The International Conference on Biodiversity in Drylands and Wetlands is underway in the Maasai Mara University of Kenya. It is held by the Alliance of International Science Organizations, or ANSO. The theme of this conference is biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization.
By choosing this theme, ANSO wishes to highlight the importance of biodiversity which is the source of food, livelihood, health, climate mitigation. At the opening ceremony, Professor Bai Chunli, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the world is witnessing loss of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems at an alarming rate at many parts of the planet.
He said science and innovation is able to play a fundamental, strategic and leading role in both understanding and providing solutions to this challenge. He called for close international cooperation and partnership.
The conference aims to start actions that ANSO will take in biodiversity conservation.
By holding this conference ,China hopes to provide a platform for academic institutions from China, African and other parts of the world to share the experiences and showcase the best practices in conserving biodiversity.
China also hopes to provide a platform for scientists to build on dialogues on potential cooperative programs and projects that may generate evidence based findings and advices.
In 2020, China will hold the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Biological Diversity (COP15). One of the aims of COP 15 is to set up the objectives of biodiversity conservation toward 2030.
