Capacity Development for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Experts in Africa (CABES)

CABES – Capacity Development for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Experts (www.cabes.online) aims to develop and strengthen the capacity of professionals in biodiversity-related fields in Africa to engage in the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES, www.ipbes.net). CABES is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). 

Goal one is to inform national decision-making processes amongst multiple stakeholder groups including researchers, practitioners from the public and private sectors, as well as NGOs, indigenous & local knowledge (ILK) holders, women, and IPBES national focal points. Goal two is to establish a network of science-policy platforms to contribute to the implementation of the IPBES work programmes at national, sub-regional and regional level. Goal three is to train early-career scientists, researchers, and facilitators to manage science-policy interfaces (SPIs).

Finally, CABES develops capacities to support the implementation of political decisions for the management and sustainable use of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services/Nature’s Contributions to People (BES/NCPs).

Methodology

CABES develops and strengthens capacity in Africa to engage in IPBES through different capacity building initiatives and setting up of science-policy platforms across geographic scales, including:

(i) A capacity development programme and platform targeted at professionals;
(ii) Education & capacity development programme through university course works targeting early-career professional;
(iii) the establishment and/or strengthening of National platforms on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services that brings together national experts to identify and address policy gaps; and 
(iv) A A “Network of Platforms” that connects Science-Policy Platforms at sub-regional, regional scale and beyond to mainstream contributions to the IPBES work programme and its uptake, as well as to foster knowledge exchanges & south-south collaboration.