By Mary Mwambongo

The Spatial Biodiversity Assessments, Prioritisation and Planning (SBAPP) project, has launched the second edition of the Mapping Biodiversity Priorities Guide, a crucial tool for countries to integrate biodiversity into national planning processes.

South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is the lead implementer of the SBAPP project, being implemented in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Malawi. 

In Malawi, the Malawi University of Science and Technology is leading implementation of the project in partnership with the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) under Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The launch took place on October 28, 2024 at the 16th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD CoP16) in Cali, Colombia, and was supported by SBAPP project partners in Africa, and France.

According to South African Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Mr Narend Singh, the guide provides practical methodologies for countries to implement and monitor the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), enabling urgent action towards outcome-oriented goals by 2050.

First published in 2016, the guide helps governments, researchers and conservationists to identify and locate biodiversity. 

Dr Tiwonge Gawa, who represented MUST and EAD, shared Malawi's success story at the event. 

“This Mapping Biodiversity Priorities approach has been applied in Malawi since 2018 and has enabled us to map and Red List our terrestrial ecosystems,” she said.

The Mapping Biodiversity Priorities programme is vital to Malawi's environmental conservation efforts, she added. 

By identifying and protecting the country's biodiversity, Malawi can preserve its natural resources, promote sustainable development and ensure the well-being of its citizens. 

The programme's focus on freshwater ecosystems, such as Lake Malawi, is particularly crucial, as it supports the livelihoods of many communities and contributes significantly to the country's economy.

A press release on the launch can be accessed on this link: https://www.sanbi.org/media/launch-of-mapping-biodiversity-priorities-guide-at-cop16/