Mary Kuria has recently been appointed as the ABCG Partnership Development Specialist. Mary has over 25 years experience in international development programmes and has, over the last 15 years, specialized in fundraising and grants management. A Kenyan, Mary has extensive experience in setting up and implementing fundraising systems and supporting the diversification of organizations’ funding bases.
Protected Areas offers the anchor point to the future of the Africa continent. Africa’s protected and conserved areas hold unique competitive advantages for addressing poverty and building resilient communities. They are a source to basic needs in relation to healthy agricultural soils, food security, provide livehoods and assets for economic development, and provides domestic water to at least 609 million Africans living in Africa cities across the continent.
To address land-use planning challenges in Africa, ABCG has developed a scenario-based planning framework that enable spatially explicit, quantified exploration of tradeoffs or synergies between land use sectors to inform stakeholder-driven plans emphasizing sustainable strategies and policy outcomes.
The Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group (ABCG), acknowledges that well managed protected areas embracing participatory and equitable governance appliances yield significant benefits far beyond their precincts.
World Environment Day was celebrated across the globe on June 5, 2022. Celebrated this year for the 49th time, this special day raises awareness on the responsibility we have in protecting our environment and the importance of conserving the planet for the sake of the current and future generation.
The event comes days after the Stockholm+50 event held on 2nd and 3rd June, under theme “a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity.”
“The two-day meeting commemorated the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, the first world conference that placed environment issues at the forefront of international concerns (UNEP)
Therefore this year theme #OnlyOneEarth, seeks to remind us of our role as nations and citizens of the earth, to protect and conserve our environment and to encourage sustainable living everywhere and every day. The day, also, reminds key decision makers of their obligation that awaits them in making decisions that protect rather than destroy our environment. As well as, calls for shared, transformative action to protect and restore our planet earth.
The three global crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution, is a constant reminder that the need for action is now more important than ever and needs to happen at all levels. That humanity must take action to conserve and restore the environment, and shift from activities that harm the planet and undertake those that heal the planet.
Groundwater resources are important sources of drinking water in Africa, and they are extremely important in sustaining livelihoods and supporting a diverse range of agricultural and commercial activities. Groundwater has a significant role in improving people’s health in sub-Saharan Africa.
On this International Women’s Day (IWD) and every day, the members of ABCG join our colleagues and friends in applauding and lauding the critical role women play in climate change mitigation, land, and natural resource management and universally to their contributions to sustainable development and society in general.
As ABCG evolves into an African-led platform, Ruby will play an essential role in expanding ABCG’s resource portfolios, and building and managing cross-sector partnerships. She infuses new energy and fresh perspectives to the collaborative ABCG effort as we mobilize to design ABCG’s unique approach to mainstreaming biodiversity into Africa’s economic development in 2022.
We strongly believe that the UN Climate Change Conference and subsequent meetings are necessary and worthwhile to helping achieve some of ABCG’s biggest objectives, including mainstreaming biodiversity considerations into economic development at the community level in African countries, reaching women and youth. We are particularly encouraged by private sector commitments, as well as climate financing, pledged to advance the roles and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, millions of people lack access to clean water and sanitation. ABCG and multisectoral partners strive to reduce watershed degradation and pollution which is designed to conserve freshwater ecosystems and improve efficient use of dwindling water resources due to climate change. The aim is to increase access to clean water and improved human health.