Online Workshop on biodiversity and ecosystem services (25, 26 & 27 October)

The worldwide health crisis linked to Covid-19 reminds us of the fragility and dependence of human beings on nature. In the latest IPBES report, the figures given by scientists are frightening: one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. In another report released in the fall of 2020, they clearly linked the biodiversity crisis to the Covid-19 crisis. « Changes in the way we use land, the expansion and intensification of agriculture, and unsustainable trade, production, and consumption are disrupting nature and increasing contact between wildlife, livestock, pathogens, and humans. This is a path that leads straight to pandemics ». The year 2021 will therefore be the year of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Several major international events on the subject or with a strong link to it are on the agenda this year, the main ones being The United Nations Environment Assembly (virtual, UNEA, February 2021), the COP 15 on biodiversity (CBD, China, May 2021), the COP 15 of the Basel Convention, the COP 10 of the Rotterdam Convention and the COP 10 of the Stockholm Convention (Geneva, July 2021), the World Conservation Congress (IUCN, Marseille, September 2021), the UNCTAD XV (Barbados, October 2021) or the COP 26 on climate change (Glasgow, November 2021).

This is why Africa 21 and its partners have selected the theme of « biodiversity and ecosystem services » as the central theme for the work of the African Journalists Network on Sustainable Development and Climate Change.

The workshop has been held online from October 25 to October 27, 2021.

15 Egyptian journalists from the country’s main media (print, radio, TV, news agency) have been invited to participate in this event, together with many international experts and partners.

In parallel to the workshop, a journalistic competition is organised on the theme « Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Egypt ».

the online workshop for egyptian journalists

Monday october 25

Morning

Inaugural session (10h-10h30).

Introduction discussion (10h30-12h00) – the biodiversity and the concept of ecosystem services, case of Egypt – Moustafa Fouda, CBD National Focal Point and international expert on biodiversity.
To view the presentation, click here.
To watch the session 1 : click here.

Afternoon

State of biodiverity (14h-17h)

- Levis Kavagi, Regional Coordinator, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, UNEP, Africa situation

- Timothy Max Wright, Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting Regional « Understanding nature’s values: the power and potential of natural capital accounting »
  To view the presentation, click here.
  For more information:
  An Introduction to Ecosystem Accounting
  SEEA website: https://seea.un.org/ecosystem-accounting
  GEO website: https://earthobservations.org/index.php
  EO4EA website: https://www.eo4ea.org/
To watch the session 2, click here.

Tuesday october 26

Morning

Social approach to biodiversity (10h-13h)

- Social Dimensions of Biodiversity Management, Isabell Kempf, Head of Bonn Office & Senior Research Coordinator, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)
  To view the presentation, click here.
  For more information :
  Watch the video here.
  If you are interested by the eco-social network launch by UNERISD, please click here.

- Dr. Assem A. A. Mohamed, Senior Researcher, Agricultural Research Center (UfM expert)
  To view the presentation, click here.
  For more informations :
  Biodiversity, Climate Change and Economics of Adaptation.
  First global assessment of biodiversity and ecological services
  An Economic Production of Keitt Mango under Protected and Open Field Conditions
  Economics of Climate Change and Impact Chain Analysis of Some Crops in Egypt
  Climate change and its economic impacts on the agriculture sector

- Maikel Lieuw-Kie-Song, Senior Technical Specialist, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
To watch the session 3, click here.

Afternoon

Nature, natural hazard and human security (14h-15h)

- Mr. Jerome Fontana, Head of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Cairo Delegation
  To view the presentation, click here.
To watch the session 4, click here.

Wednesday october 27

Morning

Nature, green economy and innovation (10h-12h)

- Louis Mitondo Lubango, Environmental Affairs Officer, Green Economy Innovations & Technologies Section, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

- Lika Sasaki, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Biotrade initiative
  To view the presentation, click here.
To watch the session 5, click here.

Afternoon

Nature, trade issues and private sector (14h-16h)

- Veronique Rossow, General Manager of BT3P (BioTrade Planet People Partnership) and International Consultant for UNDP, on ABS & BioTrade topics, biotrade case studies
  To view the presentation, click here.

- Kimani Goddard, academic and adviser for WIPO, biodiversity and intellectual property
  To view the presentation, click here.
To watch the session 6, click here.

Egyptian medias engagement (16h15-17h15) : presentation of the different projects proposes by journalists for the competition.

- Alyaa Abo Shahba ; Rose El Youssef newspaper, Rassef22, Daraj, Scientific American Magazine ; The impact of climate change on the risk of extinction that threats male turtles in Egypt. The Egyptian turtle is the second smallest land turtle in the world. The investigation aims to provide scientific solutions to the problem and raise awareness of the importance of preserving turtles from the threat of extinction.
- Doaa Abdelbaki ; Scientific American Middle East, Popular Science Arabia, HuffPost Arabi ; Repeated oil spills threaten human health; destroy marine, wildlife, and tourism. In Egypt, there were about 30 oil spills in 2018/2019; last one was in Ras Gharib. The effects of oil spills can extend for decades. And as birds feed on fish, sometimes it is contaminated by oil. Thing that cases death of birds. The investigative report will search data on number and species of birds affected by oil spills, whether some of these birds are prone to extinction, and what are the efforts made to face the problem.
- Hadeer Elhadary ; Scientific American, Vice Arabia, Miraa, AL Shrouk, Aleyada ; This story will discuss the impact of killing millions of sharks in Egypt and the world on biodiversity and ecosystem, as they are killed because of “Shark fining” trade and poaching “illegal fishing”. How shark killing affects biodiversity? What are the last statistics about shark killing in the world? How does poaching affect sharks? What other harmful practices threaten the healthy life of sharks? What are the most important agreements, laws, and initiatives which protect Sharks?
- Dina Almaraghi ; Al Ahram ; How to link biodiversity and control of climate change to planting trees and safe disposal of waste?
- Ibrahim Riyad ; Al-Sabah newspaper ; Make a documentary film on the biodiversity and ecosystem services in Egypt.
- Ahmed Mostapha Saad ; TIBA Channel (Channel Eight) ; Project consists of producing number of raising awareness and animation videos on climate change, sustainable development, biodiversity and ecosystem services; that can be shared on Social Media and mass media channels.
- Ehab Zidan ; Daraj media, Vice Arabia, Misbar, Arab Reporters For Investigative, Deutsche Welle Journalist (Arij) ; An investigation that monitors the damage caused by the Egyptian government removing thousands of trees from residential areas and reducing green spaces in favor of investment projects, which affects biodiversity, harms the health of citizens, and costs the government hundreds of pounds.
- Salah Laban ; Al Ghad TV ; Overhunting and overfishing reduce species populations. Fishing and hunting can also indirectly increase numbers of other species in an ecosystem. The overfishing affects most aquatic freshwater and marine ecosystems: wetlands, freshwater, mangrove forests, coral reefs, marine oceans, rivers, lakes and streams. Overhunting has a major effect on a food chain. It basically hurts all of the organisms in that ecosystem, and can cause species of animals to go extinct. Despite national laws and international treaties, ecosystem and biodiversity in Egypt suffer from these two human activities. This report with data and graphs should highlight these issues.
- Ahmed Muhammad Mustafa Saba ; climateinarabic.com, climatetracker.org, alnashraaldawlia.com, akheralnbaa.com, egyptyouth.com ; High risk of extinction of sea cucumbers in the Red Sea due to overfishing.
- Eman Adel Fatah ; Nile radio network ; Investigation about the most important natural reserves in Egypt.
- Ahmed Youssef Ragab Elsayed ; Shorouk daily newspaper ;
- Mouttasem Albarodi ; Scidev.net /Scientific American -Arabic edition ;
- Mohamed Abd Elhafiz ; Mada Masr ;
- Shimaa Draz ; Mandara Media Gate, Time Network, Bloom News ;