The Subregional Technical Support Centre for Southern Africa, hosted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), was established to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the region. The Centre facilitates collaboration, capacity building, and the exchange of technical expertise to address environmental challenges affecting Southern Africa.
As a key initiative aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), the Centre plays a vital role in implementing Decision 15/8 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Decision 15/8 calls for enhanced technical and scientific cooperation, strengthening regional support networks, and developing centres of expertise to assist countries in achieving global biodiversity targets. The Centre responds to this mandate by fostering partnerships, providing technical support, and promoting innovative solutions for biodiversity conservation.
Vision and Mission
The Centre envisions a future in which biodiversity in Southern Africa is conserved, valued, and sustainably managed to support ecosystems, livelihoods, and long-term regional development.
Its mission is to provide technical support, foster regional collaboration, and strengthen institutional capacity to achieve global and regional biodiversity conservation goals. Central to this mission is supporting the implementation of Decision 15/8 and the KM-GBF, ensuring that conservation efforts are grounded in scientific knowledge and effective cooperation.
Objectives
The Centre is committed to achieving the following objectives:
- Facilitating partnerships among governments, research institutions, communities, and other stakeholders to address shared biodiversity challenges.
- Building technical capacity by providing training, mentorship, and resources to enhance conservation expertise across the region.
- Developing and sharing tools and technologies for monitoring, managing, and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.
- Supporting national biodiversity strategies by assisting countries in aligning their policies with international frameworks, particularly the KM-GBF and Decision 15/8.
- Promoting knowledge exchange through platforms that enable data-sharing, research collaboration, and the dissemination of best practices.
Why this centre matters
Southern Africa is home to extraordinary biodiversity, with ecosystems that provide essential services such as food security, clean water, and climate regulation. However, these ecosystems face increasing threats from climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable resource use.
The Centre serves as a regional hub for scientific and technical cooperation, helping countries address these challenges through evidence-based conservation strategies. By fostering collaboration and innovation, the Centre ensures that biodiversity conservation efforts are effective, inclusive, and beneficial to both people and the environment.
Key activities
To achieve its objectives, the Centre undertakes the following activities:
- Coordinating regional efforts to develop and implement biodiversity action plans in line with Decision 15/8.
- Organizing training programs and workshops to enhance technical expertise in conservation and biodiversity management.
- Providing access to biodiversity data and monitoring tools to support decision-making and policy development.
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices, ensuring that scientific research translates into real-world conservation impact.
- Supporting the development of evidence-based policies, ensuring alignment with international biodiversity commitments.
Get involved
The success of the Subregional Technical Support Centre depends on collaboration and active engagement from governments, organizations, researchers, and local communities. We invite partners to work with us in advancing biodiversity conservation across Southern Africa.
For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact us at tsc@sanbi.org.za.
Together, we can ensure a sustainable future for biodiversity in Southern Africa.
For more details on Technical and Scientific Cooperation under the CBD, visit: TSC CBD.