Use of sound science in managing oceans

For those who care most about environmental damage and its effects on the health and welfare of communities, their focus is on land-based threats. This is so because that is where harm can be most easily observed, and where its causes are readily identified. However, this ignores the vast damage that human activity has also inflicted on the planet's largest, and possibly most valuable, resource: its oceans. Oceans cover nearly three quarters of the Earth's surface, contain 80 per cent of its living organisms, and deliver 60 per cent of the dietary protein in tropical developing countries. The services that oceans provide are now under threat from human activities ranging from severe over-fishing to mineral extraction, and from the impacts of acidification to global warming. An essential component of any strategy to protect the oceans — and to ensure sustainable development of their resources — is effective, science-based management. This, in turn, requires reliable data on which to base sound policy decisions (as well as an appropriate balance between science and traditional local knowledge).

Biodiversity: facts and figures

In some places, medicinal plants and animals provide most of the drugs people use, and even in technologically-advanced countries like the USA, half of the 100 most-prescribed drugs originate from wild species. A square kilometre of coastal ecosystem such as mangroves forests can store up to five times more carbon than the equivalent area of mature tropical forests. Unfortunately, these areas are being destroyed three to four times faster than forests, releasing substantial amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the ocean, and contributing to climate change. Tourists spend billions of dollars every year to watch birds or whales, or witness wildlife spectacles such as the great annual migrations in the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania and Kenya where 1.5 million wildebeest, 500,000 Thomson’s gazelle and 200,000 zebra cross the plain. Overfishing has reduced some commercial fish stocks by more than 90%. More of these interesting facts available on the IUCN website.

New at ORI Library: Managing natural resources for development in Africa

This book provides an understanding of the various levels at which NRM issues occur and are being addressed scientifically, economically, socially and politically. The book’s nine chapters present state-of-the-art perspectives within a holistic African context. The book systematically navigates the tricky landscape of integrated NRM, with special reference to Eastern and Southern Africa, against the backdrop of prevailing local, national, regional and global social, economic and environmental challenges. It is now available in the ORI Library.

A sustainable livelihoods mainstreaming strategy

This document outlines the major areas of scope whereby the mainstreaming strategy will address the underlying root causes, threats and drivers that affect the achievement of twin conservation and livelihoods goals. These include: Forests and habitat, species, wildlife trade and crime control, freshwater and wetland conservation, response to climate change impact and adaptation measures, and good governance and social inclusion including policy and advocacy for equity and capacity. The document also describes the expected major areas of change and broader impacts that will be brought about after mainstreaming the sustainable livelihoods strategy.This article is available at:http://zunia.org/uploads/media/knowledge/sustainable_livelihood_strategy_low_4_mb_june_20111318138361.pdf

ORI Research Scholar Dr. Demel Teketay Fanta receives historic promotion.

Dr. Demel Teketay Fanta, a Research Scholar at ORI, has recently been double-promoted to Associate Professor rank. Prof. Fanta who received his PhD from the Faculty of Forestry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, has previously worked at various capacities in different institutions prior to joining the institute as a Plant Ecologist in July 2009, i.e. the first African Regional Director of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – African Regional Office; Director General of and Director of Forestry Research in the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization; Graduate Assistant – Assistant Lecturer - Lecturer and Assistant Professor of Forest Vegetation Ecology at both Alemaya University and Wondo Genet College of Forestry. He has taught several courses and supervised/co-supervised 13 (3 currently) PhD and 18 Mphil/MSc students (1 currently). He has served as examiner/pre-reviewer of 12 PhD (Ethiopia, Finland, Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden) and 4 MSc (Ethiopia and South Africa) theses. He has published 153 scientific articles: 96 in peer-reviewed national and international journals, 11 book chapters, 19 in proceedings, 12 published articles,15 in quasi-scientific journals and different bulletins. He has also published 2 books and edited 2 books 1 special issue of a journal as well as a national report. His research and publications focus on the flora of Ethiopia; forests and livelihoods; responsible/sustainable forest management; diversity, structure, dynamics and conservation of forest resources; regeneration ecology; flowering and fruiting phenology; forest fire and its impact on forest species; restoration of degraded (forest) land; impact of plantations on indigenous woody species regeneration; medicinal and edible wild plants; and Ethno-botany and ecology. He is a member of several professional associations and serves/served as a member of the Governing Council and Executive Committee of the African Forest Forum (since 2007), Executive Committee of the International Association of Tropical Ecology (since 2005), Associate Editor of five national and international scientific journals: Ethiopian Journal of Natural Resources, Ethiopian Journal of Biological Sciences, Environmental Management, New Forests and Tropical Ecology, and Editorial Board of two international journals: FLORA and Journal of Science and Development. He has also been the recipient of seven national and international awards. The double promotion he got is the first in the history of University of Botswana. Congratulations Prof on this historic achievement!

ORI Seminar: Professor Bert Veenendaal

Last week, Professor Bert Veenendaal from Curtin University, Australia delived a presentation titled, Location intelligence - involving communities. In it, he explained how the word location intelligence has been popularly used but with many different associated meanings. According to him, the real intelligence lies not in the fact that a location is known, but in how that location is used in context to serve a purpose for adding value to applications, users and communities. In fact, the real intelligence of location lies in the communities themselves who have the local knowledge and context necessary to support geospatial applications and decision-making. This presentation discussed a number of projects undertaken at Curtin University that support this notion of location intelligence.

Natural resource management : the impact of gender and social issues

Innovation in natural resource management can contribute to rural poverty reduction. Drawing from research throughout eastern and southern Africa, the contributing authors present a synthesis of lesson from both policy and practice. They look at various multi-stakeholder approaches to natural resource management, showing which ones have worked and why. They describe how researchers and development practitioners navigate the dynamics of complex socio-ecological systems. They analyze the outcomes and impacts of development projects, and present comparative insights on methodological, technological, policy, and institutional innovations. Overall, this book explores new trends and drivers in natural resource management and rural poverty in an age of rapid environmental, economic, political, and social change in eastern and southern Africa.Available at: http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/44925/1/131349.pdf