Two members of the Africa Space Workshops (ASW) took part at the Kenya Youth Biodiversity Summit that took place in Kapsabet, Nandi County of Kenya. Arnold Bundotich was a panellist and explained how Earth Observation (EO) is applied in biodiversity monitoring. Participants expressed their interest in expanding their tech skills, and Mr. Bundotich was able to refer them to the website of the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), which offers short and long courses related to Earth Observation. He also talked about the GMES & Africa Programme, which utilises geospatial technologies to monitor the environment and security.
Ms. Maryanne Muriuki took part in the first panel discussion on Consolidating Youth Action. Ms. Muriuki expressed the need for the use of scientific data to formulate new policies in conservation, as well as updating the existing ones. She urged fellow youth to take the initiative and support each other’s efforts, for the realisation of the Agenda 2030, as well as the African Union Agenda 2063.
The event was organised by the Kenya Youth Biodiversity Network (KYBN) and supported by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). KYBN is the national chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), and the network is a platform for the participation of the youth in the discussions surrounding the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It is interesting and resourceful to note that the CBD has a document discussing Earth Observation for Biodiverity. It can be accessed through this link:
https://www.cbd.int/doc/publications/cbd-ts-72-en.pdf
The event brought together young conservationists from Nandi County and other institutions including Karatina University, Africa Nazarene University, Moi University, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), as well participation from the office of the Council of Governors (CoG).