SANBI leads regional ecological assessment workshop

SANBI hosts regional workshop to strengthen ecological condition assessment across southern Africa. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) recently hosted the Ecological Condition Regional Workshop in Cape Town, bringing together biodiversity specialists, ecosystem assessment practitioners, researchers, and government representatives from South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi. Held from 18 to 22 May 2026 at Monkey Valley Resort, the workshop formed part of the Spatial Biodiversity Assessment, Prioritisation and Planning (SBAPP) Regional Project, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening biodiversity knowledge and supporting evidence-based decision-making across Southern Africa. The workshop provided a platform for collaboration, technical exchange and capacity building among partner countries working on ecological condition assessments and land degradation monitoring. Participants shared experiences, methodologies, datasets and lessons learned, while exploring opportunities to strengthen consistency and collaboration across the region. Ecological condition assessment is an important tool for understanding the health of ecosystems and the extent to which they have been transformed or degraded. By developing robust spatial information on ecosystem condition, countries can better identify conservation priorities, support land-use planning, inform environmental policy and track changes in biodiversity over time. The workshop contributes to Objective 4 of the SBAPP Regional Project, which focuses on developing comprehensive national spatial databases on ecological condition and land degradation for each of the four partner countries. Through presentations, technical discussions, practical knowledge-sharing sessions and a field excursion, participants explored approaches to assessing ecosystem condition, selecting ecological indicators, integrating environmental datasets and applying ecological assessment frameworks across different ecosystems. A key outcome of the workshop was the strengthening of regional collaboration among countries facing similar environmental challenges. Participants discussed opportunities to align assessment approaches, improve comparability of data, share technical expertise and strengthen long-term ecological monitoring across the region. The workshop also provided an opportunity for country teams to showcase progress made in their national ecological condition assessments, while identifying priority actions and technical needs for the next phase of work. The SBAPP Regional Project, titled Building Biodiversity Knowledge for Action in Southern Africa: Spatial Biodiversity Assessment, Prioritisation and Planning in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi, is funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM). SANBI serves as the Lead Implementing Agency, working in partnership with the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Mozambique. By strengthening biodiversity assessment and planning capacity across Southern Africa, the project is helping to build a stronger evidence base for conservation, sustainable development and environmental decision-making in the region. About the SBAPP Regional Project The SBAPP Regional Project aims to develop and enhance national spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritisation and planning processes and products in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi. The project strengthens biodiversity knowledge and supports its integration into land-use planning, environmental policy, biodiversity monitoring and conservation action. The project runs until December 2027.