2nd International Conference on Biodiversity in the Congo Basin

The strong involvement of the local and regional stakeholders during the first conference in 2014, organised mainly with Belgian financial support, and the subsequent activities in the region have drawn the attention of several international stakeholders who expressed interest to support or become involved in a second edition of such a conference.

With the support of the Belgian Development Cooperation an international conference will be convened to address current and future challenges such as the periodically emerging epidemies from zoonotic origin, global climate changes, massive deforestation, biodiversity loss, as well as the steep demographic growth in the region. Discussing these issues requires the mobilisation of novel science-based answers and their translation into adequate policy measures.

• Enhancing awareness and motivation among (inter)national and provincial political authorities to increase their efforts to safeguard the Congo Basin and its unique fauna and flora in view of the increasing demographic pressure and economic development with its effects on the use of renewable natural resources and the potential threats to human health that may come with it.

• Strengthening the existing local and international network of scientists, civil society and policy makers.

• Strengthening links between the climate-biodiversity  and health research.

• Promoting the public availability of the data related to the exploitation of renewable natural resources publicly available among local authorities.