversity data into accessible information to support evidence-based conservation, policy decisions and progress toward the 2030 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets ahead of COP17.
The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), working with the European Union, has officially launched the Biodiversity Outlook for Eastern & Southern Africa (BOESA). The regional resource aims to improve access to credible biodiversity knowledge and drive evidence-based conservation and policy action across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The launch taking place yesterday during the Regional Workshop on Integrated Landscape-Seascape Modelling for Climate Resilience Development in East Africa runs upto 24th September 2026. BOESA collates biodiversity information, regional perspectives and practical experiences covering 24 countries. It stresses the value of accessible, locally relevant data for better conservation planning and decision-making.
Sanne Willems of the European Union Delegation to Kenya highlighted a common gap in past programmes: valuable research often fails to translate into policy and action.
“Collecting data is not enough. This programme is translating that data into very accessible information for young people as well as decision-makers, while also building the capacities of different countries to take action based on the information collected,” she said.
The timing is significant. Countries are working to meet the 2030 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The launch also comes just before the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), scheduled for 19–30 October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia. COP17 will include the first global review of collective progress on the KMGBF, making regional tools such as BOESA important references for assessing progress, identifying gaps and strengthening action for nature.
Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza, Director General of RCMRD, emphasised the value of the new resource.
“BOESA reflects the importance of bringing together data, knowledge and regional experiences to support informed decisions for biodiversity conservation. 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.”
Developed under the RCoE-ESA initiative, BOESA reinforces RCMRD’s focus on geospatial information, Earth observation and knowledge-sharing to tackle environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. As nations step up efforts to achieve the 2030 biodiversity targets, the publication offers a platform for shared learning, greater regional visibility and stronger collaboration toward a nature-positive future.
